National Gardening Week
12th April 2017
Conceived six years ago by the Royal Horticultural Society, National Gardening Week has grown into the country’s biggest celebration of gardening.
People, charities, businesses and retailers use the opportunity to nurture interest in this popular pastime and to inspire new gardeners.
Celebrate Gardening
Events and activities are being hosted up and down the country this week, from beginners’ workshops to guided walks and from town tidying to competitions. You can find a list of events via the National Gardening Week website.
You can get involved yourself by throwing a garden party to celebrate, raising awareness of your neighbourhood park or by litter picking in your village. On a smaller scale, you could simply grow something new in your own garden, such as tomato plants, herbs or sunflowers.
It’s also important to spread the word! Show your support of National Gardening Week by sharing your stories and pictures with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Spring Planting
National Gardening Week is an opportune time to plant a spring border. It’s the perfect way to add your own personal touch to your outdoor space, while celebrating all things outdoors! From hoes to rakes and trowels to gardening gloves, Argos in Garden Square can help you get kitted out. Here are their top tips for planting a spring border:
1) Before starting to plant your border, make sure that the soil is free from weeds
Not all weeds come up easily, so for those that give you trouble, choose a specialised tool to pull them out of your border. Such as a Wolf-Garten IWA Lawn Weeder (£46.99).
To get weeds up from the roots, use a garden fork to get underneath them and then lift out of the soil. A Challenge Carbon Steel Digging Fork (£7.49) is just the job.
A garden hoe is a great way to take the tops off weeds before they can seed and spread. Use a Wilkinson Sword Stainless Steel Dutch Garden Hoe (£29.99) for this purpose.
2) Prepare your soil
Preparing your soil is essential to ensure your plants have the right conditions for them to grow. Use a strong garden spade to turn over the soil which will break up any solid and compacted areas that may stunt growth. The Wilkinson Sword Digging Spade (£31.99) is ideal.
When you’ve finished turning over the soil, drag a garden rake over the soil’s surface to remove any waste like dead leaves, roots and debris. A Qualcast Steel Garden Soil Rake (£14.99) will help.
3) Planting
Once you’ve finished digging and making your soil good, you can then begin planting. Grab a hand fork to create holes in the soil, using it to break apart any remaining solid soil deposits in the process. We recommend a Wilkinson Sword Stainless Steel Hand Fork (£10.99).
Take one of your new plants and then place it in the hole you’ve created. Use a trowel to fill in the soil around the plant’s base, making sure it is firmly held in the ground. A Wilkinson Sword Stainless Steel Hand Trowel (£10.99) will be perfect.
4) Make sure you water your plants!
Once planted, grab your watering can or hose and give your new plants a good dowsing to ensure they receive all the essential moisture they need in order to thrive.
Shop the full gardening range at Argos in Garden Square this National Gardening Week.
