As the UK’s foremost authority on productive gardening, the award-winning personality will entertain and enlighten visitors at the spectacular three-day ‘Grow Your Own’ event taking place at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire on March 15-17.

Bob is a well-known face on television and is frequently heard sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for fruits, vegetables, organic methods and scented plants on national and international radio. His broadcasting credits include being a panellist for nearly two decades on BBC Radio 4′s prestigious Gardeners’ Question Time and for three years on BBC 2 television’s Gardeners’ World. His columns can also be found in Amateur Gardening, Kitchen Garden, BBC Gardeners’ World, Gardens Illustrated and Reader’s Digest.

His other written work includes nearly two dozen highly successful books including Bob Flowerdew’s Complete Fruit Book, Going Organic, The Gourmet Gardener, Grow Your Own, Eat Your Own, Companion Gardening, Organic Bible and The No-work Garden.

As The Edible Garden Show is the UK’s only national event dedicated to the grow-your-own revolution and uniquely brings together key experts and innovative exhibitors from the worlds of gardening, home produce and food, Bob is really pleased to be appearing each day in the ‘Experts Theatre’ at the 2013 show.

He said: “I’m delighted to be part of The Edible Garden Show. It’s exactly my end of the spectrum as I’m passionate about fruit and veg and really want to inspire other people to grow their own! I think it’s a great show. As our gardens are becoming smaller and smaller, I think more and more people will choose plants for their edible virtues. In a few years I’m sure we’ll have roses with more juicy hips and more fuchsias selected for tastier sweeter fruits — they make a very good jelly already!  I’m sure a purely ornamental garden will be seen as an extravagant foible as edible gardens become more popular.”

Bob’s celebrity talks at the show are going to be very practical and pragmatic. He said: “I think they’ll be quite popular as I’ll be offering advice and taking questions on ways to save time and effort and talking about how to grow more for less.”

He added: “While so much of what is actually written about gardening is absolutely correct, there are ways to make it easier. Gardening is often simpler than people imagine. Seeds, for example, want to grow! So I’ll be talking about things that we can stop doing unnecessarily. While leeks may look neater growing in a precise row, you really don’t have to get the line as straight as a piano wire as it doesn’t actually produce more leeks!”

Advice will also be blossoming from other celebrity gardeners, chefs and growers. BBC TV’s award-winning presenter James Wong will be continuing his campaign to share his passion for ‘exotic edibles’ while celebrity chef Rachel Green will be working her culinary magic sharing delicious recipes from grow-your-own ingredients.

Voted the Most Popular Garden Event of the Year, The Edible Garden Show is the perfect place to inspire growers to plan their year ahead with unique labour-saving and cost-effective products, chickens for sale, stunning polytunnels to help gardeners extend their growing season, and everything from bees, goats and pigs to seeds, sheds, wellies and wormeries.

Bob Flowerdew will be appearing at the show in 2013

Book your tickets here.

Read up on a full review from the 2012 show, including video highlights here.

The gift was made after The Edible Garden Show’s organisers were moved and inspired by work carried out at Headley Court in the groundbreaking horticultural therapy unit developed to help servicemen returning from conflicts recover their strength, mobility and co-ordination.

The unit opened in May last year and is run by Major Peter Le Feuvre, a leading Ministry of Defence physiotherapist, who says that gardening and grow-your-own also helps patients improve their concentration and reduce stress levels.

Major Le Feuvre and members of his team were invited to attend the award-winning Edible Garden Show at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on March 16 to highlight the therapeutic benefits of gardening. He spoke in the show’s Experts Theatre, giving the audience an insight into the role of garden therapy on the rehabilitation of battle injured soldiers.

Bev Channel, Event Director of The Edible Garden Show, said; “Our visitors were awestruck as they listened to Major Le Feuvre and his team talk about the incredibly positive results that horticultural therapy has had on the recovery of injured soldiers. We felt the raised beds, which we had commissioned and planted for the show, were a perfect height to be incorporated into the garden project at Headley Court this season.”

Major Le Feuvre says; “We were delighted with the gift as well as other promises of support we were given by exhibitors at the show. We use the ‘green’ environment to rehabilitate injured troops. Horticultural therapy is as much about the psychological benefits of doing something meaningful and fulfilling – nurturing and growing plants – as it is about the physical benefits of moving around, standing, bending, lifting, carrying and negotiating obstacles.

