Garden Day is back for a third successive year on Sunday, 9th May 2021 to celebrate the life-enhancing power of outdoor and indoor garden spaces. The nationwide community benefit movement is calling on all plant-lovers to down tools on Garden Day, make a flower crown, and share their plant spaces with family and friends (respecting government guidelines, of course) over an alfresco meal, a cup of tea or a glass or two.
(L to R: Rachel de Thame, Hazel Gardiner, Lisa Snowdon, Arthur Parkinson, Nikki Tibbles)
For millions of people isolated during the pandemic, there has arguably never been a better time to appreciate the joy, comfort, and hope that gardens and greenery bring. And leading the call to celebrate Garden Day this year are five plant fanatics from the worlds of gardening, floristry, and television: gardener, writer, and TV broadcaster, Rachel de Thame; floral designer, Hazel Gardiner; TV, celebrity florist Nikki Tibbles of Wild at Heart, TV presenter and model, Lisa Snowdon; and gardener, florist, and author, Arthur Parkinson.
#GardenDayCrown Competition
For florists and flower arrangers everywhere, the Garden Day symbol of support - the flower crown - offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase your creativity and floristry skills in a fun, relaxed, and uplifting way. And to spice things up, Garden Day is inviting florists to show the world what you’re made of in a #GardenDayCrown competition on social media.
All styles are welcome, from the delicacy of a Midsummer Night’s Dream to the flamboyance of Beyoncé and Rihanna and every creative stage in between. The five winning entries will receive a year-long membership for 4 to the stunning gardens of The Newt in Somerset and an indulgent Scents of the Garden gift set worth £90.
How to enter: Post a shot of you or your pet wearing your flower crown on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook by midnight on 9 May 2021 using the hashtags #GardenDayCrown #GardenDayUK and tag @GardenDayUK. For T&Cs visit www.gardenday.co.uk/competitions
Gardener, writer, and TV broadcaster, Rachel de Thame said: “Now more than ever, we’ve all seen how gardens can make a powerful difference to our wellbeing. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you’ve got window boxes, a suburban plot or a country home - the effect is the same. Garden Day is all about celebrating the joy we get from gardens.”
Sue Stuart-Smith is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author of the bestselling book ‘The Well Gardened Mind’ on the benefits of gardens for our mental wellbeing. Sue explains why she supports the Garden Day movement:
“Gardening brings us close to the soil and connects us with nature's powers of renewal in a way that can be both calming and invigorating. So it is that in these anxious times when the future feels uncertain that tending plants is providing many people with a psychological lifeline. Although the crisis we are living through may be new, there is nothing new in this effect, for throughout the ages gardens have offered people a safe green space in which to restore and recharge themselves. Garden Day invites you to take a pause to do just that. It’s about making time to immerse ourselves in the peacefulness and beauty of our plants and gardens and celebrating the restorative power of nature.”
Ways to get involved
1. Follow and engage with @GardenDayUK on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Candide, and TikTok and share photos of your Garden Day celebrations using the hashtag #GardenDayUK
2. One of the exciting, fun, creative ways people are getting involved this year is by wearing a flower crown and sharing a short TikTok or IG reel of them celebrating in their gardens to music with the hashtag #GardenYAY.
3. Visit www.gardenday.co.uk for hints and tips on how to celebrate Garden Day at home; dates and times of events; and how-to videos.
For more information:
Garden Day
www.gardenday.co.uk