Whether you’ve got a garden, back yard, shared space or a balcony, getting outside in the fresh air and connecting with nature gives you a boost and can improve health and wellbeing.
AFF’s green-fingered Regional Lead South West, Carol Morris, has lived in many different army quarters, and has these tips to get you started in gardening…
Plants can be grown in a variety of containers. It doesn’t have to be expensive pots or dirt beds in the garden. Vegetable and salad plants are great in hanging baskets, especially tomatoes, or put runner beans in buckets with a few sticks – place two or three together and they intertwine and support each other.
Research what works well in your climate if you’re posted overseas.
If you have a flower bed, to encourage wildlife, especially bees, scatter wild garden seeds against fences and you’ll have beautiful flowers that come back year after year. These can be bought for as little as 99p.
To get children involved, plant sunflower seeds and have a competition to see who can grow the tallest or sink old buckets/washing up bowls (no holes) into the garden, fill with water, pebbles and some water plants and enjoy the different wildlife visitors – you may even get a frog or two!