Get involved in the One Pot Pledge® Summer Holiday Challenge!
Monday 26th July- Friday 3rd September
Due to popular demand we have now extended the 'Summer Holiday Challenge' an extra two weeks!
Our mission: to turn fingers and spaces green.
Play schemes, children and parents nationwide are taking part in the One Pot Pledge® Summer Holiday Challenge to sow, grow and harvest a veg plot during the summer holidays.
Children can grow some incredible edibles at home or at their play scheme with the Summer Holiday Challenge!
No green space or green fingers required
A space as small as a windowsill is all you need to take part and grow some incredible edibles, and the Greenhouse Sensation Gardening Angels will be offering free advice to help you get the most out of your veg plot throughout the challenge.
Each playscheme or parent to take part in the challenge will receive a free starter pack containing stickers, works sheets, a how-to guide, discount vouchers and more. Challengers are then asked to send us in their photos and updates throughout the challenge and they will then receive their free reward pack! Starter Packs will be sent out the week beginning 19th July to everybody who registers
Prizes to be won
Each play scheme and parent to take part will receive a free starter pack including stickers, activity sheets and more. Keep us up-to-date with your progress to be in with the chance to win an award-winning Vitopod Propagator! Everybody who completes the challenge will also receive a reward pack with certificates, stickers, discount vouchers and more!
Gardening Angel Visits
Our Gardening Angels will visit five lucky play scheme in the North-West to get them started for the challenge and offer them all the advice they may need to grow some delicious salads throughout the summer holidays. If your play scheme is in the North-West and would like a visit get in touch on 0845 602 3774.
Discount for all challengers!
All play schemes and parents taking part are eligible for up to 20% off Greenhouse Sensation grow kits so they can grow some incredible edibles.
Supporting One Pot Pledge®
By taking part in the Summer Holiday Challenge schools are helping gardening charity Garden Organic to meet their target of encouraging 30,000 new gardeners to grow their own edibles in 2010, while also reducing their carbon footprint, encouraging healthy eating and having a hugely enjoyable Summer Holiday.
Ten Week Challenge
Watch this space to learn about the One Pot Pledge® Ten Week Challenge to be taking part in the new school year...
How To Enter
Simply Click here to download a Registration Form and fax back to us on 01695 554081.
Or call us on 0845 602 3774 and we will take your details.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Summer Holiday Challenge Launch Events
Summer Holiday Challenge Launch Events at Preston Riversway Festival and Martin Mere
25.07.2010- 26.07.2010
To launch the Summer Holiday Challenge, following on from our Six Week Challenge, the Greenhouse Sensation Gardening Angels held free One Pot Pledge Seed Sowing events at Preston Riversway Festival and Martin Mere, Burscough to encourage children to grow their own veg and sign up to the One Pot Pledge Summer Holiday Challenge.
Children, parents, childminders and children's centres will had the chance to sign up for the challenge, and were then able to sow their own seeds to take home and grow.
Who Can Get Involved...
Who Can Get Ivolved in the One Pot Pledge Summer Holiday Challenge...
The aim of the Summer Holiday Challenge is to encourage play schemes to enthuse children to grow their own veg.
However, the challenge can also be carried out by parents and children at home where they can grow some incredible edibles on a space as small as a windowsill.
Visit our Greenhouse and Gardening Angels this Summer Holiday
Visit the Greenhouse Sensation Gardening Angels this Summer Holidays
A warm welcome awaits when you visit our greenhouse in Mawdesley and discover our fabulous range of Incredible Edibles.
With free tastings, veg plot starter packs, children’s activity packs and 18ft tall chilli plants; we think we will have something to inspire you whether you are an experienced enthusiast or an enthusiastic newbie.
Taste Incredible Edibles
The greenhouse is packed full of incredible edibles for you to taste, including delicious home-grown bananas and papaya. Our Gardening Angels are also real chilli and tomato fanatics growing up to twelve varieties of chillies and six varieties tomatoes.
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Bananas
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Chillies
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Tomatoes
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Papaya
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We promise you won't leave empty handed ... all our visitors receive a free Incredible Edible goodie bag.
Receive free friendly advice
Our friendly Gardening Angel horticultural team, Paul and Neil, will be on hand to provide you with lot's of advice and answer any questions you may have on growing.
They can help you with ....
