KING Charles III was once ridiculed when he revealed how he talked to his plants. Alan Titchmarsh has said everyone needs a garden sanctuary no matter how small.
A new survey has revealed that 84% of adults believe that gardening improves their overall health and well-being whether they live in the countryside or the middle of a city.
One housebuilder who understands the importance of not just green fingers but green spaces is David Wilson Homes. The company has committed to helping its international residents at its Ashridge Grange development on Wokingham’s Warren House Road, make the most of their outside spaces.
A number of new homeowners at the development have recently emigrated from Hong Kong and have never owned a private garden before. To help the residents get to grips with their new space in time for the warmer weather, the housebuilder hosted an interactive workshop and presentation with Ashridge Manor Garden Centre at Ashridge Grange.
The introductory session was led by Ben Fletcher, a manager at Ashridge Manor Garden Centre, who delivered a talk to residents on how to prepare their outside space in time for spring.
The presentation included an overview of the different planting seasons, as well as tips on how to plant a hanging basket, cutting and pruning, how to look after and maintain a lawn and other wildlife friendly advice.
The talk was followed by a workshop in the show home garden, where the residents were taught how to sow vegetable seeds and pot a selection of plants. They could take home their finished products afterwards to kickstart their garden projects.
Ben said: “An empty space can be quite overwhelming, so we wanted to share basic tips for everyone to get an idea of the potential in their outside space. The UK climate is obviously very different from where many of Ashridge Grange’s residents have previously lived, and even for many of us living here already struggled to work with the extremality of seasons experienced last year.
“We hope they all enjoyed the hands-on workshop and seeing their plants bloom in their gardens over the next few months.”
Kimberley Benson, sales and marketing director for David Wilson Southern Counties, says: “Having spoken to many of our Hong Kong Ashridge Grange residents about their garden plans, we realised that there was an appetite for a gardening workshop, so we arranged for an expert to come in and give their advice to help everyone make the most out of their garden space.
“We hosted in our show home garden as it is filled with sustainable wildlife features, from bird boxes to specific hibernacula. Hopefully, this will help inspire residents when choosing what to include in their designs going forward.”
