RHS Britain in Bloom campaign kicks off

16:21 30th March 2011

This year's Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom campaign has been kicked off with the planting of 84,000 native tree saplings.

Donated by the Woodland Trust, the young plants were placed in the ground across the UK by 320 communities.

In total, 210,000 volunteers in over 2,100 communities are contributing to the project, which is also being supported by Anglian Home Improvements.

The national campaign launch took place at the Redman, Lant and Bittern estates in Borough, London, where local residents planted their saplings.

Martin Troughton, from Anglian Home Improvements, said: "This is a fantastic start. So many people are involved in the launch and this is reflective of the passion we all share for the environment and the communities we all live in."

According to the RHS, Britain in Bloom is one of the largest horticultural schemes in Europe and aims to showcase examples of environmental responsibility and community participation.