Five fun, family friendly activities to celebrate National Gardening Week

With one of the country’s biggest gardening celebrations about to sweep the nation, many of us are keen to go out and reconnect with nature.
Playing football in the gardenPlaying football in the garden
Playing football in the garden

Lawn care expert and maker of the finest mowers, Hayter, have shared some of their favourite activities to get the entire family involved and make the most of your garden this National Gardening Week.

Plant a vegetable garden

With longer days and warmer weather, now is the perfect time to plant and grow your own food. Having your own vegetable garden is not only good fun, but one of the best ways to introduce new veggies to fussy eaters. Prepare some space in an existing flower bed or create a whole new vegetable patch to watch your crops grow. Did you know that old grass cuttings make great compost? Add a thin layer of grass cuttings straight over the top of the soil in your vegetable bed to improve soil quality and increase your yield.

Make a bee hotel

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The hardworking bee is any keen gardener’s friend. There are several types of bees and not all live in hives, so be kind and make them a lovely place to rest to encourage them to come to your garden to pollinate your plants. You can easily build one from a mix of wood, hollow reeds, bamboo canes or other textured materials such as pinecones and sticks. It is fun and easy to make and can be built in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit any garden. Remember to locate your hotel somewhere sheltered, ideally in a south or easterly direction to keep your flying friends warm.

Find and press flowers

Spring is bursting with colour and flowers, so finding and pressing beautiful flowers is a great way to preserve their beauty and turn them into something that can be enjoyed year around. Pick your flowers and press between two absorbent pieces of paper, then flatten with a heavy book. The finished result can be used for all kinds of creative projects.

Sunflower growing race

A good old-fashioned sunflower growing competition brings out the competitive side in both young and old. April and May is the perfect time to start a sunflower competition. Plant and tend to your individual flower and see who can make it grow the highest before the end of summer. The seeds from the flowers make great bird food come winter.

Garden games

What better way to bring the entire family together than through some fun garden games? We all have a favourite, but whether it’s a game of rounders, football, croquet or something entirely different, be sure to prepare your lawn ahead of time so that your grass is of the right height and texture for the game you’re playing. Best way to do this is through regular maintenance and mowing.

With a striping mower, like the Hayter Harrier, you can also create your very own stadium-inspired finish, perfect to spark the imagination of young (and old) aspiring sport stars.