A GARDENING presenter will front workshops as part of this year’s Colchester Garden Festival.

The annual event has returned to Colchester city centre and runs until August 13.

It promotes the city’s greenery and nature and involves free workshops, pop-up installations, family trails, murals, and educational events.

Lee Connelly, who is from Colchester and fronts gardening programmes for the BBC as well as his Skinny Jean Gardener Podcast, will be hosting a range of Sow & Grow workshops over multiple dates and locations.

Gazette: Gardens - schoolchildren have created their own gardensGardens - schoolchildren have created their own gardens (Image: Our Colchester)

He will help visitors to get started with gardening, teaching them about sowing seeds and caring for wildlife, before participants take home their seeds to care for.

Pop-up school show gardens will be available to view for the duration of the festival by the Jumbo water tower, with 13 schools designing their own recycling- and wildlife-themed gardens.

The event is organised by the Our Colchester business improvement district.

Its boss Sam Good said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the Colchester Garden Festival back to the city centre for a second year.

“The Garden Festival is a great opportunity to explore the city centre through a range of activities.

“You can find out more and plan your visit via the InColchester website.”

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