4/00-16 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact: Christine Kelleher, 800-232-9557, Ext. 512 or Gary Doerr, 916-716-1889 This is one in a periodic series of articles by respected garden writers throughout North America. You can expect others on topics of similar interest on a timely basis. Feel free to use this release in its entirety or in part, with or without the author's byline. Lorraine Flanigan is a freelance garden writer living in Toronto. She is contributing editor for suite101.com's Gardening in Southern Ontario web site and her City Gardening column appears in Toronto's Town Crier newspaper.

Are there prize-winning Blooms in your garden? Take a look at the front of the flower border. If you see the frothy pink plumes of Astilbe 'Sprite' or the delicate two-tone blossoms of Campanula 'Chettle Charm,' then you've got a winner. Showcased at Britain's Chelsea Flower Show, these gold-medal winners were developed at the Blooms of Bressingham nursery of Alan and Adrian Bloom, father and son horticulturists who have been a British gardening tradition since 1926.

In the world of plants, winning gold at Chelsea bestows the mark of quality, innovation and outstanding excellence. Blooms of Bressingham has won gold 24 times since they began showing at Chelsea 25 years ago. British gardeners have had a jump on us here in Canada for far too long.

Now is the time to transplant Blooms to Canadian gardens. Choose from Chelsea winners now available in North America. Achillea 'Anthea' (Yarrow) is a great plant to start with. It is a good summer performer developed by Blooms to stand up to hot, humid summers - just the kind of summer we have here in southern Ontario. The pale yellow flowers, soft, silvery foliage and tall, erect habit of 'Anthea' make it an ideal plant for sunny flower borders.

Campanula persicifolia 'Chettle Charm,' discovered in the gardens of the historic Chettle House in Dorset, England is an old cottage garden favorite. Blooms introduced this Peachleaf Bellflower at the Chelsea Flower Show as well. Standing tall in the flower border, the unique two-toned blue and white flowers of 'Chettle Charm' make excellent cut flowers.

The variegated Polemonium 'Brise d'Anjou' (Jacob's Ladder), Heuchera 'Rosemary Bloom' (Coral Bells), Fragaria 'Pink Panda' (Strawberry) and the 1994 Perennial Plant of the Year, Astilbe 'Sprite' are among the other Chelsea winners now available to Canadian gardeners. Make this the year that you plant a winning flower border with these outstanding Blooms of Bressingham varieties.