Gardening blooms as thousands of Britons dig for victory and start growing their own vegetables during coronavirus lockdown
- The coronavirus lockdown has prompted thousands into taking up gardening
- The Royal Horticultural Society has seen a spike in inquiries about growing veg
- A biggest rise in interest has been seen for potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries
- Composting has become more popular after a third of English councils halted green waste collections
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Thousands of us are taking up gardening during the lockdown.
The Royal Horticultural Society has seen a spike in inquiries about growing vegetables in containers, composting and lawns.
A third of a million Britons have visited the RHS website for advice, with the biggest rise in interest seen for potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries.
Visits to the pages on how to compost were up nearly 500 per cent on the previous year during the first nine days of lockdown.
The Royal Horticultural Society has seen a spike in inquiries about growing vegetables in containers, composting and lawns during the coronavirus lockdown
Composting has become more popular after a third of English councils halted green waste collections. There has also been a rise of almost 500 per cent in gardeners looking at how to divide perennials, and a 40 per cent increase in people seeking tips on how to manage moss on lawns and sow seeds outside.
Views of information on growing vegetables in containers, useful for those with only small gardens, balconies or doorsteps, have more than tripled.
Sue Biggs, director general of the RHS said: ‘Our overriding charitable remit is growing gardeners, which we do through sharing expert gardening advice, amassed over 200 years, to help and encourage everyone, from beginner to professional, to garden and grow plants.
A third of a million Britons have visited the RHS website for advice, with the biggest rise in interest seen for potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries.
‘Over the coming weeks we will increase our video advice content and social media to help everyone, including this new generation of gardeners, to grow.
‘We’ll also be doing more online and exclusively for our members who are the lifeblood at the very heart of our organisation and we are more grateful than ever for their support during this time.’
She added: ‘Gardening, and getting back to nature is, we know ,good for our health and wellbeing, especially our mental health, and so we will do all we can to provide advice and ideas for people to keep growing, whether this be in their garden, or balcony or window sill.
‘We also have lots of advice on house plants and how to use your cut flowers indoors.’