Ambassadors for gardening are setting out to enthuse a new generation with the joys of getting your hands dirty, with the aim of encouraging more young people to take up horticulture as a profession.
A New Generation of Gardening
Award-winning garden designer and Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost and young horticulturist Jamie Butterworth are on tour around the country, helping judge the Royal Horticultural Society’s national ‘Green Plan It’ schools competition.
The competition challenged teams of teenagers to design a new school or community garden, working alongside mentors who provide them with expert advice and tips.
If you’re inspired to do your bit to encourage youngsters to take up gardening, why not get involved in the gardening club at your local school? If there isn’t one already, you can set one up yourself - there’s plenty of help and support available (the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, www.schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk, is a good place to start).
RHS School Gardening
Or just give your own kids a patch of the garden to call their own. You’ll find loads of child-friendly kit at the garden centre here in Basingstoke from child-sized tools, gloves, wellies and waterproofs to sowing kits and seed packets designed to enthuse them. Who knows, you may have the next Alan Titchmarsh on your hands!