'Edible Britain' is the theme of RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Britain in Bloom 2013. Between April 7th and 14th, community gardening groups given seeds by the RHS will plant 2000 edible gardens throughout public spaces in the UK.

The Britain in Bloom campaign has annually encouraged more than 200,000 people to spend nearly 4.4 millions hours of time enhancing their communities. On average, each year, 115,00 trees, 352,000 shrubs, and 21.6 million plants and bulbs are planted across the nation.

Stephanie Eynon, RHS Community Horticulture Manager, said: "Britain in Bloom isn’t just about pretty hanging baskets brightening up gloomy streets, it’s about improving the environment, enhancing lives and bringing communities together through gardening. ‘Edible Britain’ will see new public herb and vegetable gardens planted across the UK, bringing access to tasty produce to thousands."

A survey taken by the RHS found that 90% of groups participating in Britain in Bloom claim the biggest boon are community development and more than 50% of the groups claim a significant drop in crime and anti-social behavior.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/