The talents of disabled gardeners who attend gardening projects across London were celebrated at Thrive Battersea's annual autumn flower show.
Thrive is the national charity which uses gardening to help disabled people transform their lives.
Thrive’s Battersea Garden Project helps almost 200 disabled Londoners each week at its gardens in Battersea Park and through community based outreach projects.
The show was held in The View, an exhibition hall at Battersea Power Station, and was a celebration of the work and skills of disabled gardeners. The theme this year was ‘Incredible Edibles’.
Classes included the Best Veggie Man, home made berry jelly, a bowl of pot pourri made from your garden, best presented harvest basket of home grown vegetables and fruit, a miniature allotment in a seed tray and a table centre of ‘edibles’. There are 15 classes in total.
The judges were Louise Robinson from the Master of the Company of Gardeners; Jane Ellison, MP for Battersea; Councillor Piers McCausland, Mayor of Wandsworth; Mani Djazmi, radio broadcaster; Tony Leach, Director of London Parks and Green Spaces; Jonathan Pattit, Director of LANTRA – the horticulture skills council; Chris Sawyer, director of Alitex, the greenhouse and glasshouse experts; Helen Evans from New Covent Garden Market; Andrew Fisher Tomlin, Garden Writer and Designer; Alan Goddard, Sales Manager for William Sinclair plc; Simon Lord from Johnsons of York and Thrive trustees.
Susan Stuart, Manager of Thrive Battersea Garden Project, said: “Our autumn flower show is always a wonderful occasion where disabled gardeners from around London come together to show what they have achieved.
“Whilst a fun event, the judging is taken very seriously by an esteemed panel."
Why not visit Thrive at one of its fundraising events. Keep the kids amused during half term at our Hallowe'en Hi Jinx event on Thursday October 28 at the Thrive Herb Garden. Book your place on 020 7720 2212. There is a FREE autumn fair and family fun weekend on November 13 and 14 (11am-3pm) at the main Thrive garden next to the Millennium Arena in Battersea Park. And learn how to put colour in your winter garden with Andrew Fisher Tomlin, RHS judge and garden designer on Thursday December 9 at Herb Garden (9am - 11am). And every weekend in December (from the 4th) staff and volunteers will be selling festive goodies in the Chelsea Gate car park (between 11am and 3pm). Come and see what we do!
Based on information supplied by Alyson Chorley.
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