THE countdown is now on until children’s favourite Mr Bloom from CBeebies will headline a series of live shows as part of Marwell Zoo’s exciting Summer event, which runs throughout August.

His much-loved one man show will feature a bundle of veggie stories, gardening games and all the catchy nursery songs from the TV show, entertaining ‘tiddlers’ and parents alike.

The popular presenter, who will be at the zoo every August weekend and all bank holiday, said: “I’m really excited to be bringing the fun from the Mr Bloom television shows to families throughout the summer months!”

Every weekday in August, Marwell’s crazy botanist Dr Chris Anthemum will be describing his treacherous hunt for a rare plant for the zoo’s new Tropical House. Young families will be charmed by the live puppet show featuring hilarious Marvellous Marwellous mechanical man-eating plant puppets.

Finally, don’t miss a unique recycled material sculpture trail around the zoo. Artist Michelle Reader has been making unique figurative sculptures from household waste since 1997.

These distinctive sculptures draw attention to environmental issues and encourage guests to consider how items they would normally throw away have the potential for creative re-use.

Her sculptures are often representations of the natural world – for example a jaguar made from satellite dishes and remote controls, a bumblebee with a gas mask for a face, or a bird with Venetian blind feathers and shelf brackets for a beak. Visitors can pick up their trail from the zoo’s Info Cabin and can even be in with a chance of winning an annual membership for a family of four to the 140-acre park, which is home to an incredible range of exotic and endangered species from ring-tailed lemurs to majestic giraffes, and curious meerkats, to stunning snow leopards.