The ‘Helping Children Grow’ exhibit, supported by National Garden Gift Vouchers, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 has been awarded a Bronze medal.

The exhibit, which features in the Discovery Zone of the Great Pavilion, promotes National Children’s Gardening Week which takes place between 25 May - 2 June 2019. Working with National Children’s Gardening Week Ambassador Chris Collins, the exhibit features fun and inspiring projects such as edible planters, a pizza wheel, runner bean tipis and a wildlife hotel.  There is also information and images provided by schools and garden centre businesses about the benefits of getting children involved in gardening.

The exhibit features:

· Edible ‘GROW’ wording grown by Chilton Primary School in Oxfordshire

· Teapots filled with scented pelargoniums planted by children from schools including Galleywood Primary School in Essex, Charlton Manor Primary School in Greenwich and Pershore School in Worcestershire. These schools have been part of an initiative spearheaded by The Sun’s Gardening Correspondent Peter Seabrook.

National Children’s Gardening Week Ambassador and designer of the exhibit Chris Collins commented: “It feels like we have come a long way with children’s gardening in the last 10 years. Campaigns like National Children’s Gardening Week have brought the subject of healthy eating, growing plants and mindfulness to almost every primary school in the land. This year at Chelsea we aim to celebrate this incredible rise in the numbers of young gardeners and inspire even more young people with simple ideas and fun projects to encourage them, their parents and grandparents to have a go.”

With many other gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, including the RHS Back to Nature Garden designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge with Andree Davies and Adam White, choosing to focus on getting children outside and involved in gardening, it shows the importance of the issue both inside and outside of the industry.

The HTA extends its thanks to exhibit supporters including Aylett Nurseries, Frank P Matthew’s, Gardener’s Kitchen, Lindum Turf, Melcourt Industries, Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Volmary, Woodlodge and Worfield Plants; as well as a special mention to HTA staff Caroline and Natalie who

have grown the runner beans and tomatoes!