Gardeners to create "river of green"

Gardeners to create "river of green"

» 23rd March 2010 «

British gardeners are set to band together this week to create a "river of green" stretching from London to Scotland.

The initiative is to mark the beginning of the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) community gardening year.

It will see almost 5,000 volunteers work over 48 hours to plant thousands of shrubs, trees and flowers covering an area equal to the size of 115 Hyde Parks.

Tying in with the International Year of Biodiversity, the project will also draw attention to the RHS' Britain in Bloom competition, in which 66 villages, towns and cities will compete for horticultural honours.

One thousand plants will be put into the earth outside the Tower of London by the RHS tomorrow (March 24th), with the rest of the work carried out over the weekend of March 27th and 28th.

With spring on its way, Brits may be encouraged to get their own green fingers dirty by getting out and improving their garden.

However, the Britain in Bloom contest has a focus of helping the local community and environment, rather than just individual green spaces.

Cities in the final of the competition include Aberdeen, Northampton and the London Borough of Islington.