Are you waiting to feel fresh soil in your hands? Is planting flowers your passion? Do you like growing your own greens? Summer has just begun, so now is a perfect time to put the plantings in order!
We invite all our tenants to participate in the student gardeners 2023 competition!
Your garden can be e.g. an herb pot or a seedling box on a windowsill, summer flowers on the balcony or a garden box in the yard. You can participate in the competition by submitting photos of your plantings to us in August, when the instructions for delivering the photos and more detailed instructions for participating in the competition will also be published.
Student gardeners are searched locally in student cities all over Finland (check #opiskelijapuutarhurit2023 in Instagram). In August, the TYS jury will select Turku Student Gardener 2023 from among all participants, who will receive a gift card to Viherlassila worth 99 euros. Everyone who submits pictures to the competition will automatically participate in a national competition, the winner of which will be crowned the Student Gardener 2023 of Finland. The winner will receive a 200€ gift card to the garden center.
Now is a good time to get your yard or balcony ready for summer
It is most convenient to start gardening in a tidy yard or balcony. Early summer is indeed a good time to get your yard or balcony ready for summer. Remove any trash, last autumn’s leaves, twigs and other dead plant parts from the yard or balcony. You can recycle the garden waste (twigs, plant parts, dead flowers and leaves) formed during the yard and balcony clean-up as biowaste. Take the waste to the bin in a biodegradable bag. NB! Biowaste IS NOT the place for mull earth, stones or any other soil material; these belong in the nature or to the burnable waste. You can find some extra tips below:
1. Use a cloth and mild detergent to clean any outdoor furniture in your yard or balcony. You can revive your balcony by treating wooden surfaces and furniture with a wood oil suitable for the material. Rust on the metal parts of furniture can be removed with citric acid or sodium carbonate solution.
2. If you have a balcony, lift out any wooden or plastic tiles. Wash the floor and other surfaces with a brush and pine soap solution. Rinse with clean water and dry the surfaces.
3. If your balcony has glazing, wash the glass with a mixture of vinegar and dishwashing liquid. You can use window-washing tools.
4. If you have kept fabrics such as decorative cushions on the yard or balcony, wash them according to their instructions.
After tidying up, you can continue with the gardening and planting summer flowers to beautify your yard or balcony. Larger stores also sell lettuce and herb seeds, which you can grow for your summer table 🙂
