Gardening Week Aims To Inspire The Next Generation Of Growers

A nationwide campaign designed to encourage children to get their hands dirty and discover the joys of gardening is set to return later this month, with the UK horticulture sector hoping it could help nurture the growers and gardeners of the future.

National Children’s Gardening Week will run from 23 to 31 May, bringing families into garden centres across the country for a week of planting, exploration and outdoor activities.

Organised by the Horticultural Trades Association, the initiative is designed to encourage children to connect with nature while learning practical gardening skills through fun, hands-on experiences.

This year’s campaign introduces a new activity called the “Great Garden Centre Mystery”, an interactive adventure encouraging children and parents to solve clues hidden around participating garden centres. Families taking part and sharing photographs from their visit will also be entered into a prize draw to win a £250 National Garden Gift Card.

The campaign comes amid growing concerns about children’s access to green spaces and outdoor activities. Research highlighted by the HTA found that children living more than a 20-minute walk from green space experience higher screen time and poorer mental health outcomes compared with those living closer to parks and gardens.

Fran Barnes said inspiring future generations of gardeners remained central to the campaign.

She said the initiative encourages children to become “hands-on”, helping them develop confidence, skills and curiosity which could eventually lead to careers in horticulture.

Returning as ambassador for the campaign is Lee Connelly, who said the mystery-themed activities would help make gardening exciting and memorable for families.

The initiative also aims to support garden centres by increasing footfall and encouraging families to spend more time exploring the sector’s retail sites during the school half-term holiday.

National Children’s Gardening Week has become an increasingly important platform for promoting environmental awareness and outdoor learning, while also helping to showcase the wider opportunities available across the UK horticulture industry.