Horticultural April Fools create smiles and thousands of social media views
The horticulture industry played its part in raising a smile on April 1st 2022 with a number of well executed April Fools which certainly garnered plenty of publicity.
Top billing goes to Pengelly Garden Centre who went viral on Facebook with their video about their new variety of Pastie Kernow seeds and their Pastie plants. As the Post Office said "the winner for the best April Fools video goes to Pengelly Garden Centre, St Austell. Absolute comedy gold."
Sarah Daniel said: "Thank you to everyone who liked & shared our post yesterday. It reached over 17,000 people & so far has been viewed over 14,000 times!
"We hope it gave you a laugh, which, with everything going on in the world, we feel is much needed at the moment."
It's worth watching right to the end...
Kev and the team at Lakeside Plant Centre in Telford had similar horticultural fool fun with their Lettuce Mayovien seeds, lettuce with Mayonnaise flavoured viens. They explained: "With genetics being used more to create crops that are more drought tolerant, Hardy, quick to germinate. Is this a step too far ? A lettuce with a taste that gives a hint of mayonnaise. Obviously for Big Kev it's a 'no' as its a salad crop but what do you think???"
Michael Perry, Mr Plant Geek, posted an Instagram story with some old dutch cold weather tips on getting your bulbs to flower more quickly:
Those cheeky folk at the YHPA posted a spoof video about the formation of the MAHPA, for middle aged people in horticulture: "Introducing a new association: The Medium Aged People in Horticulture (MAPHA). MAPHA hopes to bring together those in the industry who are aged 35 to 65, and who may find themselves feeling somewhat forgotten amongst all the media interest in horticulture's younger contingent."
And British Garden Centres gained plenty of local newspaper coverage for their Heavy Plant Crossing story, which we published on April 1st. Link here.
That story prompted Neil Gow to send us this photo from 25 years ago, taken outside Worcester Garden Centre on Droitwich Road.
