Celebrate Garden Day this Sunday 10th May!

With the world under lockdown, millions of us are finding daily comfort in tending to our gardens and green spaces – from houseplants and balcony pots, to flower borders and vegetable beds. 

We’re getting behind Garden Day this Sunday 10th May, which calls on all green-fingered folk to take a moment to celebrate the benefits of gardens for our physical and mental wellbeing.

It’s a time of year to reap the rewards of the hard work you have put in planting, pruning, weeding and watering. To down tools, don a beautiful flower crown and just be, rather than do.

This year, the team at Garden Day are doing things differently; taking the party online to host the biggest ever virtual garden celebration. Leading gardeners and florists are supporting the movement with a live programme of talks, tours and demos throughout the day. We’ll be kicking things off at 11am with virtual ‘Elevenses at The Newt’ and would love for you to tune in – visit gardenday.co.uk/getinvolved to find out how.

In the meantime, our Floriculturist Maiko has shared a nifty guide for making your own flower crown at home. She has made an edible crown using mustard leaves and flowers from our greenhouse, but you can apply the same method using any foliage or flowers picked up on your daily walk.

HOW TO MAKE A FLOWER CROWN

You will need:

  • Scissors or secateurs
  • String or garden twine
  • Flexible branches, such as willow or cornus, approx 1 metre in length
  • Foraged foliage and flowers; or try using salad leaves and edible flowers such as mustard flowers, dandelions and nasturtiums.

Firstly, assemble your foraged supplies and two or three branches. Strip the branches of their leaves, along with any sharp points.

Wrap the first branch around the top of your head, holding the two ends together where they meet. Twist the remaining ends over the band, to create a twisted headband.

Repeat this over the top with one other branch, to create a stronger band. Snip off any loose ends.

Create 8-10 posies using your foraged materials. To do this, gather together each posy selection, and secure each one with string or twine.

Now tie each posy to the headband, overlapping each time to create a full and layered effect. Once you are happy, add your finishing touches.

Don your crown and be king or queen of your garden for the day…

We hope to see you for Garden Day’s live event on Sunday 10th May! Keep an eye on our socials for other ways to get involved.