Big Spring Clean: Join the anti-litter army set to sweep across the country 

It's spring at last - and it's time to tackle the detritus that has gathered over the winter months.

Winners of our fun sunflower competition revealed 

We've searched the country far and wide. And we've scoured hundreds of photos, all in search of Northern Ireland's tallest sunflower.

The skyscraping sunflower that rivals Jack and the Beanstalk 

Hold the front page - our Bloomin' Marvellous sunflower-growing competition has a new front runner.

The little sunflower that made a big impact on beach 

We've been searching far and wide for the tallest entry in our sunflower growing competition – but here's our smallest!

Three tallest sunflowers so far make their bow in competition 

So you think you've seen some big sunflowers in our pages? Well, look again - these magnificent blossoms are outstripping them all.

Tom blows us away with this windswept wonder from east 

It's a lofty, windy location overlooking Belfast - yet reader Tom McClean has done the impossible and reared a huge sunflower in his exposed garden.

It's a tall order, but can you beat these sunflower heights? 

Is your sunflower Bloomin' Marvellous?

Scaling new heights in our tallest sunflower quest 

Wow! This sunflower has really blown us all away.

Transplant Games: Grateful golden girl Kathyrn reflects on her gift of life 

A teacher who underwent 10 hours of kidney dialysis a day for four years will today return as one of the stars of the Northern Ireland Transplant team after winning five medals.

53 medals are scooped by our Transplant Games heroes 

Gold, silver and bronze medals will be making their way back to Northern Ireland today after a team of inspirational athletes won more than 50 medals at the UK Transplant Games.

Blooming miracle as sunflower climbs to dizzying height of 77 inches or 1.25 Lindas 

It's the first time Margaret Hanna has experimented with sunflowers – and she's proved herself to be a natural.

Sunflower cultivation a growing industry, so here's another tall tale 

So, did our stunning sunflower competition yesterday inspire you?

So, how does your sunflower measure up against this big yellow beauty (and our Linda, who's little smaller)? 

Belfast Telegraph readers have sown their seeds - and now we want to see the results.

Rural oasis in the heart of suburbia 

They're the cream of the crop - the beautifully put together gardens that came out on top in our £4,000 Bloomin' Marvellous competition

Hilltop setting scales the heights 

Dizzying vistas with glorious colours shimmering in the distance – it can only be the Large Country Garden category of our competition.

'Lyrical' garden is a fitting tribute to Killyleagh man's late wife 

Wild orchids, camomile lawns and Tibetan prayer flags - every corner of Mike Hartwell's garden near Killyleagh offers a surprise.

Blooming Marvellous competition: First two winners in Belfast Telegraph's £4,000 competition revealed 

It's here at last! For months we've been searching for Northern Ireland's finest gardens as part of our Blooming Marvellous competition.

Blooming Marvellous: Who's caught the judges' eye and is in final garden bunch? 

We've scoured hundreds of photographs of lovingly tended gardens – and now it's Judgement Day.

Glorious gardens: We reveal our first batch of finalists 

Vivid colour and verdant planting – these are the first finalists in our Blooming Marvellous gardening competition.

Snap up a share of our garden cash pot £4,000 on offer for most inspirational entries in Tele's competition 

Feast your eyes on these scintillating colours and intriguing spaces – the entries into our Blooming Marvellous gardening competition are giving us a severe case of garden envy.

Bloomin' Marvellous: An inspiring cornucopia of colour 

Cast your eyes over this cornucopia of colour and texture. Are you feeling inspired yet?

Bloomin' Marvellous: Haven just what the doctors ordered 

Two retired doctors – who can count herons, foxes and squirrels among the visitors to their stunning garden – are enjoying their own version of The Good Life.

50 Jobs in 50 Days: Prince championed our campaign to create jobs for young 

The Belfast Telegraph's 50 Jobs In 50 Days campaign came to a close on May 1 after receiving the enthusiastic championing of HRH the Duke of York, who launched our campaign in March. It surpassed its target, and succeeded in obtaining pledges to create 60 apprenticeships from companies big and small – from IT firm Fujitsu's pledge to take on nine apprentices to McGreevy Engineering's commitment to take on one young person.

Can you grow the tallest sunflower? A special green-fingered challenge to all our readers 

Today the Belfast Telegraph is sending out a challenge to all our green-fingered readers – can you grow the tallest sunflower?

Not so secret gardens - Need inspiration for Belfast Telegraph gardening competition? 

When it comes to each other's homes and gardens, most people would confess to being a little bit nosey sometimes. As if the popularity of television shows such as Ground Force and Changing Rooms wasn't testimony enough to our desire to create our own ideal personal space, green-fingered enthusiasts in Northern Ireland can often spend a small fortune over a lifetime on sprucing up their lawns and beautifying their begonias.

Big Spring Clean: 100,000-strong... green army that waged war on litter 

We asked if we could count you in to our Big Spring Clean – and the answer was a resounding 'yes'.

