Million reasons to dig for victory
The Horticultural Trades Association has launched a campaign to create a ‘Million Planting Moments’ in autumn, says LOUISE MIDGLEY
BRITISH gardeners are being encouraged to keep gardening and join in with the Horticultural Trades Association’s autumn planting campaign which is taking place from September 19-27. The association is hoping to inspire all age groups, both novice and experienced, to take advantage of the “natural” planting time of year while the ground is still warm and a steady flow of rainfall inevitable.
“By creating a ‘#millionplantingmoments’ we are highlighting the huge contribution plants make to our health and wellbeing, environment and communities,” says HTA president Boyd Douglas-davies.
“The beauty of the campaign is that anyone can take part, whether they have access to a garden, patio, window box or community space and they can plant anything from trees and shrubs to perennials and bedding.”
The campaign is part of the wider HTA’S Keep Britain Growing campaign, which is predominantly aimed at the new wave of gardening enthusiasts who caught the bug during lockdown. It aims to motivate all gardeners to keep improving their local environment, while simultaneously supporting British growers and nurseries. To help keep the momentum going, monthly gardening inspiration and advice can be found at keepbritaingrowing.co.uk.
Gardening stimulates all the senses and has immeasurable benefits for the mind and body, while plants make a positive contribution to mitigating the impact of climate change.
It is estimated that one medium-sized shrub can capture 30 diesel cars’ worth of pollution each year and the cooling effect of green spaces in urban areas has been reported to reduce average temperatures in the UK’S major cities by 0.63C to 0.88C.
PLANTING projects for autumn include filling containers with seasonal plants to provide interest over the next few months. Most garden centres sell packs of miniature sized, hardy evergreen shrubs that are perfect for grouping together in a pot. As soon as they outgrow their space, they can either be transplanted into a border or moved on to a larger container.
Members of the allium family both ornamental and edible can be planted now. Flowering alliums make a great addition to any garden setting and are a favourite of bees when they bloom in spring.
Plant them deep and lay them on grit if your soil doesn’t drain well.
Onion sets and shallots can be planted out; get them in the ground as soon as possible so they can get established before winter takes hold. Leave garlic until late autumn.
And to raise your spirits on a cold winter’s day and keep any active pollinators happy, plant a few highly-scented winter-flowering shrubs, close to a well-used path or entrance.