EVERYTHING in the garden is rosy at a Whitefield school as pupils prepare their entry in this year's Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show.

Green-fingered youngsters at St Michael's RC Primary in Ribble Drive are working closely with Whitefield Horticultural Society and Bury Council on their entry in the National Flower Bed Competition at Tatton Park.

The team is hoping to repeat the success of last year when it won a bronze medal in the municipal authorities category with its floral tribute to Sir Robert Peel, the East Lancashire Railway and Bury FC.

Since then an impressive community greenhouse has been built in the grounds of St Michael's, which means the pupils can have hands-on experience of horticulture while helping to cultivate the 3,000 plants needed for the display.

The youngsters are receiving gardening guidance from members of the horticultural society and the council's parks department.

Mike Bent, parks and open spaces officer, said: "The children are really enjoying taking care of the plants, watering, feeding and potting them on. It's the perfect way to teach them about plants and a great way to get the community involved in the competition. They are doing such a great job that we are confident of medal success."

The Bury entry will once again draw on its colourful history, with the cotton industry and John Kay the theme for this year.

John Kay lived in Bury in 1730 when he patented the flying shuttle which revolutionised the process of handloom weaving by dramatically increasing its speed.

The flower bed will feature two red and white cotton bobbins made from new flower varieties, the dianthus Whisper Cranberry and dianthus Whisper White.

Nestled in the centre and on a bed of orange and yellow marigolds will be a 15ft flying shuttle made from recycled wood by specialist company Pendlewood, which is also sponsoring the entry along with Pilsworth Environmental Company.

The flower show takes place from July 21 to 25, and the ticket hotline can be contacted on 0870 906 3811.