Yesterday morning, Charlton Kings in Bloom hosted its annual plant sale in Charlton Kings, bringing together local growers, community groups and residents for a morning focused on gardening, wildlife and community action.
Over the last few months we have shared a number of stories about the work of Charlton Kings in Bloom and the huge amount of care, planning and growing that goes into the event each year. From trays of seedlings taking over spare rooms to volunteers nurturing plants for months beforehand, the sale is very much a community effort.
Read about Charlton Kings in Bloom
Find out more about how they prepare for the plant sale
This year, eight Charlton Kings in Bloom volunteers grew plants especially for the sale, with around £2k raised, which will go back into planting and growing projects across Charlton Kings, particularly in public spaces. Any leftover plants were then donated to local community growing spaces including the Community Rest Garden and Charlton Kings Community Allotment.
Throughout the morning there were conversations about pollinators, composting, wildlife gardening and growing food, alongside plenty of plant browsing and seed sharing.
We were really pleased to be invited along to talk about Cheltenham Action for Nature’s Gardens for Nature project and share our garden checklist, alongside seeds kindly donated by the Community Rest Garden.
Steve Watts spent the morning talking to visitors about soil health and composting, while Charlton Kings Community Allotment shared information about community growing and allotment life.
Our team member Claire was also there selling plants suitable for moths and other pollinators, while sharing ideas for supporting wildlife in gardens and growing spaces.
Families and children got involved too thanks to activities led by Mindy Pickering from Badger Wood Adventures Forest School, including seed bombs and a rainbow nature bookmark activity using leaves, flowers and seeds collected nearby. It was one of those simple activities that encouraged people to slow down and really notice the colours and details of the plants around them.
One of the nicest things about the morning was seeing so many local groups, growers and residents sharing knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm for nature-friendly gardening and community growing.
Charlton Kings in Bloom has been bringing people together through gardening for many years, with funds from events helping support planting projects throughout the village.
If you would like to get involved with Charlton Kings in Bloom and support planting and community projects locally, you can find out more on their website: Charlton Kings in Bloom.
