Portsmouth in Bloom Workshop: Waterwise gardening

Martyn Cox is leading a water-wise gardening workshop at the Greenhouse Community Hub in Victoria Park on Wednesday 29 July. It's part of the Portsmouth in Bloom programme, which is running as part of the Portsmouth100 centenary celebrations, so it sits within a wider city-wide focus on the local environment this year.

Cox is an expert in the field, and the session is run in conjunction with Portsmouth City Council and Portsmouth Water. The whole thing is free to attend, so it's a low-stakes way to pick up some practical advice on how to keep your garden going without wasting water — something that becomes a bit more pressing when the summer heat actually hits. Whether you've got a full garden or just a few pots on a balcony, the tips should translate.

There's a bit more to it than just the talk, too: attendees get a chance to enter a competition to win a free waterbutt, with entries closing on 31 July. If you're already thinking about how to save water, a waterbutt is one of the most straightforward ways to do it, so it's a useful prize to have on the table. The workshop is free, and the competition runs until the end of the month.