Cultivation Street, the community and school gardening campaign pioneered by TV gardener David Domoney,  has announced Syngenta and its Calliope brand as a new sponsor.

Jodie Sara Vale, marketing communications manager for Syngenta Flowers, said the company would use ‘Colour Your Life’ Calliope^® geraniums to promote the campaign. “It’s an absolutely fantastic way to support the super stars in the community who put in so much hard work, dedication, and kindness to enrich green spaces and the lives of those people around them,” she said. “We are proud to be part of the programme and can’t wait to see the entries for the 2018 competition section of the campaign.”

Aylett Nurseries’ Adam Wigglesworth immediate-past president of the HTA, whose sponsorship of the campaign has ended after five years, said: “Now with another horticultural heavyweight firmly behind it, it will keep growing. Community and school gardening is so important, and this is a campaign the industry can feel proud of.”

David Domoney said Cultivation Street had built significant momentum and ambition. “The HTA have been great partners and will always be a part of our heritage,” he said. “ Keeping it horticultural was key, so we awarded sponsorship to Syngenta. They are bursting with energy to promote the activity of gardening up and down the streets of Britain, and they truly believe that every child should be able to experience growing plants.”

Cultivation Street now boasts its own online video channel – Cultivation Street TV – a help-line for new gardeners, an ambassador scheme, a whole host of growing and fundraising guides, a huge national competition, a monthly newsletter, an ever-growing community of communities on social media, as well as coverage on television and in national newspapers and magazines.

New for 2018 will be the mentor scheme, where new communities, schools and neighbourhood street gardeners will be paired with experts who have achieved great successes with their own projects, and will offer help and advice to others who are getting started.

More information can be found on the website (www.cultivationstreet.co.uk)

For information about Syngenta’s Calliope geraniums, visit the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Calliope.flowers/)