“It encourages patients to experience different activities which aids the rehabilitation from their injuries. By varying the rehabilitation methods used at Headley Court, we can keep patients stimulated and focused on their goals and road to recovery. One of our guys is wheelchair-bound because of his injuries. He is making great progress with horticultural therapy. Not only has it enabled him to learn new skills, gardening and growing is something he can do with his family. So the result is multifaceted.”

One of the injured servicemen Sapper Matthew Weston (22) who suffered severe injuries while on duty in Afghanistan in 2009 thoroughly enjoys sessions in the horticultural therapy unit. He says; “I like cooking so I am interested in growing fruit and vegetables. It is really relaxing being out here doing something useful.”

His thoughts were echoed by Lance Corporal Joe Qalotaki who was injured in Germany. He says: “My family has a farm in Fiji and we grow capsicums and melons. It is nice to be outside doing something therapeutic like this and gaining strength at the same time.”
Major Le Feuvre says; “These men and woman are soldiers and they like to be outside doing physical work. Many of them have to come to terms with their injuries and there are mental health benefits to the project. It gives them new skills and an opportunity to interact socially.”

•    The Edible Garden Show will be back at Stoneleigh Park from March 15-17th 2013. A one-stop-shop for anyone looking to grab a slice of the ‘Good Life’ it uniquely brings together celebrity gardeners, chefs and innovative exhibitors from the worlds of gardening, home produce and food.

Pictured left to right: Staff Sgt Steve Arnold; Claire McKee; Kim Pickney; Rifleman Sam Walpole; Major Peter Le Feuvre; Lance Cpl Joe Qalotaki; Sapper Matt Weston

Express reader Margaret, aged 66 of Henlow, Bedfordshire, who was accompanied to the show in Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire by husband Martin and daughter Victoria, said she was thrilled with the ride on mower worth £1,799.

The National Sales Manager for Mountfield, presented Mrs Major with the keys to the shiny red lawn mower on the company’s stand at The Edible Garden Show – the UK’s only national event  for grow your own fruit and vegetables and home produce.

Record crowds of more than 13,000 people attended over three days at an event which is a one-stop for everything you need to know about the ‘Good Life’. Visitors saw a fabulous array of innovative products for sale from a wide range of exhibitors and were given advice in spades from celebrity gardeners, chefs, growers and live stock experts.

Grow-your-own enthusiast Mrs Major said: “I am delighted with my prize. Although I’m not a driver myself, no doubt one of the family will be using it to cut the grass. It was such a wonderful surprise when I found out I had won and we all had a lovely day out at The Edible Garden Show.”

Find out more about this cutting-edge dual-bladed garden tractor, powered by a 432cc engine, at www.mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk

The only national event for grow your own fruit and vegetables and home produce, which attracted 10,800 visitors for its launch event last year, has grown in popularity attracting visitors and exhibitors from around the UK. The 2012 event saw the show expand into two indoor exhibition halls, supported by a large small holders’ marquee, with 170 exhibitors showcasing innovative equipment and produce all linked to the “Good Life” theme.

Show Director Bev Channell said: “This is only our second show but clearly the gardening world has become engaged with The Edible Garden Show and we have now established ourselves as a must-see event for all those people looking for a slice of the Good Life. We are especially pleased to see the growth in visitor numbers and the very positive response we have received from our exhibitors with many of them already signing up for 2013 when we intend to continue to grow this popular event.”

TV botanist James Wong officially opened The Edible Garden Show 2012 on Friday, March 16 with help from injured servicemen and staff from Headley Court, the Surrey-based armed forces rehabilitation centre.

Headley Court has developed an innovative garden therapy unit to help servicemen returning from conflicts recover their strength, mobility and co-ordination. The horticultural therapy project is run by Major Peter Le Feuvre who says that gardening and grow-your-own also helps patients improve their concentration and reduce stress levels.

Among celebrities taking part were TV chefs John Burton-Race and Rachel Green, who gave cookery demonstrations in the cookery theatre sponsored by Kerrygold Butter and Pilgrims Cheese, and popular authors and broadcasters Pippa Greenwood and Paul Peacock.

