THE search is on to find children's ideas of the garden of the future. And the best could win super prizes for the youngsters and their families.

The Evening Press has teamed up with Coppergate Shopping Centre and York in Bloom to launch the Blooming Good Ideas competition.

We want you to let us have your bright ideas about the garden of tomorrow: What will it look like? What plants will grow there? How will it be kept tidy? Will there be grass to be cut? And how will it be watered in a way that conserves water?

Children aged four to 14 should think about these things and draw or paint a picture to show what your garden of the future looks like.

There are some wonderful prizes to be won, too.

The overall winner, along with his or her family, will be given a VIP day out as a guest of Lord Mayor of York, Coun Shan Braund, at York Racecourse on August 15.

They will be the Lord Mayor's special guests at the Yorkshire in Bloom Awards in the racecourse's Ebor Suite.

And for some of the other bright ideas there will be gift vouchers to spend at Marks & Spencer's, Boots gift vouchers, vouchers to spend in Fenwick's toy department, and family tickets for the Jorvik Viking Centre.

The City of York is this year hosting the annual Yorkshire in Bloom Awards after winning the competition for the last two years.

And what better way of involving young people than by asking for their ideas on the garden of tomorrow?

To help inspire them for the future and offer some hints, a flower arranging demonstration is being held by Madeline O'Beirne at the Coppergate Centre from 10am on Monday, August 14. Children who take along their own flowers will be shown how to turn them into artistic creations. Some of them may be displayed at the awards ceremony the next day.

The competition has three age categories: for four to six year-olds, seven to ten year-olds and 11 to 14s.

Just send your entry - on a piece of paper no larger than A3 size - to: Blooming Good Ideas Competition, Coppergate Shopping Centre, 12 Coppergate Walk, York YO1 9NT by August 1. Don't forget to write your name, age, address and phone number on the back of your entry.

Relatives of employees of the Coppergate Centre and York & County Press may not enter.