The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced details of the first National Gardening Week, to take place in April 2012.
It hopes the plans will help trigger ideas engage schools, communities, gardeners, organisations and the garden trade to support the week.
The nationwide event takes place 16–22 April 2012 and already a national programme of events are scheduled.
On Saturday and Sunday, 14-15 April, the weekend before National Gardening Week, local groups across Britain in RHS Britain in Bloom, are inviting everyone to volunteer to help transform their community and celebrate the 2012 launch of the nationwide campaign.
Sue Biggs, RHS Director General, said: “It is fantastic that this inaugural gardening week combines with the Britain in Bloom launch and the year of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to get the nation growing and looking beautiful in such a special year.”
Events list
On Monday 16 April the charity’s advisory service will open its doors and provide a Gardening SOS service. For one day anyone in the UK can gain from a major RHS membership benefit by asking experts for help with thorny gardening problems and get gardens blooming.
Tuesday 17 April is themed Gardens of the Nation when the RHS will ask everyone in the UK to send their best pictures of their garden for the charity’s award-winning Lindley Library archives to provide a historical record of gardens today.
On Wednesday 18 April, the RHS is coordinating Horticulture; A Career To Be Proud Of Day, headed up by Alan Titchmarsh, to communicate how every aspect of horticulture and gardening is a career to be proud of. Talks and workshops by inspirational people who work across the gardening world will take place at the RHS London headquarters and at all four RHS Gardens in Surrey, North Yorkshire, Essex and Devon.
Compost day is the theme of Thursday 19 April, when the RHS will provide extensive advice and top tips to encourage and help the nation to get composting. The charity is also asking local authorities throughout Britain to support Compost Day.
As the weekend is getting near, Friday 20 April is all about getting children gardening. The RHS will launch a new Campaign for School Gardening initiative at its first major gardening show of the year, RHS Show Cardiff (20-22 April).
Over the weekend of 21-22 April there will be fun and interactive activities for gardeners of all ages and levels of experience at the four RHS Gardens with opportunities to get growing with RHS gardeners and committee members.