To mark the launch of Blueprint's "Big Society" style urban gardening scheme and to kick off the building's first Christmas there will be festive fun from 2pm on Saturday 27th November 2010 at Phoenix Square. 

Phoenix Square's developer, Blueprint, has extended the area outside the café bar and enrolled local TV gardener Ady Dayman to kick start an urban planting scheme which will give a splash of sustainable colour to the view, whilst giving green fingered residents a chance to 'grow their own'. 

Ady Dayman, said: "Six planters have been completed with the most colourful and edible fruit, herbs and veg available at this time of year, including a mixture of White Currants, Red Currants, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Blueberries, Tarragon, Mint, Lemon Verbena, Rosemary, Apples, Pears, Plums, Cherries, Fennel, Sage and Salvias which will be used in Phoenix Square's café/bar and kitchen. 

"There are six other planters which have been prepared and the aim is for residents and occupiers of Phoenix Square to get involved with them and create a sort of urban allotment over the coming months."

John Long, Development Director at Blueprint, added: "In September we set about planting up some of the balconies at Phoenix Square and this is the next stage in our long term vision for a community garden. The planters are 12 railway sleepers which have been reclaimed from our Nottingham Science Park development, they will be used by the café bar and also made available to residents so they can grow their own herbs, fruit and vegetables. It's a great way to build community spirit and get all the elements of Phoenix Square interacting."

Mulled wine and mince pies will be available from the café bar from 2pm onwards and local TV gardener Ady Dayman and pals will be selling Christmas Trees from 3.30pm to 6pm dressed as Santa. Plus, there will be entertainment from a 50 piece Gospel Choir en route to the big light switch on in Orton Square. 

Phoenix Square is a unique cultural building which combines contemporary living space, with independent cinema, a state of the art gallery, cafe bar, workspaces and office studios to house Leicester's growing number of creative businesses. It is the creation of a partnership project between Blueprint and Leicester City Council in collaboration with Phoenix and De Montfort University and is an example of 21st century sustainable building design, coupled with leading-edge architectural quality.