HUNDREDS of green-fingered schoolchildren are expected to flock to a local garden centre to find out if their petunia will be picked as a regional winner in a national growing competition.

More than 700 youngsters from 11 Worcestershire schools have been carefully tending their petunias over the last two months. Their aim is to bring the flowers to the peak of perfection for the judging at Webbs of Wychbold this Saturday.

Run by invitation only, the Baby Bio National Schools' Growing Competition aims to find the UK's next generation of gardeners.

The judge will be looking for youngsters whose green fingers can wow the best of the big gardening names at the grand final at BBC Gardeners' World Live.

For the third year running Advertiser/Messenger chief reporter Pete Lammas will be the judge.

Webbs managing director Ed Webb said: "Every contestant has been invited to bring their petunia to be judged and each child who personally brings in an entry will receive a medal. I'm sure it will make a fabulous display of flowers and it will no doubt be a difficult decision for the judge to pick the perfect petunia out of so many excellent entries."

A prizewinner will be selected from each school and will be awarded a trophy and a £10 Webbs gift voucher.

The overall regional winner will then take their petunia to the grand national final at BBC Gardeners' World Live on June 18 at the NEC, Birmingham.

There they'll compete with the best in the country to win up to £1,000 for their school and £100 in garden centre gift vouchers for themselves.

This is the fourth time Webbs has taken part in the contest and staff are hoping their chosen schools can repeat previous successes.

Two years ago Grace Wensley won £1,000 for Meadows First School, in Bromsgrove, after her petunia blossomed into the best of 50,000 entries nationwide.

Last year young Alex Handy, of Fairfield First School, followed in Grace's footsteps by winning the regional heat at Webbs and then scooping second prize in the national final.