A new initiative is launched today which pays tribute to His Majesty, King Charles III’s long-standing commitment to the natural world and the environment – Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature.
Organised by The Wildlife Trusts in partnership with Incredible Edible, Garden Organic and the NFWI (National Federation of Women’s Institutes), the scheme will encourage people and communities across the United Kingdom to live sustainably and help wildlife recover by growing food and creating space for nature in gardens, on balconies and in shared greenspaces.
Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature is a three-year programme, which hopes to enthuse millions of people to grow their own food in wildlife-friendly gardens by providing advice and an opportunity to pledge their garden on a map. Its legacy is expected to last far into the future. The initiative will be kick-started by a grant of £247,834 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
In pledging to take part in Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature, people would be encouraged to:
- Grow healthy food to eat – this could range from herbs and salads, through to vegetables and fruit trees depending on the space you have
- Plant pollinator-friendly blooms – butterflies, moths, bees and hoverflies all need sources of nectar and pollen to thrive. As they travel from flower to flower, they also pollinate them, enabling plants to set seed or bear fruit
- Create a water feature, which could be as simple as a submerged dish or as involved as digging a pond, lining it and oxygenating it using native plants such as hornwort
- Leave a patch of long grass or pile of logs to create shelter for wildlife and natural predators such as hedgehogs and frogs
- Go chemical and peat-free – avoid using pesticides, weedkillers and peat!
The initiative will evolve as the partnership grows. Initial ideas, inspiration and help for communities and individuals to get started – plus the pledge that people can make by registering their garden on a map – are at www.mycoronationgarden.org.
Gardens can play a big role in giving nature a boost while also enabling people to enjoy seeing wildlife and grow their own food. Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature aims to encourage people to use existing gardens, rooftops and shared greenspace, as well as to create new ones.