Celebrating a new collaboration between the Royal Horticultural Society, the Motherhood Society and Gloucestershire-based community gardening venture Project Grow, Growfest comes to Cheltenham for its FREE launch event on Friday 18 August 2023.
Taking place at St Philip and St James Church in Leckhampton from 10am until 4pm, festivalgoers can browse a variety of glorious greenery in the plant sales, solve their gardening woes at the plant surgeries and take part in wonderful interactive workshops, all based around inspiring people to get into growing and to grow as a community.
Whether it's fantastic florals or vibrant veggies you're after, there are tips and tricks for everyone at Growfest!
At the event, The Greenhouse will host a schedule of talks with guest experts. Topics will include sustainable growing for diversity' with climate change awareness organisation Planet Cheltenham; urban growing with the guerrilla gardener and Banksy of Veg, Sara Venn; gardening for wellbeing and mental health with The Botanical Blonde, Laura Ashton Phillips; and seeded perennial meadows with local landscape architect, Sam Taylor-Hunt.
Another highlight at The Greenhouse will also be a panel talk on 'What does good food mean to you?' This discussion is part of the launch of Good Food Cheltenham, a new food partnership network built to inspire change in our food systems. Those featuring on the panel include Deb Baker from Feeding Gloucestershire and Sarah Avery from Good Food Cheltenham and the #beagoodneighbour campaign.
There's also opportunities to browse The Garden, an exhibitors area jam-packed with local businesses selling and promoting their Gloucestershire goods and services.
For mini gardeners, The Motherhood Society is hosting the children's area with activities to take part in throughout the day including learning how to plant and cultivate seeds, and a potato dig!
Aiming to create a strong sense of belonging within our natural environment and to form new social connections within the local community, Project Grow is giving out free bespoke plant labels at Growfest.
Part of the RHS Season of Summer Support movement, visitors can attach the blank or pre-printed labels to any of their spare seedlings or plants and take part in the plant swap at the event. Each label can be filled in according to each plant and describe care tips to ensure a happy green pal.
For more information and to book tickets, visit weareprojectgrow.com.
