The RHS website is packed full of free advice and activities for both children and practitioners, with lots of colour photographs and step-by-step instructions.
Gardening can be a daunting prospect for the uninitiated, but this site is an ideal place to turn to if you're not sure what to do at different times of the year in your nursery garden. Now it's time to get outside and prepare to plant as the gardening year begins in earnest!
Gardening advice, such as how to get pruning or sow seeds indoors, is helpfully laid out by month and subject on the site, along with an A-Z database. As well as information on how to actually grow things, there are tips on how to make your garden a friendlier place for birds, bugs and butterflies.
If you're interested in growing your own fruit and vegetables to supplement your nursery kitchen, then this site will show you how to get started. There is a link through to the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, which has a wealth of resources for practitioners wanting to set up a garden or make the most of their outdoor area. It includes case studies for inspiration from other settings.
Children are not overlooked. There is a special section for them complete with funny and amazing facts about plants - did you know that the stinkiest flower is, not surprisingly, known as a Corpse flower and can be smelled half a mile away? You could challenge the children in your care to break the record for the tallest sunflower, which grew 7.76m high.
If you are looking for fun activities to pursue in your outdoor area, there are suggestions for a wide range of things to do, from twig weaving to creating an ice mobile or even building a bee hotel.
Nurseries interested in visiting an RHS garden can find out how to arrange a free trip. For those settings not located near to one of the four RHS properties, children and staff can always settle down and take a virtual tour around the Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley.
