Now in its second year, the EU match-funded promotion will help highlight gardening as a gentle form of exercise and champion fresh fruit and vegetables.

There will be a special competition to find a street to launch a pilot scheme whereby they will be provided with seeds and plants, advice and support to grow fruit and vegetables and to share amongst their neighbours.

And the Crop Swap will be launched by celebrity gardener Chris Collins.

The campaign will show people how easy it is to plant and maintain crops and therefore encourage people to grow their own.

Next there will be a spotlight on colour, highlighting colourful plant palettes for different colour personalities.

This will be followed by a media and in-store promotion "Scentsational" which encourages people to start to plant for scent in the garden whilst emphasising the therapeutic benefits.

The 2009 PlantforLife campaigns collectively achieved an equivalent advertising value of over £1m, reaching a total audience of 127,518,462.

HTA promotions manager Jennifer Thwaites said: "The PlantforLife campaign continues to go from strength to strength with increasing support from the industry with almost 900 retailers now participating with PlantforLife promotional activity. Our plans for 2010 aim to inspire and encourage customers to have a go and make the most out of their gardens."

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