Festival of Gardening for wildlife championed by Alan Titchmarsh 1-31 March 2011

Celebrity gardener, Alan Titchmarsh speaking at the opening of the RBC Rain Garden at WWT London Wetland Centre, September 2010

Photo credit: Stop Photography

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is devoting an entire month to celebrating gardening for wildlife by organising a host of green-fingered events and activities at its nine visitor centres across the UK, offering advice on how to attract wildlife to your garden, as well as showing you how to use water wisely!

Visit www.wwt.org.uk/gardening for full details of all the events and activities at each WWT centre.

Events include:
WWT Arundel T 01903 881530 West Sussex
Medieval herbalist 10, 17, 24, 31 March
For centuries plants have given us food, medicine, shelter, fragrance and beauty. Learn more from our Medieval herbalist. 11am & 2pm
www.wwt.org.uk/arundel

WWT Caerlaverock T 01387 770200 Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Check in at the insect hotel
Advice on gardening for wildlife - check out our insect hotel in our sustainable garden. www.wwt.org.uk/caerlaverock

WWT Castle Espie T 028 9187 4146 County Down, Northern Ireland
Your garden Sat 5 & Sun 6 March
Discover plenty of tips from window boxes to allotments, growing food to eat, permaculture workshop and painting pots! 2-5pm. www.wwt.org.uk/castleespie

WWT London T 020 8409 4400 Barnes
Ask the gardeners Sun 27 March
Get answers to your green gardening questions from some of the UK’s leading gardeners. Including Dr Nigel Dunnett, creator of the RBC Rain Garden; Channel 4’s The Landscape Man, Matthew Wilson, and our own Kew-trained gardening expert Alwyn Craven, plus Lesley Mair from Barn Elms Allotments Society (BEAS) and Anne Gatti, columnist for The English Garden magazine. 2.30 - 3.30pm. £6pp. BE call 020 8409 4400.
Gardening guru, author and TV presenter Gay Search will be giving her top garden tips in a talk at WWT London Wetland Centre. Sun 3 April. Tickets are £6, please call 020 8409 4400 for details. www.wwt.org.uk/london

WWT Martin Mere T 01704 895181 Lancashire
Festival of gardening All month
Discover tips at special talks, learn how to create a log pile, tour our eco-garden to find out what you can do at home to create a sustainable garden and take part in a variety of family activities all month. Learn how the beavers are natural gardeners - 11am & 2pm. www.wwt.org.uk/martinmere

WWT National Wetland Centre, Wales T 01554 741087 Carmarthenshire
Attracting wildlife to your garden Sat 19/Sun 20 & Sat 26/Sun 27 March
A chance to make insect hotels, habitat piles, bird/butterfly feeders. Activities for all the family. 2pm. www.wwt.org.uk/llanelli

WWT Slimbridge T 01453 891900 Gloucestershire
Good pond; bad pond Sat 19 March & Sun 20 March
See examples of how to create a good wildlife pond and what a poor one looks like in this interesting and educational display in our foyer. Chat to our horticulture team for the best tips. www.wwt.org.uk/slimbridge

WWT Washington T 0191 416 5454 Tyne & Wear
Festival of gardening Every weekend in March
Our expert wardens and education team will be hosting a series of guided walks, workshops and craft sessions. www.wwt.org.uk/washington

WWT Welney T 01353 860711 Norfolk
Jane Frost willow workshop Fri 11/Sat 12 & Fri 25/Sat 26 March
Make simple structures using a variety of techniques combining weaving, wrapping and braiding. £55 pp, plus £20 for basic materials. 10am-4pm. BE with a deposit required in advance. Contact Jane Frost on
01353 861944 or Jane@FrostArt.co.uk www.wwt.org.uk/welney