The English Garden March 2024 - Sample Issue

THE

english

GARDEN MARCH 2024

For everyone who loves beautiful gardens

Make the most of seasonal

www.theenglishgarden.co.uk

The Best GARDENING COURSES in 2024

DAFFODILS

PAGE 103

SPRING CHEER 5

THE BEST EARLYFLOWERING ALPINES TO TRY

gardens to banish the winter blues

March ideas & inspiration ●

CAMELLIAS for colour now

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Stylish and practical SHEDS

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Norwell Nurseries’ SPECIAL plants

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CONTAINER gardening kit

£5.99

Crocus are the stars of spring at Hampshire’s Little Court – many of them descended from plantings by Patricia’s mother decades ago.

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Instant UPLIFT

The joys of spring have seldom been more in evidence than at Patricia Elkington’s naturalistic garden at Little Court in Hampshire, where bulbs and wildflowers combine to lift the spirits and raise a smile WORDS CONSTANCE CRAIG SMITH PHOTOGRAPHS ANNA OMIOTEK-TOTT

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A Life of ITS OWN At Bates Green Garden in East Sussex, the light of its late creator, talented plantswoman Carolyn McCutchan, shines on, her life’s work restored, replenished and revitalised by head gardener Emma Reece WORDS HELEN YEMM PHOTOGRAPHS MMGI/BENNET SMITH 40 THE ENGLISH GARDEN MARCH 2024

The Woodland Garden, with its contrasting clumps of shining black Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ and golden Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’.

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John Morley’s garden, where snowdrops thrive in woodland beds alongside hellebores and the evergreen fronds of polypodium ferns.

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What Friends

ARE FOR

The choice plants at John Morley’s garden at North Green Snowdrops in Suffolk result from his close collaboration with horticultural confidants such as Sir Cedric Morris and Primrose Warburg, and it’s now a living tribute to those passed WORDS VAL BOURNE PHOTOGRAPHS RICHARD BLOOM

DA F FO D I L S

The Golden HOUR Across the country a host of golden daffodils is emerging to greet us this month. A visit to flower farm Hortus Poeticus in Surrey, where these sunny spring blooms grow in abundance, gives us all the inspiration we need to celebrate the daffodil in all its glory WORDS & STYLING SELINA LAKE PHOTOGRAPHS SUSSIE BELL

GARDEN PARTY Celebrate spring by choosing a beautiful flower-filled spot to host a gathering around a table dressed with floral linens and vases of narcissi.

Photographed at Hortus Poeticus, hortuspoeticus.com MARCH 2024 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 87

DA F FO D I L S

Set and MATCH Add textiles decorated with daffodil designs to your garden table to elevate your theme: a linen tablecloth will set the base for styling your table. Place seasonal floral arrangements in the centre, cutting the stems short so your guests can easily chat over them. These gorgeous centrepieces were made with a mix of narcissi grown by Hortus Poeticus. Glasses and pale ceramics tie the flowers together along with the matching patterned napkins, while tortoiseshell cutlery adds a luxurious touch. Spring bulbs tablecloth, £125. Daffodil linen napkins, £18 each. Daffodil linen ruffle cushion cover, £60. All byhope.co.uk

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Shed Essentials

SHEDS

Whether you’re installing a new shed from scratch or upgrading an existing structure, there are plenty of ways to maximise its use and your enjoyment WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY

Sheds need not be an eyesore in the garden if they are integrated with the overall design. Shed painted in Yew Green and Tor Stone wood paint, £50/2.5L, thorndown.co.uk.

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