Please note:

The Go Wild Festival ran at Kew and Wakehurst place for the summer of 2003. As such many of the festival features can no longer be seen in the gardens, but this website has been kept to give visitors access to wealth of information developed to support the festival.

Don't forget to check out the latest events in the gardens. Find out more......

	Great Adventures Ideas for the Garden Defra Biodiversity Garden Wild Ideas Grown Home Blooms, BIrds, Bugs and Bees Vegetarian Option Harnessing Nature Art from Nature Wakehurst Wonders Talks, Walks & Workshops

Vegetarian Option

Vegetable plots designed by Kew’s Diploma students based on companion planting and sustainable methods of cultivation

On throughout the festival, at its peak from June to August

Kew’s Diploma Students present their vegetable plots which
use traditional methods to improve soil condition, encourage beneficial wildlife and produce healthy crops. The plots illustrate the benefits of growing vegetables without the use of pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilisers.

Aiming to have a garden that’s ‘biodiversity’ friendly means adopting a greener gardening approach.

Make the most of your vegetable plot by:-

• Rotating crops - this maintains soil fertility, structure and can reduce pests and diseases.

• Improving your soil with organic matter such as garden compost and manure to maintain soil structure, fertility and moisture retention. This means no artificial fertilisers are necessary.

• Growing a green manure such as Phacelia tanacetifolia or Limnanthes douglasii – these improve soil fertility and attract insects.

Thyme Photo: Peter Gasson

• Companion planting - this attracts beneficial insects and adds colour to your plot. Try Eschscholzia californica, French Marigolds, Rosemary, Thyme, Lupins and Nasturtiums. Also try planting Moss-curled Parsley which will attract aphids away from your crop!

• Biological control - for every pest or disease there is a natural predator. Aphids are preyed upon by birds, ladybirds, hoverflies and spiders. Encourage these into your plot with plants they can eat, some water and shelter and you will have your own army of helpers. Biological control minimises the ecological damage of controlling garden pests.

• Making your own liquid feed from Comfrey - Comfrey can be a bit invasive but it can be cut back 4 or 5 times a year and used to make a fantastic liquid feed for your plants as well as a great addition to your compost heap. Simply place a bag of Comfrey leaves in a water butt and leave for a few weeks.

• Conserving water - there are always dry spells in a season, save water in a water butt and use only on the plants not the whole plot. Drip line hosepipes are very effective irrigation systems on vegetable plots.

What is biodiversity?
What is a native plant?
Links