We're supporting the Long Hanborough Grow-athon

Residents of Long Hanborough and Church Hanborough are being invited to join a community-wide plant grow-athon during lockdown, which we have been supporting.

The Hanborough Covid-19 Mutual Aid Group will be providing plant pots, compost and a variety of flower and vegetable seeds for people to grow at home.

All those taking part will be able to share their green-fingered prowess online as part of a virtual village flower show.

The grow-athon is part of a series of initiatives being organised by the group to help people stay connected and care for each other during the coronavirus social distancing restrictions.

“A resident approached me with the idea of using gardening to help people’s mental health,” said Freeland and Hanborough Councillor Merilyn Davies.

“I’d noticed a lot of people sharing pots of seeds they were growing via social media and how much it cheered them up, so I thought: ‘Why not get Hanborough growing’?

“The idea is for us to display the flowers we grow in our windows, alongside the rainbows we have drawn, as a way to remind us all that, while we might be physically apart, we are still all together,” she said.

Alison Wilson, whose initial idea sparked the project, explained: “Growing plants indoors and out has many health benefits.

“I thought why don’t we provide the community with the resources it needs to take up gardening and put planters in communal spaces to enrich the local environment?”

The Hanborough Group approached us to ask for donations to the project.

Our Head of Gardens, Hilary, supplied pots, as well as bags of compost, and a basket of seeds containing a selection of peas, lettuce, spring onions, runner beans, courgettes, beetroot, radish, carrots, spinach, salad leaves and broccoli for the grow-athon.

“Blenheim immediately saw the benefits of the project and we received an email from Hilary asking how they could help,” said Merilyn.

“We are really grateful to Blenheim for stepping in to help our community,” she added.

The Hanborough Covid-19 Mutual Aid Group has also set up a community Facebook page, street-by-street Whatsapp groups, arranged a pay by telephone arrangement with the Coop and set up twice-daily food deliveries using one of our vans.