The countdown is

on to an exciting new national garden show being launched in March amid the

phenomenal explosion of interest in ‘Grow Your Own’ food.

The Edible

Garden Show 2010 will be staged over three days from Friday, March 19 to

Sunday, March 21 at Britain’s

most famous agricultural venue – Stoneleigh

Park in Warwickshire. 

The Edible

Garden Show is a “must-see” event whether you are a seasoned gardener who

spends every spare minute on the allotment or a complete novice daunted by

planting a few vegetables in the back yard. 

The new show has

won official endorsements from two of the most high-profile organisations in

the gardening and agriculture world – the National Society of Allotment and

Leisure Gardeners (NSALG), which boasts 103,000 members in the UK at over 2,000

allotment societies, and the Royal Agricultural Society of England.

The Edible

Garden Show 2010 is targeted towards anyone passionate about Grow Your Own,

Brew Your Own… or anything to do with healthy eating or home produce. From

fruit and veg to bread making, from poultry to organic herbs, and from bee

keeping to home brewing, The Edible Garden Show is THE ultimate Grow Your Own event.

The Women’s

Institute’s National Cookery School is to play a key role at The Edible Garden

Show after agreeing to stage a series of cookery demonstrations and other

food-related events at the show. The WI National Cookery School, based at Denman College

in Oxfordshire, has become one of the UK’s most popular cookery

institutions since its launch last year.

Alison

Hogsbjerg, a spokesman for the WI, said: 

“We are delighted to have been invited to provide cookery demonstrations

at The Edible Garden Show.  It promises

to be a super show and experts from the WI will be on hand throughout the event

with great ideas and recipes for your home-grown produce.” 

But it’s not

only cookery advice that the WI will be concentrating on.  Their team will also run seminars on

preserving, baking and even bread-making. 

There will also

be a high-profile event on the opening day where the WI will be promoting its ‘SOS for honey bees’ campaign

aimed at highlighting the plight of the honey bee and the vital role they play

in pollinating plants for fruits and crops. 

Alison Hogsbjerg

said: “Home-grown food, sustainability and safeguarding the honey bee are all

massively important environmental issues. The Edible Garden Show is an

excellent vehicle to promote our various campaigns and help to educate the

public about the benefits of growing their own food.” 

The concept of

growing or producing your own food and drinks has enjoyed resurgence in recent

years. The trend, which coincides with 100,000 people now being on waiting

lists for allotments in the UK,

has enjoyed ever-increasing media attention. 

Exhibitions guru

Brian Wiseman, one of the instigators behind the event, said: “Despite the

concept of Grow Your Own being featured within some existing horticultural or

lifestyle exhibitions there is currently NO single national event in the annual

show calendar that is devoted purely to the idea. The Edible Garden Show will

address that omission. 

“Our extensive

research has confirmed the viability of the concept of The Edible Garden Show

and we are convinced that this show will appeal to both the avid gardener and

those people just starting out and experimenting with growing their own fruit

and vegetables. Tickets will be at affordable prices with value-for-money rates

for exhibitors.” 

He added:

“Visitors can gain tips from the experts and the opportunity to buy a huge

range of essential items, from mighty garden sheds and greenhouses to individual

packets of seeds and compost. Young or old, townie or country dweller, novice

or experienced gardener, The Edible Garden Show is a must-visit attraction for

your diary. We will have a host of seminars and exhibitions, plus a packed

programme of practical demonstrations from growing it to cooking it that will

provide an informative, educational and fun event for all the family.”

Fantastic and

innovative ideas include:

1.  ‘Vegetable Hospital’ – offering

   invaluable advice on all the headaches and perils faced by both novice and

   experienced gardeners.

2. ‘Perfect Pickling’ – tips on preserving of produce.
3. ‘Going to Pot’ – how to Grow Your Own in pots if you don’t have a garden

   or allotment.

4. ‘Something’s Brewing’ – tips on brewing beer, winemaking and

   non-alcoholic drinks.

5. ‘Testing Times’ – for advice on soil.
6. ‘Can Your Kids Dig It?’ – Great ways to get the kids involved in Grow

   Your Own.

7. ‘Cooking Your Own’ – focusing on what to do with all that marvellous fresh

   produce you’ve grown.

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