SEVEN churches are joining together for a festival of flowers to celebrate the Golden Jubilee and new Millennium at Germansweek this weekend.
Flowers have been especially important to Germansweek Parish Church since the visit of St Germanus, its patron saint, in 400 AD, being one of the few forms of welcome acceptable to this stern man.
In recent years, this tradition has been carried on in the biennial flower festival but in 2002, the parochial church council is going one step further.
All churches in the Northmoor Group, which includes Okehampton, Inwardleigh, Northlew, Bridestowe, Sourton, Bratton Clovelly as well as Germansweek will be contributing to the event.
Each church will enter one exhibit, resulting in a riot of colour and display all under the theme of 'Seventh Heaven', which has been interpreted in many different ways.
The festival will open at 2pm tomorrow (Friday), when the Rev Paul Fitzpatrick will return to bless the flowers and plant the Church's Millennium yew tree.
Entry to the festival, which runs all weekend, is by programme available at the door or from PCC members in advance.
Cream teas will be available in the hall each day and a cold lunch served on Sunday.
On Sunday evening, the new team vicar for Okehampton, the Rev Stephen Cook, will lead a service of seven hymns and seven readings to bring the festival to a close.