The birds are singing

The birds are singing so perhaps they know that spring is just around the corner. The gardening season must be getting into growing mode because the reckless gardener email box gets busier each day. My eyes are on stalks at the moment because we have had quite a few book reviews to get through so keep logging on to the website to check them out over the next few weeks. One book which I have just read is absolutely fascinating and very unusual.

John Robertson's "Is that cat dead? and other questions about poison plants' answers some of the many questions he was asked when warden of the poison garden at Alnwick Castle Gardens. It makes very entertaining and informative reading - John also has his own website so check that out on www.thepoisongarden.co.uk

By the way the cat is not dead just high on catmint!!

There are quite a few campaigns at the moment urging us to grow our own. Garden Organic has now launched their One Pot Pledge®, a nationwide campaign, to get 30,000 people to pledge to grow their own fruit and veg for the very first time. You can read about the campaign on our website www.recklessgardener.com
or log onto their Garden Organic campaign website at
www.onepotpledge.org

For the second year in a row B & Q is digging deep and showing its support for wounded servicemen and women by joining with charity Help for Heroes this summer. As well as supporting the design and build of a garden at this year's RHS Chelsea, the retailer will be selling two exclusive products so that its customers can support the charity too. The garden will feature a new, limited edition, Help for Heroes Sweet Pea seed mix and a limited edition Petunia mix, which will go on sale from 24th May at B & Q Stores.

The Thrive 'Plant a Difference' campaign will officially launch on the 10th April when the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Mary Bayliss will do the honours at the horticultural charity's food and plant festival. People around the UK are being asked to help disabled gardeners by swapping plants or produce between April and September 2010 and making a donation for each swap. Money raised will be used to send boxes worth £35 full or ready-to-plant vegetables, herbs or perennials, directly to the door of a disabled person to help them discover the benefits of gardening for themselves. For information on the plant swap log onto: www.thrive.org.uk