Saturday the 24th of May is a date for your diary in Cirencester. On that date you can visit the Farmers Market for your local produce and while you are there you can also drop into the Plant Swap stall. In its second year at the Farmers Market the Plant Swap was a great success last year with many people working hard to make it such a worthwhile event. Lots of plant swappers turned up too and were amazed at the range of plants available. The principle of a plant swap is very simple: Take along any excess plants from your garden or veg plot, they can be any size, shape, or variety and they can be annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, bulbs, veg, fruit or salad, it really doesn’t matter what it is. The only requirement is that it is in a pot and that it is alive and well. At the Plant Swap stall there will be a huge range of plants to choose from, all brought along by fellow swappers. The idea is that you swap your unwanted plant for that amazing specimen someone just swapped for something else, and so on it goes. And what’s more it is not just plants that get exchanged because you can expect to swap gardening stories, hints and tips in the free and supportive tradition that seems to go hand in hand with horticulture. There may be the need for some bartering if you want to swap a lettuce for a 20 year old wisteria and you might also want to put a donation in the bucket for this year’s chosen good cause but apart from that it is completely without any cost.
Any monies raised will be put towards the Phoenix Gardeners – volunteers who look after the tubs and troughs in town. Many of the tubs need replacing and watering tanks are being installed in some so any donations will go towards improving the appearance of the town centre. Any individual or business or organisation that would like to sponsor a tub or support the Phoenix Gardeners can contact Val Timbers on 01285 651243 or Meg Blumsom on 01285 657696.