A RYEDALE town will be blooming gorgeous after it successfully attracted funding to brighten up a flower bed.

Pickering In Bloom Committee has secured £1,500 to replant a site at Smiddy Hill. North Yorkshire County Council's Ryedale area committee has already agreed to give £700 towards the project.

Scheme leader Coun Natalie Warriner said, after extensive consultation on the design of the garden, the committee had joined with the town council, community events group and the probation service to take the scheme forward.

Volunteers will carry out most of the work with locally-provided materials.

"We hope the project will be the beginning of the floral enhancement of Pickering for 2004," she said.

Following the successful summer "in-house" judging, the committee is to run a spring competition. "There are some extremely attractive gardens in Pickering in the spring and we want to acknowledge the hard work put in by householders," she said.

Judging will take place in April and July, with the Yorkshire In Bloom competition.

"Pickering looked its best ever last year and I'm confident that local pride will come to the fore in this garden scheme," said Coun Warriner.

Updated: 09:40 Saturday, January 03, 2004