Gardening is officially cool. The city that sets the fashion and music trends which the rest of the country keeps a close eye on is hosting a special type of hoedown
MANCHESTER IS RENOWNED for many things, but it’s fair to say
that until now, greenery wasn’t on its shortlist of attractions. That’s set
to change, however, with the opening of a new gardening exhibition
at Manchester’s Urbis gallery, which demonstrates the horticultural
credentials of this most urban of locations.
Gardening is big business: Britons spend an annual £50 billion on this
pursuit. But if you don’t know your hoe from your hardy perennials, Urbis,
a museum dedicated to urban life, has staged a gardening show designed
to get you planting. Less about formal gardens and more about city
greenery, the show taps into a growing trend that has seen city dwellers
turn over every spare inch of their home’s outdoor space to plants.
Urbis itself has been transformed by plant-stuffed tubs and troughs for
a show that provides both the practical tips and the inspiration anyone
needs to grow their own gorgeous gardens. The show starts with small
projects (balconies, windowsills, wall-mounted pots), moving through
to medium-sized (for example, city gardens complete with wormeries)
and then to large-scale (including commercial buildings whose roofs
have been turned into wildlife havens). There are pointers galore
for fledgling horticulturists, and daily workshops throughout
August (midday-3pm, £3) for Alan Titchmarsh wannabes.
And finally, if it’s too hot in the city, it’s worth remembering that
Manchester has more Green Flag-awarded parks and gardens than
anywhere else in the UK. We recommend Fletcher Moss Gardens in
Didsbury (a few miles south of the city centre) or Tatton Park in Cheshire
(15 miles south-west of the city centre). And if that’s not enough,
neighbouring Cheshire is holding its own Year of Gardens festival
throughout 2008 (www.visitcheshire.com), with some of the
finest parks and public gardens in Britain taking part.
Urban Gardening is a free event, running
until 7 September at Urbis, Cathedral
Gardens, Manchester,
+ 44 (0)161 605 8200;
www.urbis.org.uk
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