GARDENING: Are you digging in for National Gardening Week?

Will you be getting your kids into gardening for National Gardening Week? Pic: RHS.

National Gardening Week was launched five years ago by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)Â and has grown into the country's biggest celebration of gardening.

This year's event runs from Monday, April 11 to Sunday, April 17, and the theme is Get Fit in the Garden.

A number of activities will take place at the four RHS gardens (our nearest is Harlow Carr, in Harrogate) but the emphasis in on how gardens can have a positive effect on our mental and physical wellbeing on our own plot.

Keeping fit while gardening is the theme of this year's National Gardening Week. Pic: RHS.

If you fancy a day out, National Gardens Open Day is on Friday, April 15, when the RHS gardens and some of their partners are open for free.

Get involved - would you like to throw a garden party, love your neighbourhood park or think your local street could do with a tidy up?

Run your own event and register it with the RHS online.

The emphasis is on using your own initiative where you live to improve your environment:

* Get a few people together to clean up an unused or neglected space (with permission).

* Hold a fundraising event for a community garden or project. Hold a cake sale, a sponsored weeding marathon or a bring and buy sale.

* Organise some family activities. Get children to make a paper pot and plant a sunflower seed inside. Run a mask-making or face-painting session with butterflies, flowers, bugs and beasties as themes.

The RHS has recipe cards, activity sheets and gardening factsheets from its Things To Do section online. For more information, visit www.nationalgardeningweek.org.uk.

* For more gardening news, advice and giveaways, visit www.mandycanudigit.co.uk