An allotment garden will be unveiled at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival next month with a kind donation from British Garden Centres which will bring the design to life.
Hannah Reid, AKA @gingergrows 1 will be exhibiting at the prestigious RHS show in the Community Allotment area and British Garden Centres have donated a trellis, terracotta pots and bench to the design which aims to inspire new gardeners to grow their own produce by showcasing simple, low cost and achievable ideas using reliable plants that are affordable and easy to look after.
Hannah’s design, ‘Trakol: Pots to Plots by Ouseburn Farm’ will be at the renowned show, which starts on Monday 4th July. The garden is a collaboration with Ouseburn Community Farm, based in Byker which is an important hub in the city of Newcastle that provides a place for the local residents to care for nature by growing food and tending to animals. The farm also runs classes for adults with additional needs, including horticulture classes.
The key messages to be taken from the garden are that anyone can grow edible plants and there is no fixed destination on a gardening journey. Hannah’s design is built around the idea of permaculture with a curved path that visitors can take to illustrate this meandering experience. The vegetables chosen are planted in both rows and containers to show that both methods can work depending on how you chose to grow your own and exhibit versatility, no matter how big or small your outdoor space. The bench has a view of the whole plot and is an integral part of the garden as it encourages visitors to stop, reflect and watch the nature around them.
Hannah said: “It has been difficult to source all elements of the garden on next to no budget and growing 95% of the plants from seed myself, in Newcastle, has meant there have been a lot of obstacles to overcome. The team at British Garden Centres have been super supportive; donating elements of the garden which would have almost been impossible to include if it wasn’t for their generosity.”
Amy Stubbs, Development and Project Manager at British Garden Centres said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Hannah and her garden with Ouseburn Farm at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. It is such a great initiative which focuses on sustainability, as well as supporting local residents by encouraging them to grow, plan, cook and eat their own food. We hope the garden resonates with the Hampton visitors and they take home a wealth of garden inspiration to grow their own.”
