Communities in Bloom

In times of uncertainty and economic challenge, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the pressures of everyday life. But amidst the noise and worry, gardening offers a return to what truly matters: connection, purpose, and community.

This year’s theme – Communities in Bloom – aims to make our communities better through gardening: enhancing social connections, boosting moods and mental health, nurturing green spaces and natural beauty, along with growing your own food for freshness and financial freedom.

So Much More Than a Garden!

We think it’s possible to really enhance our quality of life and environment, through people and plants. Connecting with your community through gardening brings benefits on many levels. Growing food and flowers is part of it, but interaction with other plant lovers and sharing gardening knowledge makes it a win/win for everyone.

So, Yates is helping out Garden Clubs with seeds and fertiliser, to beautify a public space in their area. They can choose to freshen up a public garden, or the planters in the main street, or even a tired roadside garden they think would benefit from some flowers.

The physical and mental health benefits from spending time in the garden have been long proven. And, good news, you don’t need a quarter acre section to reap those benefits! Creating a productive garden in a small space is absolutely possible; whether it’s pots on the balcony or tubs in the courtyard.

With that in mind, we selected the prizes in our National Gardening Week Photo Competition to squeeze the maximum amount of joy, from the smallest of spaces. The competition runs from 1-14 October. We’re looking for the best flowers in town – and we want photos! You can nominate your own garden, or take a stroll around your neighbourhood and check out other gardens for photo opportunities.  If you nominate someone in your community and they win, you both win a prize!

Practical, Not Just Pretty

Flowers are important for your garden’s overall health, as they attract VIP (Very Important Pollinator) insects.  The work you put in to care for your flowers, pays off for your vegetables as well, because the more VIPs you can welcome in, the better your harvest will be.

Ten More Great Reasons to Grow Flowers:

1. Improved mood; reduced stress and anxiety
2. They attract and nurture beneficial pollinators, like bees and butterflies
3. Pest deterrence: some flowers, like marigolds and nasturtiums, can help repel common garden pests…reducing the need for insecticides
4. Luxuriate in fresh cut flowers in your living space, throughout the year
5. Improved sleep quality: scented flowers, like lavender and gardenia, can help you relax and may assist you to fall asleep
6. Air purification: flowers absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, improving air quality
7. Soil health improvement: you can dig them in when the blooms have finished, to feed next season’s new planting, plus they’re a great help with crop rotation.
8. Brighten up your meals: some flowers, like nasturtium, viola and borage, are edible and add instant delight to your dishes
9. Medicinal properties: some flowers have well recorded therapeutic benefits. Examples are calendula for skin issues and wound healing, echinacea for immune support and lavender for calming and supporting skin health
10. Celebrate the seasons, by connecting yourself to nature and its cycles

Established in 2015, National Gardening Week aims to foster a love of gardening with a focus on growing not only plants, but friendships, good health, strong communities and closer connections with nature. Whether it’s a few pots on the balcony, a small patch or an extensive garden, everyone can experience the joy of gardening.