John Burton-Race said: “I think this show is absolutely fantastic.  It really is fun, they’re a great crowd here and it is very, very busy. It’s good synergy for me because most of the customers grow their own; they’ve got little allotments and smallholdings and raise their own livestock.  What I’m trying to do at the show is some dishes with ingredients that they possibly grow and give some ideas.  The feedback has been wonderful.”

The Edible Garden Show 2012 brought together inspirational celebrity gardeners and chefs, key livestock experts and innovative exhibitors to create a one-stop shop for anyone wishing to grab a slice of the ‘Good Life’. The three-day spectacular will return to Stoneleigh Park next year from March 15-March 17.

Fun in the potting shed at The Edible Garden Show

James Wong at The Edible Garden Show 2012

John Burton Race at The Edible Garden Show 2012

Rachel Green and Paul Peacock at The Edible Garden Show 2012

Headley Court has developed an innovative garden therapy unit to help servicemen returning from conflicts recover their strength, mobility and co-ordination. The horticultural therapy project is run by Major Peter Le Feuvre who says that gardening and grow-your-own also helps patients improve their concentration and reduce stress levels.

Major Le Feuvre and his team were invited to attend the award-winning grow-your-own event at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire to highlight the therapeutic benefits of gardening.

Major Le Feuvre spoke at the show’s Experts Theatre, giving the audience an insight into the success of the ‘green’ therapy. He described the remarkable progress made by the injured soldiers and how growing and nurturing plants has helped their recovery.

He was joined on the platform by representatives from Gardening Leave – a charity set up in 2007 to improve the mental and physical well-being of serving and ex-service personnel using horticultural therapy.

Welcoming the staff and soldiers from Headley Court, BBC TV’s award-winning ‘Grow Your Own Drugs’ presenter James Wong said: “We all know that growing our own fruit and vegetables has great health benefits but projects such as this demonstrate that grow your own and getting out into the garden or on to an allotment can really improve your overall health and wellbeing.”

James, who is renowned for his plant-based remedies, has been encouraging everyone to grow adventurous crops and exotic vegetables in their gardens and allotment plots during his talks in the Experts Theatre.

The Edible Garden Show 2012 brought together inspirational celebrity gardeners and chefs, key livestock experts and innovative exhibitors to create a one-stop shop for anyone wishing to grab a slice of the ‘Good Life’.

Celebrity chef John Burton-Race dished up delectable delights in the Cookery Theatre which also saw Rachel Green cook up a menu using home-grown British produce.

The three-day spectacular is the only national show dedicated to the grow-your-own revolution.

The Edible Garden Show 2012 is officially opened today by (front row l-r) Marine Cassidy Little, Cpl Paul Nichol and TV botanist James Wong, with Major Peter Le Feuvre (back row, second from left) and representatives of Headley Court armed forces rehabilitation centre and the charity Gardening Leave.

Paul Peacock, horticulturalist and broadcaster,  will be signing copies of his new book, the Haynes Allotment Manual at the show.

According to the latest statistics allotment gardening has never been more popular.   Waiting lists jumped by 20% last year and there are now around 90,000 people waiting an average of three years for a plot.  If you are languishing on the waiting lists then the Haynes Allotment Manual can help. Paul Peacock, horticultural writer and regular on Gardener’s Question Time, has condensed his extensive allotment expertise into this complete guide that starts with some tips on how to  get your hands on one.

Whereas most allotment books are just concerned with growing advice, the Haynes Allotment Manual also gives in depth advice on all the legal and financial elements to allotment owning. Starting with acquiring that elusive allotment, Paul’s tips include becoming a non-gardening member, getting to know the plot holders so you can  plot-share with someone or volunteering in the community garden.

For seasoned allotmenteers the book includes information on a range of ambitous projects such as how to set up an allotment shop, gaining grants for disabled access, improving security and setting up a tool-share scheme. There is also a chapter on managing relationships, including advice on allotment politics and how to complain without losing friends.

Of course every aspect of successful growing is also included; vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers. Growing advice is given in easy A-Z formats and a month-by-month guide making it the perfect handy reference tool.  Soil management techniques such as improving the soil, building raised beds and rotation are also covered. As Paul introduced nationwide beekeeping allotment training it is no surprise that there’s a chapter on keeping bees and hens.

Whether you are a seasoned allotment gardener or a new kid on the plot the Allotment Manual is essential reading. Paul’s detailed knowledge and experience ensures that every element of the allotment experience is covered.

