PEOPLE from Hampshire are being invited to a garden centre in the county this February 2009 to help celebrate one of the nation’s favourite vegetables.

Visitors to Fair Oak Garden Centre in Eastleigh, which is part of the Wyevale family, will have the chance to learn about spuds and how to grow them at the garden centre’s Potato Weekend on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8.

Garden centre Manager, Nick Perkins, said: “This is the first year we have run a potato event to link in with National Potato Day, which this year is on February 3, and we’re really looking forward to the weekend. We will have more than 20 varieties of seed potatoes in-store. Some of these will be sold loose so people can pick and mix their potatoes and try growing several different varieties “Visitors will be offered free information and advice on growing potatoes. Vegetable and fruit growing looks set to be more popular than ever this year and we hope events like this will help encourage people to have a go at growing their own with a little help from us.

“We find people are keen to have a go, but they may be nervous because they feel they don’t know how to do it and might do something wrong. By providing customers with free information on how to get started we can help them overcome any fears they may have. Grow your own is going to be a focal point for the garden centre throughout 2009 and we’ll be hosting a series of free events covering the topic.”

During Potato Weekend, the garden centre will also be running potato a modelling competition for children.

Youngsters will be challenged to create weird and wonderful creatures and ‘little people’ from potatoes. The closing date for entries is 4pm on Sunday, February 8.

Nick added: “The competition is designed to be fun and we want as many youngsters as possible to enter. We will have the models on display in-store for one week from Monday, February 9 and customers will be asked to vote for their favourites via a ballot box. The models can be any shape or size and the more interesting the better.”

The Potato Weekend will take place on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8 at Fair Oak Garden Centre.

For further details, please call Fair Oak Garden Centre on 02380 600392, drop in at the garden centre, which is located on Winchester Road, or visit www.wyevale.co.uk.