“We avoid plants which need too much molly-coddling” Kay Tudor from Atlantic Botanic Nursery “The secret to growing orchids is to keep it simple” Sara Rittershausen from Burnham Nurseries To have the chance to hear Sara Rittershausen talk about orchids is perhaps the nearest thing to having horticultural royalty in front of you. Sara is the third generation of her family to run Burnham Nurseries in Newton Abbot, which has the largest selection of orchid species and hybrids available the UK. She is a celebrated author on the subject and Sara Rittershausen: Early May runs a nursery which can is a good time to show orchids boast of 20 Gold Medals at Chelsea Flower Show. Her talk at Toby Buckland’s Garden Festival in May will she says: “be aimed at encouraging and inspiring more gardeners to grow orchids and care for them properly”. It will be a wonderful chance for festival visitors to share some of her vast knowledge on the subject built up not only from running the Devon nursery but from the skills learnt from her parents Brian and Wilma, the second generation owners and also well known authors on the subject. “I’ll have a whole range of orchids for people to look at and urge them to start with something straightforward such as Phalaenopsis. My message is that it is easy to grow orchids and the main point of the growing culture is to keep it simple and don’t make it too complex. “It will be lovely to show off varieties and talk through the orchid community of plants. At specialist orchid shows we take along perhaps more collectable plants not in flower but at Powderham I think the interest will be in showing orchids which are in flower and at the height of their beauty. I want to enthuse people about how diverse the orchid family is and again to re-assure those who are perhaps a little nervous about caring for orchids that it is mostly about creating the right sort of environment and then everything falls into place after that.” “Early May is a good time to show some of these wonderful plants in all their glory”. Sara Rittershausen runs Burnham Nurseries at Forches Cross, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 6PZ. Tel: 01626 352233
Don’t be fooled by the name. The Devon nursery run by Alan Godsmark and Kay Tudor may be called Atlantic Botanic but the inspiring range of plants they sell appeals to far more than just in coastal garden conditions. Kay will be speaking at the Powderham Castle festival about her passion for plants grown on a three and a half Kay Tudor and Alan Godsmark acre North Devon nursery that thrive on the coast. “Luckily some of the loveliest plants from around the world can thrive by the coast. South African perennials such as agapanthus, kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) and osteospermums are colourful, tough and we grow many which are hardy in the nursery and which I will have to show people.” The plants grown by Atlantic Botanic are often characterised as being drought tolerant, low maintenance and wind resistant – a combination which opens up the levels of interest in these plants to many more non coastal gardeners. Strong drying winds and poor sandy soil certainly typify coastal gardens and these are exactly the conditions on the sandy, salty and windy conditions close to the Braunton Burrows and Saunton Sands site where the couple opened for business four years ago this spring. “The festival comes at a really good time of year for us”, says Kay,”there will be so much colour and variety around.” Agapanthus will certainly feature in Kay’s talk at Powderham, as her enthusiasm for them is evident as they feature strongly in her CV. She is a qualified garden designer who worked alongside her partner Alan at RHS Rosemoor, has worked at Chelsea Flower Show and behind the scenes at BBC’s Gardeners’ World and then to gain more experience worked at Pine Cottage Nursery in Eggesford, holders of a National Collection of agapanthus. It was from here she obtained stock plants. Her coastal pedigree also extends to a period working at the famous Tresco Abbey Gardens on the Scillies. “Another group of plants we grow which work really well by the coast are ornamental grasses. They give a really relaxed ‘beachy’ look and move with the wind”. Kay will also be stressing the option of growing some of these spectacular plants in containers. Atlantic Botanic Nursery, Whitegates, Moor Lane, Braunton, North Devon EX33 2NU.
See the April issue to meet more guest nurserymen www.countrygardener.co.uk
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