Alys Fowler: Northern Ireland should really dig hardy perennials little more 

TV horticulturalist Alys Fowler has said Northern Ireland's gardeners should take inspiration from 18th century cottage gardens – and try growing perennial crops.

Howard Street eyes apprentice chef 

One of Belfast's trendiest new restaurants has signed up to the Belfast Telegraph's 60 jobs in 50 days campaign to drive up the number of apprentices.

Girl power returns litter-strewn North Down Coastal Path to its former splendour 

More than 1,200 Brownies and Girl Guides took to the North Down Coastal Path to carry out a good spring clean as part of their annual Lorne Walk last week.

Rathlin volunteers discover message in a bottle borne on high seas for nine years 

A message in a bottle has been washed up on a beach on Rathlin Island – nine years after it was thrown off an Icelandic cargo ship.

50 Jobs in 50 Days: McAuley Engineering pledges four new apprenticeships 

Co Antrim sheet metal manufacturer McAuley Engineering has offered four apprenticeships as part of the Belfast Telegraph's campaign to help create 60 jobs in 50 days.

Allen & Overy hails benefits of on-the-job training 

International law firm Allen & Overy has thrown itself behind the Belfast Telegraph campaign to encourage companies to take on apprentices.

Big Spring Clean: Dashing into action ... the teams stemming a tide of litter north and south 

Litter eyesores in the four corners of Ireland have been swept clean of rubbish as the Belfast Telegraph's Big Spring Clean teams rolled up their sleeves alongside their southern counterparts.

Sunshine all the way for little gardeners: Tall order as green-fingered pupils take up Carrick in Bloom sunflower challenge 

Four thousand packets of sunflower seed are to be distributed to schoolchildren in the hope of turning their fingers green.

50 Jobs in 50 Days: A Royal seal of approval from the Duke of York as our jobs drive gathers pace 

The Duke of York has expressed "delight" at the progress of the Belfast Telegraph's 50 Jobs in 50 Days campaign, to find more young people valuable on-the-job training through apprenticeships.

Duke reiterates call for businesses in UK to invest in our young 

The Duke of York – who recently launched the Belfast Telegraph's 50 Jobs in 50 Days apprenticeships campaign – has said businesses need to invest more in creating jobs for young people.

Want a sunny disposition? Then work as a gardener 

If you want to be one of the UK's happiest workers – become a gardener.

The plot thickens - solving mystery of our love for allotments 

There's nothing quite like having a little corner of earth to call your own, and it's even more rewarding when you can put it to good use, whether it's a square of lawn or a fully fledged garden replete with trees, bushes and shrubbery.

The grim, rat-infested west Belfast alley that's become a little oasis 

It used to be a rat-infested dumping ground, knee deep in fly-tipped rubbish and plagued by teenagers drinking and lighting fires.

50 Jobs in 50 Days: Alarm firm gives our apprentices drive a ringing endorsement 

A security alarms company in Belfast is creating two new apprenticeships in response to the Belfast Telegraph's 50 Jobs in 50 Days campaign.

Pupils spring into action to take up gardening challenge 

Spring is here at last – and it's time to do battle.

It used to be a patch of grass... now it's an urban wood teeming with wildlife 

The trees were planted just 15 years ago, but this infant wood on the outskirts of Bangor has now been named a Local Nature Reserve.

Apprentices need support in climbing the ladder to employment 

Employment Minister Dr Stephen Farry has praised the Belfast Telegraph's new apprenticeships campaign, 50 Jobs in 50 Days, as his department looks to radical reform of the existing system for apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.

Apprentices need support in climbing the ladder to employment 

Employment Minister Dr Stephen Farry has praised the Belfast Telegraph's new apprenticeships campaign, 50 Jobs in 50 Days, as his department looks to radical reform of the existing system for apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.

Trainees plot to revive badly neglected garden 

An unloved community garden in west Belfast is to be brought back to life and transformed into an allotment.

Blooming Marvellous: Green-fingered experts get behind Belfast Telegraph's gardening campaign 

Gardeners across Northern Ireland look set for a fantastic spring, according to the experts supporting our Blooming Marvellous gardening drive.

50 Jobs in 50 Days: BT joins the Belfast Telegraph's apprentice drive 

Telecommunications giant BT has come forward and pledged its support to our apprenticeships campaign, 50 Jobs in 50 Days.

50 Jobs in 50 Days: Future is with the apprentice 

I welcome the Belfast Telegraph's initiative which supports my department's Apprenticeships NI programme. The campaign will reinforce the extensive opportunities that an apprenticeship offers to both employers and young people and I hope that this persuades more companies and individuals to reap those benefits.

50 Jobs in 50 Days: Six easy ways an employer can find an apprentice 

1. If you are an employer who wants to take on an apprentice as part of our campaign, please let us know by telephoning Margaret Canning on 028 9026 4443 or emailing btapprentices@gmail.com

50 Jobs in 50 Days: Royal backing for Belfast Telegraph's bid to help young jobhunters 

The Belfast Telegraph's new campaign to help the young unemployed in Northern Ireland has been given the royal seal of approval.