Celebrating The Queen's Jubilee and The Olympic Games
, by Geoff Hodge
Golden-leaved plants are a great way of brightening up the garden – and celebrating golden jubilees
So, are you caught up in the fervour surrounding this year’s celebrations of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and/or The Olympic Games?
I know I can’t wait for the extra Bank Holiday we’re getting in June thanks to the Jubilee! It will give me an extra day of gardening. But are you going to create any plant displays to celebrate? Several gardening organisations are suggesting we all create red, white and blue or golden displays – especially in our front gardens so everyone can see them as they walk past – to help show our support.
Garden centres too are being encouraged to provide good displays of plants in these traditional colours – so expect to see lots of them when you go plant buying in spring.
I remember years ago when there was a great tradition of red, white and blue bedding displays – red salvias, white alyssum and blue lobelia – but luckily we now have a much wider range of bedding plants to make our displays far more exciting. And, of course, you don’t have to have a garden – you can make your celebratory displays in containers.
So, what do you think? Will you be taking part and showing off your support? Let us know and let us know what plants you’ll be growing and displaying.
We will again be building gardens at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, and one of our Miracle-Gro’wers Learning Journey school gardens will feature a red, white and blue Jubilee-themed floral tribute.
No comments | Filed under: Flower gardening | Freshness: 8 days ago
Gardening trends with BBC Radio Lancashire
, by Geoff Hodge
Scotts Miracle-Gro new products for 2012
Last Sunday (22nd January) I was at Birkacre Garden Centre, taking part in a live gardening programme with BBC Radio Lancashire.
I was there talking about new gardening products and trends in gardening, as well as chipping in with the rest of the programme.
We had a panel of experts, including David Brown from Birkacre, a local bedding plant supplier, a landscaper and Groundwork Pennine. We also had some great questions from listeners and visitors to Birkacre garden cnetre. All in all it was a great day and a good programme.
The programme – Lancashire outdoors with Stephen Lowe – runs every Sunday from 11am – 2pm and contains lots of interesting features on gardening and the outdoor life.
BBC Radio Lancashire broadcasts on 95.5FM, 103.9FM and DAB. If you don’t live locally, you can listen live via the BBC Radio Lancashire website.
Birkacre Garden Centre, Birkacre Road, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 3QL.
No comments | Filed under: Miscellaneous | Freshness: 20 days ago
Bristling gardeners grow MOs for charity
, by John Clowes
John proudly shows off his ‘cowboy’ Movember
During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of Movember is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer. One man dies every hour in the UK from prostate cancer and 1 in 9 men will get the disease.
On 1st Movember, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face and then for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men – known as Mo Bros – groom, trim and wax their way into the history of fine moustachery.
The movement is just 5 years old this year in the UK, and its Australian founder, J C Movember, was happy to report on BBC1 TV Breakfast that fund-raising efforts during 2011 have already reached £9 million and set to easily beat last year’s total of £11.7 million. Funds will be going to Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer charities.
These are charities close to my heart, as I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and successfully treated at The Royal Free Hospital, London, in 2010. Early diagnosis by my GP allowed surgeons to implant radio-active seeds within the prostate to destroy the cancer cells. Hurrah!
As part of Movember I have joined a team of Bristling Gardeners, which included numerous gardening celebs. You can see what it’s all about on the www.movember.com website. So far I have raised £615 thanks to generous support from family, friends and business colleagues. You can see my pictures and still donate on my Movember page.
No comments | Filed under: Miscellaneous | Freshness: 64 days ago
