We’d love Chelsea to see special garden...

Mar 22 2008 by Alison Young, South Wales Echo

IHAVE a dream,” confesses top garden designer Anthea Guthrie, and that is to take a group of very special children to the world’s premier flower show.

But she doesn’t want to take the youngsters from Heronsbridge School as visitors, she wants to take them as part of her garden team.

For Anthea and the youngsters from the Bridgend special school are currently putting the finishing touches to a show garden set to take centre stage at the Royal Horticultural Society’s spring flower show in Cardiff next month.

The garden, backed by the local education authority, is an eco garden and aims to show how we can all outwit slugs in our back gardens.

After the show the garden will be dismantled and rebuilt in the school grounds.

Anthea, who runs her hands-on garden rescue business from her home in the Vale, switched careers from the law just four years ago.

“I was going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark and was desperate to be working outside.

“I have always got on well with children so this particular project is really enjoyable.

“The children at Heronsbridge are absolutely fantastic – they are such characters and are so polite – they do things like open doors for you.

“I would absolutely love to take this eco garden on from the RHS show in Cardiff to Chelsea next year but that would need major sponsorship.”

Last year Anthea created show gardens at four of the country’s premier shows including the prestigious Chelsea itself, where she won a bronze.

But for the meantime, it’s all hands on deck to ensure the anti-slug garden is ready for Cardiff.

“The children are making some nesting boxes for the garden which reflect the Welsh landscape – so they are in the shape of buildings such as Cardiff Castle.

“They actually went out in the mini bus and visited different areas to choose what they wanted the bird boxes to reflect.”

Some of the children will be using the boxes as part of their exam coursework.

The youngsters have also been busy making clay pots, which will be hung in the garden with seedlings in – well out of the reach of any marauding slugs

Nesting material for the birds has been made from recycled jumpers and pet hair and a hedgehog station built from left over willow.

The plan is to attract birds into the garden to eat the slugs and also frogs, toads and slow worms by providing habitats for them in the shape of a rockery and a small pond.

The planting will largely reflect things which slugs do not like to eat.

“I do not think that you can fight nature – so what you can have instead is a strategy to deal with it,” said Anthea.

“Slugs do not like grey leaved plants so there will be lavender and they do not like strong smells so we will plant garlic, chives and chocolate mint.”

In a section alongside the garden, Anthea and her team will conduct an experiment during the show by planting lettuce in four containers. Nine well-known slug barriers such as ash, shells and holly leaves will be laid around the containers to find out which is the most effective.

Leaflets containing top tips on how to beat the slugs will be given out by the children during the show.

Chris Major, headmaster at Heronsbridge, said: “The children are thoroughly enjoying this project and we can’t wait to see the finished result.

“What we are really looking forward to is the garden being brought back here after the show for all of us to enjoy.”

The RHS Spring Flower Show takes place in Cardiff from April 18 to 20. For tickets call, 0870 247 1226.

TOP tips to beat the slugs:

Dig the garden over in Spring, the birds will eat the slug eggs.

Encourage wildlife into your garden to eat the slugs.

Plant things which slugs do not like to eat such as smelly plants.

Make sure your borders are densely planted as this will provide cover for birds and encourage them to visit.

Slugs do not seem to like red leaved plants so consider growing red lettuce instead of green.