Date: 1 August 2005
Originally published in: The Sticks (UK)
Written by:
Local celebrity Kim Wilde is bringing nature into the limelight across the UK, we catch up with her after what has been a very busy six months…
Kim Wilde has been in the public eye for many years, with her career spanning a whole spectrum of decades. Over the years she has moved from 80’s pop icon to nature guru, and today is making her biggest ever impact with her passion for nature and gardening, by trying to encourage children and adults to step outside.
To the envy of every person, Kim has made a career out of her great passion, as one of Britain’s top nature gurus. Kim’s green fingers are everywhere with work covering garden shows, articles, books and TV shows to being the icon of top nature brands like Timotei and Wyevale.
One of her major achievements is the release of her new book ‘Gardening with Children’. With Kim’s love for gardening combined with looking after her two children, it was a natural step for her to combine these two together to write the step-by-step guide in getting and keeping children outdoors. Kim has been introducing her teachings into her home for years. “I want my children to discover plants and vegetables, to have them smell, touch and taste, to have their senses aroused.” The book is bursting with ideas on how to make the garden fun and safe, rainy day projects, year-round activities, and step-by-step illustrated projects for small and large gardens, something to suit all families. Having spent so much time out in the garden Kim understands that children love the outdoors, whether digging for worms or chasing butterflies, children are very active so what better place for them to run around.
Protecting the wildlife that makes being outside so enjoyable is one area Kim is very passionate about. “One of the great pleasures of being outside in my garden is seeing and hearing the local wildlife.” Kim is one of the supporters of The Wildlife Trusts ‘Wild about Gardens’ campaign. The campaign aims to save local wildlife which is under increasing threat and to create awareness amongst gardeners by asking questions like ‘Do gardeners believe they have space to accommodate wildlife?’ and ‘What do people know about wildlife in their local area?’. Kim believes that all humble gardeners can help make a difference by providing alternative habitats in the garden, whilst at the same time promoting a natural balance where plants and wildlife can co-exist.
Gardening is one of Britain’s most popular pastimes, as it has scope for relaxation, entertainment and creativity. This year Kim joined up with Richard Lucas to show us how to be truly creative. Kim & Richard created an inspired Courtyard Garden ‘The Cumbrian Fellside Garden’ which won a Gold award and ‘best in show’ at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. The Courtyard is a beautiful garden, based on the romantic landscapes of Cumbria. Kim was also present at this year’s Hampton Court Flower Show, but this time letting other people’s talent sparkle. At the show Kim and Wyevale have been helping to support Breakthrough Breast Cancer with ‘Think Pink’. Pink gardening gloves and matching tugs were being sold with 50p from every item going to the charity.
As well as working within the natural environment, Kim is an advocate for any products that use and work alongside nature. Timotei’s new campaign ‘Rediscover the beauty of nature’ was perfect for her as she has been using the brand since she was a kid. “I’m a firm believer in the power of nature so I like to use products containing extracts of natural ingredients, like Timotei”.
Timotei is encouraging everyone to discover nature with a special offer to ‘Rediscover nature with FREE days out’. The offer includes many attractions in the local area including Pensthorpe Nature Reserve and Paradise Wildlife Park.
For more information and a list of all the local attractions taking part visit www.timotei.co.uk/rediscovernature. For more information about Breakthrough Breast Cancer visit www.breakthrough.co.uk.
