The “Plan it, Plant it this Autumn” campaign is carried out by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA). Their statistics have shown that garden centre sales for this July are down 10 per cent compared to the year before, with the wet weather being blamed.
However, the Olympic feel good factor and the warmer weather that we have had recently may encourage people to buy plants and outdoor products and spend some more time in the garden now.
With their “Plan it, Plant it this Autumn” initiative, the HTA wants to support people’s growing interest in gardening. They aim to show that gardening is not only possible during spring and summer. In fact, autumn is the perfect time to plant fruit trees, berries and spring bulbs. Gardeners can also care for their lawn during autumn to make sure the garden looks its best in the following spring. Also, there are a huge number of plants available that make your autumn garden lively and colourful.
Many garden centres and nurseries eagerly support the HTA’s campaign and offer workshops and demonstrations on planting in autumn.
HTA Director of Marketing and Communications, Andrew Maxted, said, ‘The aim of the campaign is to create awareness that the garden is not dormant in the winter, as well as providing stunning autumn colour, autumn is the natural start to the gardening season.’
By Vera Kostial
