COME RAIN or shine Twyford residents can now enjoy blooming gardens all year round, thanks to a celebrity visit.
Charlie Dimmock, presenter of Garden Rescue and well-known horticultural expert, visited residents at Loddon House last week to teach people how to have plants that stay colourful all year long.
After enjoying a round of cream tea and bubbly, the celebrity gardener hosted a demonstration for more than 30 residents and friends, sharing her tips and tricks for the perfect planter.
“I was delighted to be invited to Loddon House and join in with the summer celebrations,” she said.
“We had a wonderful time discussing a variety of planting ideas and it was a real joy to meet all the homeowners at the development and their guests.”
At Loddon House, Ms Dimmock taught residents how to create a perfect all-season flower pot, from finding the right greenery to arranging the plants.
It included a bay tree shrub to structure the display, French lavender for scent, and ivy to hang over the side of the pot.
“[You want] a container of plants that are colourful and interesting all year round,” Ms Dimmock said. “It creates a lovely focal point for your garden or balcony.”
“If you’re like me, you can top it up easily with one or two plants every time you go to the garden centre.”
And her tips for the perfect all-weather planter included:
- Using a large, glazed container to stop the soil from drying out;
- Placing the plants close together so they create their own microclimate;
- Laying pebbles in the bottom of the container to help water flow through the pot;
- Filling a punnet with water and plant it in the peat-free soil to make a reservoir;
- Making sure the planter sits on stilts in the winter.
Residents were also able to ask Ms Dimmock a range of questions, including how to stop ants from getting to the plants to finding out more about her life on the set of Garden Rescue.
Another audience member wanted to know how long the gardener films for each week, while another asked what steps they can take to get rid of slugs.
Verity McKay, divisional marketing manager at McCarthy Stone Southern, said: “Gardening can have such a positive effect on mental wellbeing, and after what has been such a difficult year for many.
“We were thrilled to welcome Charlie to Loddon House and join us for an entertaining afternoon.
“Her demonstration certainly inspired everyone to get their gardening gloves on and she shared lots of brilliant hints and tips. On behalf of our team and homeowners, I’d like to thank her for joining us.”
Ms Dimmock, who shot to fame in 1997 on the series Ground Force, has presented a whole host of programmes teaching people all about gardening. Garden Rescue is her latest series focusing on garden transformations.
Loddon House is a community on London Road, Twyford, for those who are retired and aged 60 and over.
