Last year, over one thousand six-hundred brilliant volunteers grew meadow wildflowers for Swansea Bay NHS for our ‘Join Our Growing Team’ campaign and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who took part!
The National Botanic Garden of Wales launched our previous project during the first Covid-19 lockdown as a way for people to contribute to the NHS and to lift their own spirits during a difficult time and it was such a positive experience for many of the volunteers.
This year, we’re focusing on you and your wellbeing.
Can you help us in Growing Together?
The National Botanic Garden of Wales has teamed up with Swansea University to launch ‘Growing Together’, a new study looking at how growing plants, volunteering and being part of a community impacts wellbeing.
You could also collect seeds from your plants and we’ll get them planted around hospitals and clinics to bring a boost to the patients and staff of the NHS.
Grow wildflowers at home
We’ll post you a free volunteering pack containing five species of wildflowers, for you to brighten your home and garden.
All you need to do is plant your seeds and enjoy watching them grow! You don’t need to be a gardening expert to get involved, instructions for planting the seeds are included in the pack.
They are all arable wildflowers; bright, colourful and easy to grow.
Poppies, Cornflowers and Corncockles were once so common they were considered to be cornfield ‘weeds’, creating swathes of colour in the countryside but are now a rare sight on a summer walk.
This summer, our ‘Growing Together’ volunteers will give these wildflowers a chance to bloom.
Your plants can help the NHS and Welsh wildlife
Once you’ve enjoyed your plants over the summer, we’ll show you how you can collect the seeds which we will plant at NHS sites next year.
That means NHS staff and patients will get to enjoy colourful flowers and the benefits of your volunteering.
We’ll send you a pre-paid envelope – so it won’t cost you anything.
Growing Together online community
We’re also inviting you to join our community Facebook group.
We’ll be posting wellbeing tips, online training and content to help you convert your garden into a wildlife haven.
The group will be a safe and supportive place for you to share your experiences with other volunteers.
Quick questionnaires
For our research, we want to know about your well-being and will ask you to complete three questionnaires throughout the year on how you’re feeling and your experience of taking part.
The questionnaires won’t take more than 10 minutes to complete. You’ll need to complete your first questionnaire when you sign up, following the link below.
We’ll follow up with two more questionnaires, one in Summer and a final questionnaire in early Autumn.
Your answers to the well-being survey will be anonymised to protect your privacy, for more information please see the participant information sheet below.
Be part of the Growing Together study!
‘Growing Together’ will likely the biggest study of its kind looking at the relationship between wildflowers and wellbeing and we want people from all walks of life to take part – you don’t even need a garden!
Please read this Participant Information Sheet before registering.
You will need to complete the form in the link below for us to process your application and to be sent your free seed pack. Once completed you will be redirected to the first questionnaire.
Growing Together Sign Up Form
Participants must be mainland UK residents and aged 18+, no other exclusions apply for this research. Please register your interest by 11 April 2021.
If you like to register via post, please contact the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, SA32 8HG
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at BiophilicWales@gardenofwales.org.uk
Keep in touch and send us your photos using #GrowingTogether
Thank you for your help with our study and good luck!