About the Author:

Writer and broadcaster Paul Peacock followed his doctor’s prescription to the letter and got an allotment as an antidote to high blood pressure. Now he is one of the UK’s best loved horticultural experts with regular slots on BBC Gardener’s Question Time. Founder editor of Grow It! and Home Farmer magazine, he has written more than 20 gardening books and created a school allotment in Manchester.

The Allotment Manual will be available from all good bookshops and direct from Haynes at www.haynes.co.uk or by calling 01963 442030, priced £21.99.

Growing your own fruit and veg is not only good for your health – it also puts a zing into your love life and the relationships you share with those closest to you.

Nine out of ten people who took part in a survey about the impact of “grow your own” on their lives said they felt it improved their relationships with loved ones. Ten out of ten said they feel healthier by growing and eating their own food.

Far from escaping the other half to head down to the allotment, seven out of ten people said they and their partner grow their own together and it helps makes them feel closer to each other. The benefits aren’t just seen in the raised beds in the garden but the healthier life-style also pepped up their love life.

The survey was carried out for organisers of The Edible Garden Show which is staged at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, this weekend (16-18 March). The only national event dedicated to grow-your-own, The Edible Garden Show was last year voted Garden Event of the Year. It is a one-stop shop for those looking for a slice of the good life with a huge array of innovative exhibitors boasting everything from seeds to sheds, wellies to wormeries, pigs, goats and chickens.

There are also talks and demonstrations by celebrity gardeners including award-winning TV presenter James Wong, bestselling gardening author and broadcaster Pippa Greenwood, celebrity chefs John Burton-Race and Rachel Green and The Edible Garden Show’s own grow-your-own guru Paul Peacock.

Hundreds of people took part in the online poll which asked why they have joined the grow- your-own revolution sweeping the country. Eight out of ten of those who responded were women and more than half were aged between 30 and 49.  A total of 75% said it was because the food tasted better, 75% because they like gardening and six out of ten because it saves money.

Relationships with partners were not the only ones to be boosted by grow-your-own. Nearly eight out of ten said children in the family like planting and nurturing their own food. Kids love growing strawberries, tomatoes, apples, potatoes, carrots, raspberries, radishes and gooseberries. With today’s youngsters battling obesity, 100% of those who took part in the survey said that being involved in growing produce helps children to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and diet.

Further results of The Edible Garden Show survey included:

• What is your most successful crop?  34% potatoes; 22% tomatoes; 16% runner beans; 6% courgettes; 6% parsnips; 3% asparagus; 3% broad beans; 10% others
• How much of your garden, patio etc is dedicated to GYO? 10% all; 12% half; 30% a quarter; 48% less than a quarter
• How many of you have an allotment? 20%
• How much do you grow? 33% enough for own family, a further 12% their own and extended family, 50% enough to share with family, neighbours and friends
• 25% have tried to grow something exotic and adventurous including Chinese gooseberries, chillies, aubergines, peppers and crystal lemon cucumber
• 27% keep chickens and another 23% are considering keeping chickens or ducks
• 45% use green energy at home or in the garden including solar power and rainwater harvesting
• What’s the most adventurous fruit you have grown? Blueberries (12%); melon (9%); oranges (5%); kiwi (4%); peaches (4%); figs (3%); but also bananas, lychees, guavas, pomegranates, limes, lemons, huckleberries, grapes, passionfruit, cherries, quince, apricots, raspberries and goji berries
• Adventurous vegetables include purple carrots (7%); black courgettes and climbing courgettes (6%); butternut squash (4%); aubergine (4%); plus celeriac, purple beans, coloured cauliflower, stripy tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, purple beans, spaghetti squash, asparagus, tree onion, artichokes, edamame beans, fennel, rainbow chard, salsify, okra and kohlrabi
• Popular herbs and spices grown include chillis, basil, saffron, coriander, fenugreek, oregano, tarragon, wasabi, sage, parsley, mint, rosemary, chives and cumin
• Although they love their fruit and veg, the grow-your-own enthusiasts who responded are mainly fish and meat eaters (83%) and eight out of ten of them cannot see themselves becoming vegetarian in the future. Only 11% of respondents are vegetarian and 6% are pescetarian  (eating fish and seafood but no meat). However, 44% of all those surveyed have 1-2 meat-free days each week and 23% have 3-4 meat-free days