GAZETTE & HERALD: GREEN-FINGERED four-year-old Naomi Green is off to the BBC Gardener's World Show in Birmingham, to do battle with her award-winning petunia.

Naomi, a pupil at St Mary's, Calne, was one of hundreds of children who entered this year's Baby Bio National Schools' Growing Competition.

On Saturday, her treasured bloom was judged the pick of the bunch in a regional heat held at the Whitehall Garden Centre in Lacock.

Competition was fierce with pupils from 11 schools from Chippenham, Calne, Corsham and as far away as Frome showing off the petunias they had nurtured from plug plants.

But when it came to the crunch, the judges said Naomi's was the top of the crop. Her prize was £25 in gardening vouchers plus six tickets to the BBC Gardeners' World Show at the NEC in Birmingham on Saturday, where she and her petunia will compete in the contest finals.

Naomi's mum, Lisa Byfield-Green, 35, said: "Naomi was absolutely thrilled to win the competition.

"She's even taken her petunia on holiday to Cornwall with us at half term.

"She's really looking forward to her day out at Birmingham this weekend, where she will receive a certificate and a goody bag.

"She's really young, so it won't really matter if she wins the overall title she's just looking forward to having a great day out."