Grow your own for youngsters (From Smallholder)

Grow your own for youngsters

9:00am Saturday 21st February 2009 in News By Stephen Ivall

Schools keen for their pupils to find out how to grow their own vegetables this year are invited to enter a competition at two garden centres in Cornwall this and next month Staff at Lelant Garden Centre on Nut Lane and St Austell Garden Centre on Par Moor Road, which are part of the Wyevale family, will be hosting a Vegetable Growing Weekend on Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8 for anyone interested in growing their own vegetables.

As part of the free event each garden centre will be running a competition for schools to win the chance to use their in-store planting beds for vegetable growing projects.

Dean Ford, manager of Lelant Garden Centre, said: “We would like to offer schools in the area the opportunity to win the use of our new vegetable planting beds to grow their own vegetables at the garden centres.

“The winning schools will receive a complete grow your own kit to plant up their vegetable beds, free advice and the garden centres’ teams will help care for the growing vegetable plants. Each school will also win two ‘Starting Gardening’ books from the Yeominis range of children’s gardening products. Our experts will also be available for school visits to help children learn more about gardening.”

To enter, pupils, teachers, parents, grandparents and guardians can pick up an entry form at the garden centres. No purchase is necessary.

Nigel Thomas, Manager of St Austell Garden Centre, said: “The nominator will be asked to tell us in no more than 200 words, why their school deserves to win the chance to use the vegetable beds. The closing date for entries is 4pm on Sunday, March 15.”

The competition is designed to tie in with the Vegetable Growing Weekend at the garden centres.

“We can help people with choosing seeds, plants and equipment, and we can also offer ideas on how to get the very best from your vegetable patch. For people with smaller gardens we’ll be able to give advice on growing vegetables in growbags, tubs and containers too.

“Also during the weekend, each garden centre will be hosting free demonstrations and giving advice on how to grow your own vegetables.”

For further details, please call Lelant Garden Centre, which is located on Nut Lane near Hayle, on 01736 753 731 or St Austell Garden Centre, which is located on Par Moor Road in Par, on 01726 814 854.