1. What to grow and when
2. Variety choice
3. Sowing, growing and harvesting
4. Pest and disease control
5. Our growing kits and propagators
6. Troubleshooting
How to find us
Greenhouse Address
Our greenhouse is in the village of Mawdesley in Lancashire. Just off the M6 at Junction 27
Towngate Works
Dark Lane
Mawdesley
L40 2QU
Opening Times
Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00
Saturday 09:00 – 15:30.
Visits do not have to be pre-arranged but if you do call ahead we can make sure we put the coffee on. To book a visit contact Greenhouse Sensation on:
Phone: 0845 602 3774
Email: info@greenhousesensation.co.uk
Directions
1. Leave the M6 at J27. Follow signs for Parbold.
2. Take your second right onto Moss Lane. You will pass the Wrightington Hotel on your right.
3. Take your first right onto Courage Low Lane. Continue for approximately 2 miles.
4. Take your second left after the Brook House Pub onto Bentley Lane.
5. Take your first right onto Ridley Lane. There is a Welcome to Mawdesley sign here.
6. Ridley Lane takes you directly onto Dark Lane.
We are on Towngate Works – which only has a very small sign, the entrance to Towngate Works is between two bungalows.
Your Free Starter Pack
When you sign-up to the School Holiday Challenge we will send your school a starter pack which includes
Growing instructions – detailed instructions about how to sow, water and harvest.
• 30 x Stickers – featuring our Incredible Edibles characters
• Activity sheets – featuring our Incredible Edibles characters. Supplied in colour and in black and white for photo copying
• Lesson Inspiration sheets – some ideas from teachers about how they integrated their gardening projects with the National Curriculum
• Gardening Angel contact card – as a reminder of who to call if you need some advice
Gardening equipment vouchers - including a voucher to save 30% on any holiday-proof planter.
What You Can Grow In Just 6 Weeks
We've selected some great salad crops that will be ready to harvest within four to six weeks of sowing and that children will love.
These salad crops are ideal for nibbling and for children to add to salads and sandwiches to make their own healthy snacks.
By growing and eating the three lettuce and two radish options children recognise that each vegetable has many varieties, encouraging them to not reject all vegetables based on them disliking just one.
Click here to see our 2010 Salad Blog!.
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Veg / Herb
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Variety
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Germination (days)
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Harvest (weeks)
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Salad Leaf
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Rocket Salad
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4-10
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4
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Lettuce
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Salad Bowl
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4-10
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4
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Lettuce
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Lollo Rossa
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4-10
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4
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Spring Onions
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White Lisbon
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10-14
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5
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Radish
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French Breakfast
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5-7
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5
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| Radish |
Cherry Belle |
5-7
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5 |
| Radish (White) |
White Beauty |
5-7
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5 |
Past One Pot Pledge Challenges
One Pot Pledge Six Week Challenge
Greenhouse Sensation challenged schools to sow a selection of vegetables in pots or planters before 1st June and to harvest their crop by 9th July. Schools have sent in photographs before the end of term as evidence of how they achieved their results.
The initiative was in support of the national One Pot Pledge, a campaign run by Garden Organic, the country’s leading organic gardening charity, whose campaign aims to encourage 30,000 people to have a go at growing their own food for the first time in 2010.
Schools needed only a space as small as a windowsill to take part in the challenge.
Schools were challenged to grow three varieties of lettuce (Rocket, Salad Bowl and Lollo Rossa), White Lisbon spring onions, and three varieties of radishes (French Breakfast, Scarlet Globe and Sparkler). All take between four and 14 days to germinate and no more than five weeks from sowing the seeds to harvesting.
Get Free Gardening Angels Advice
Once you have signed up to the 'School Holiday Challenge' you will be invited to make use of the free Greenhouse Sensation Gardening Angels service.
Whether you have experienced green fingers, or you are just starting out, our friendly Gardening Angels can offer lots of advice and guidance to get you growing.
How to receive free advice
Simply email your question to info@greenhousesensation.co.uk or
Call on 0845 602 3774
Our Gardening Angels always respond within two working hours.
What You Need
A Planter and Compost
You will be sowing directly into a planter (rather than in seed pots and then transferring to a larger pot or planter), this is because the seeds selected prefer not to be moved.
Use a long planter no shallower than 13cm, a raised bed if you have one, or take advantage of our Challenge prices on our holiday-proof planters.
Pots are not suitable for salad leaves because they need a longer space.
You can use any compost.
