To mark 120 years since the publication of Beatrix Potter’s children’s classic, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, publisher Penguin Random House Children’s has secured a three-year partnership with non-profit garden designers Grow2Know CIC, on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co. (owner of The World of Peter Rabbit).
Grow2Know reclaims blank spaces and transforms them into gardens designed to contribute to local residents’ health, happiness and wellbeing.
The new Grow With Peter Rabbit initiative has been developed by Penguin Random House Children’s in partnership with Grow2Know to bring the benefits of gardening and spending time in nature to as many families as possible.
Drawing on Peter Rabbit’s playful nature, as well as his insatiable appetite for vegetables, Grow2Know’s founders – semi-professional footballer, community activist and TV presenter Tayshan Hayden-Smith, garden designer and TV presenter Danny Clarke (aka ‘The Black Gardener’), and Ali Yellop, agriculturist, chef and herbalist – will design and deliver three Peter Rabbit community garden makeovers between now and 2024.
The first Peter Rabbit-inspired garden is currently in development in a disused plot attached to St Clement & St James CE Primary School, Kensington: a school in the heart of the community where Grow2Know was founded, and the borough in which Peter Rabbit’s creator, Beatrix Potter, was born on 28th July 1866. The garden will be unveiled just before the school breaks up for the summer holidays.
Interactive areas for children to read, play, grow and learn, inspired by the adventures of Peter Rabbit and friends, have been incorporated into the garden, which can be used by the local community to host workshops and events from this summer onwards.
Members of the public from across the UK will also be encouraged to Grow With Peter Rabbit from home during National Children’s Gardening Week 2022 (28 May to 5 June) when a series of filmed How-To videos, led by Tayshan, will be released. In addition, primary school teachers across the UK will have access to specially created Grow With Peter Rabbit learning resources, meaning multiple opportunities for parents and children to engage with the 120th anniversary campaign.
Supporters of Grow With Peter Rabbit include garden centre retailer Dobbies and London-based non-profit organisation Octavia.
“As custodians of The World of Peter Rabbit and publisher of Beatrix Potter’s tales, we’re in the unique position of being able to use Beatrix Potter’s timeless stories to affect change and drive positive, social impact,” commented Izzy Richardson, global brands director at Penguin Random House Children’s. “Grow2Know is a brilliant organisation and a perfect partner for this anniversary year. The passion, knowledge and design expertise of its team, led by Tayshan, Danny and Ali, have enabled us to launch an initiative that both honours the legacy of Beatrix Potter and brings Peter Rabbit to life in a playful and meaningful way for families across the UK.
“We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Grow2Know to deliver outdoors spaces to schools in some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities and, in turn, inspire young children to enjoy and learn from the benefits of nature.”
