A new guide has been launched to help to tackle Britons’ lack of confidence in the garden and encourage them to turn to garden centre staff for advice.

A third of people in the UK do not make the most of their garden, a new survey has revealed.

The PlantforLife survey commissioned by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) found a lack of confidence and information among many consumers when it comes to gardening.

While 37 per cent of respondents said that some simple tips and advice on gardening would encourage them to get planting, a quarter say that they are not asking for advice at garden centres or nurseries because they do not know what to ask for.

With this in mind, he HTA has produced a new booklet, the Plant Advice Guide, with the support of Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins.

The guide includes descriptions of 20 popular flowering plants and shrubs, avoiding jargon, as well as advice on how to plant and maintain a garden. It is hoped that it will encourage consumers to go to their garden centre for advice.

“I believe that it will highlight what amazingly knowledgeable and approachable people HTA members have working in their plant areas,” said the campaign’s director Andrew Maxted.

The gardening industry body earlier reported that sales were up between ten and 49 per cent during the first three months of this year for growers who supply garden retailers.

source : uktv.co.uk