Seeds
The seed varieties for the School Holiday Challenge have been selected because they grow from seed to harvest-readiness within six weeks. You can buy the seeds from a garden centre, seed websites or they are available from us.
The seeds to be grown are
- Spring Onion
- Lollo Rossa Lettuce
- Rocket
- Salad Bowl Lettuce
- Radish - French Breakfast
- Radish - Cherry Belle
If you would like to order the seeds from us, click here
A Sunny spot
South East to South West is ideal and avoid north facing if possible. If you are growing on an indoor windowsill with a single glazed window, make sure that you shade with a net curtain or similar, so that the plants don't get too hot.
Add some children and this really is all you need to take part in the School Holiday Challenge and help One Pot Pledge on the way to encouraging 30,000 people to grow their own in 2010.
The Starter Pack that you will receive when you have registered will contain everything else you need to get growing.
Choose a Weekend and Holiday Proof Planter
School Holiday Challenge Weekend and Holiday Proof Veg Planters - 20% saving
Of course, you can grow in a pot, raised bed or other container, but you might be interested to hear about our weekend and holiday-proof planters. Particularly as we are offering all taking part in the School Holiday Challenge a 30% discount.
You will care for your plants as you usually would, we just make it easier for you to keep them watered during weekends and school holidays.
This holiday-proof watering is thanks to a reservoir that you keep topped-up. SmartMats link the reservoir with the compost and provide the plants with water when and where the plants need it.
The reservoir watering method also helps to teach children about the changing water needs of a plant, thanks to the fact that they can physically use a ruler to calculate the volume of water that is left in the reservoir and can then calculate how much has been taken by the plant from the reservoir.
This space-efficient planter is perfect for salads and herbs as well as larger veg such as cabbages, cauliflower and chard.
Includes clear lids for getting seeds off to a head start.
Fabulous for salad crops, herbs and low growing veg.
L100cm x W55cm
Offer Price: £66.32 (20% Discount)
To place an order download an order form here and fax back to us on 0161 554 081
Pop one of these on your classroom windowsill for a convenient way to keep a check on how the plants are doing.
Just keep an eye on the water level indicator which tells you when more water needs adding.
Includes a clear lid, which keeps soil warm to speed up seed germination.
Great for salads, herbs and low-growing veg.
Offer Price: £21.90 with FREE DELIVERY
To place an order download an order form here and fax back to us on 0161 554 081
Also available
Ideal for growing low cropping plants such as...
Tomatoes, Chillies, Cucumbers, Beans and Peas, Peppers, Aubergines
Pots - for tall plants.
These sets of pots are perfect for growing bumper harvests of tall plants. Our Gardening Angels harvested 7.9kgs of tomatoes from one Quadgrow in 2009.
Even the thirstiest of plants such as tomatoes are kept nourished thanks to the 35litre reservoir, so you don't have to worry about holiday-watering.
The optional lids protect against late frosts and a frame is available to keep your plants on the straight and narrow.
Price: From £52.90
learn more
To place an order download an order form here and fax back to us on 0161 554 081
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Dont forget to order your seeds for your grow kits!....
Incredible Edible Salad and Vegetable Seed Packs
8 pack of fast growing salad seeds.
£8.10
Buy here
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Send Us Your Updates
Keep us up-to-date with your progress throughout the challenge by sending us any photo's, videos and comments on how your veg are growing.
Each photo will get you 10 points and each video 30 points.The challengers that gain the most points and whose crop has made the best progress at the end of the challenge on ‘Harvesting Day’ will receive a fabulous prize of a Vitopod Propagator.
You can do this by emailing info@greenhousesensation.co.uk and your photo's could be live on our site!
Your Reward Pack
After sending us in your comments and photos of how your veg plot is getting on throughout the Summer Holiday Challenge, we will then reward you with a fabulous reward pack containing:
- A certificate for each child that has taken part in the challenge
- A certificate for your children or playscheme
- Stickers
- Gardening equipment and seed discount vouchers for you
NB- Please make sure all photos have permission from parents as we would love to put them on our website.
10 Week Challenge... Coming Soon
One Pot Pledge Ten Week Challenge
A Ten Week Challenge will also take place in the new school term in september and schools will be encouraged to further their growing skills by growing veg such as carrots, beetroot and spinach.
They will be encouraged to sow and grow their own incredible edibles and like the Six Week Challenge, the school whose veg plot has made the best progress will win a fabulous prize.
Stay tuned for for further details...
