Relish the chance to enjoy your own home grown veg – and other handy tips for National Gardening Week

Obviously, a company like Plantscape is going to sing about events like the amazing National Gardening Week – an RHS celebration of how getting out in our gardens makes us feel happier.

This year more than any other we’re appreciating the value of gardening for wellbeing. And as part of our #StayAtHome campaign we’ve been encouraging people to spend more time in their gardens, on their balconies or growing things on their windowsills – to help boost their happiness levels and to feel part of a wider floral community.

Every day from Monday April 27 until Sunday May 3 we’ll be sharing tips from our ops manager Mat Davison who literally lives and breathes flowers and bees 24/7 and sales exec Alan McGregor who has made it his life’s mission to brighten up towns across England and Wales with some of the most dazzling floral displays known to mankind!

Look out for our tips on Twitter, Facebook and Linked In.

Sales executive Alan McGregor came up with the idea of hosting our own online In Bloom competitions. And now he’s suggesting a vegetable growing contest!

“Dig for Victory” was one of the watchwords of World War two. Householders turned over their entire gardens to vegetable growing and chicken keeping. We’re not suggesting that (after all we adore flowers). But a corner of the garden, a few pots , a balcony or even a windowsill can be used to grow herbs and vegetables.

While some will just want to enjoy the sheer pleasure of nurturing seeds which eventually become something worthy of our dinner tables, those with a more competitive streak may prefer to engage in a traditional ‘biggest marrow’ style contest. With the joy, of course, shared on Facebook. And perhaps you could enjoy a Zoom vegetable growing, watering, measuring or eating party on Zoom!

While nurseries are currently closed to protect the public and the NHS, many companies are still offering online ordering of seeds and plug plants.

Courgettes are nice and easy and don’t require any complex maintenance. You just need to like courgettes a LOT – every single day in the summer! Thank goodness for the BBC Food website which has plenty of recipes to offer variety! You can even eat the flowers – filling them with cheese and frying them is pretty tasty.

Beans – mangetout, French, runner – are all pretty to look at. And chard combines attractiveness (super shiny leaves and coloured stalks) with a seemingly perpetual supply of food.

In fact, we love veg so much at Plantscape that we even provide Vegee-tables (yes, they’re planting tables in which to grow veg!) to schools all across the UK to encourage youngsters to learn about the source of our food.

In the meantime, why not use old containers to start off your seeds or even to grow flowers in. The Greeks love using old oil drums filled with geraniums.

There’s plenty of information on growing vegetables on the RHS website.

Other activities which can help you and your family enjoy your garden while we’re staying at home include weeding, which is a surprisingly mindful activity. Although don’t pull up wildflowers and dandelions as they are a dream for our bee chums.

You could also, in the absence of the official event, create your own mini Olympics – setting up gentle activities like quoits and boules – or more vigorous ones like swingball!

If you’d like to talk to a member of the Plantscape team ring 0330 5550121 option 5 or email info@plantscapeuk.com.