Somerset Country Gardener April 2025

Somerset Issue No 219 APRIL 2025 FREE

www.countrygardener.co.uk

Doolally DAHLIAS! Why we adore these big blowsy, historic and colourful flowers PLUS:

Welcoming spring

Planting a native hedge

Gardening on a budget

Growing perfect tomatoes

Bougainvillea’s magic

Early season gardens for you to visit

Gardening news and events from all over Somerset

Planting Outdoor Living Cafe www.fonthill-lakeside.com

Fonthill Garden Centre

Lakeside Garden Centre

Call: 0117 932 3110

Call: 01985 217 413

Bath Road, Bitton, Bristol BS30 6HX

Crockerton, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 8AP

MART ROAD, MINEHEAD, SOMERSET TA24 5BJ

SPRING INTO ACTION • Summer Bedding has arrived, wide selection of packs and pots • Also Vegetable Plants & Herbs • Great choice of Perennials, Alpines & Roses

NEW RANGE OF TOP QUALITY TIMBER FURNITURE AND SHEDS • Special Offers on Selected Rattan Furniture

Relax in our cafe over Breakfast, Lunch or Coffee with Homemade Cake. Booking essential for our weekly Wednesday Roast.

PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING SERVICE

Find inspiration throughout the year on our Website, Facebook and Instagram OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK MON-SAT 9AM-5PM SUN 10AM-4PM T: 01643 703612 E: enquiries@wsgardencentre.co.uk

www.westsomersetgardencentre.co.uk 2

Country Gardener

Gardeners cuttings

CUTTINGS

in Somerset

A LOOK AT NEWS, EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS IN YOUR AREA CHILDREN’S ALLOTMENT HEADS UP GREAT SOMERSET NGS OPENINGS Two unusual Somerset gardens open for the National Garden Scheme in April, raising much needed funds for nursing and caring charities.

SKOOL BEANZ CHILDREN’S ALLOTMENT, Little Sammons Allotments, Chilthorne Domer, Somerset BA22 8RB opens for the National Garden Scheme on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April, between 2pm and 5pm each day.

Skool Beanz is a children’s gardening club run from their very own award winning No-Dig children’s allotment which has a huge dahlia bed, vegetable area, fruit trees, rainwater collecting station, ‘Muddy Buddy’ compost heap, quiet wildlife garden with a tiny pond, secret den, polytunnel, upcycled sculptures and plenty of seating.

Admission £3, children free. Homemade teas available, refreshments sold in aid of the local village, dogs allowed on short leads, and wheelchair access on the main path - woodchips on paths may be soft depending on weather. Also open 6th September.

THE YEO VALLEY ORGANIC GARDEN at Holt Farm, Bath Road, Blagdon, Somerset BS40 7SQ opens for the NGS on Thursday 10th April from 10am until 5pm, one of only a handful of ornamental gardens that is Soil Association accredited, there are 6½ acres of contemporary planting to explore, with quirky sculptures, thousands of bulbs, a ‘purple palace’, glorious meadow and posh vegetable patch. Admission £8, children free. Refreshments available, wheelchair access with some grass paths and some uneven, and plants for sale.

Find more gardens to visit across the counties Country Gardener covers on page 24 www.ngs.org.uk

NEW THRIVE APP AIDS WELLNESS Thrive, the gardening for health charity, has launched a new app aimed at getting more people reconnecting with health and nature.

It is the first gardening for health and wellbeing app on the market. It uses gardening and time in nature to improve people’s health based on proven research.

People living with health conditions or those who simply want to use green care to boost their wellbeing, can use the app to garden their way to better health.

It creates a wellbeing plan tailored to their gardening space and time. They don’t need to be an experienced gardener, any space will do whether it’s an indoor windowsill, a balcony or a garden.

It also tracks progress and reflects on their gardening for health journey with a diary and gentle motivation to keep engaged and on track. www.thrive.org.uk/app

DUNSTER CASTLE GETS READY FOR BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK Dunster Castle and Watermill in Somerset is set to host a special event on Wednesday, 2nd April when visitors will be given the chance to go behind the scenes at the castle for an experience day with the head gardener.

Ticket holders will be treated to an introductory talk, followed by a bespoke tour of the garden, including areas not typically open to the public. The day will conclude with a two-course lunch at the Watermill Tearoom. There will also be the opportunity to tour the nursery and participate in a compost and cuttings workshop.

James Cordingley, head gardener, said: “I’m delighted to welcome visitors for a garden experience day.”This event is a brilliant opportunity to step behind the scenes, pick up some gardening tips, and learn more about the 17 acres of garden we care for.”

The parkland is now open for exploration, with a new parkland trail allowing visitors to uncover architectural gems, spot plants and wildlife, and learn about the parkland’s history.

For those seeking adventure, there are self-led walks through tranquil woodland, the impressive folly called Conygar Tower, ancient woodland to Grabbist Hill, and views over the Bristol Channel and Exmoor from Bats Castle.

The castle garden will also be in full bloom, with magnolias, camellias, cherry blossoms, tulips, and bluebells all coming to life after winter.

Visitors can also join daily garden talks or explore the garden with a tree trail. The castle, gardens, the Stables Shop, Watermill Tearoom, parkland, and car park are open daily. Call 01643 821314 or email dunstercastle@nationaltrust.org.uk Dunster Castle, Dunster, near Minehead, Somerset TA24 6NY.

DOGS ACCESS NOW BEING TRIALLED AT RHS GARDEN ROSEMOOR The popular RHS Garden Rosemoor is trialling a new concept – dedicated dog-friendly days – at its gardens.

Dog-walking visitors will be welcome to bring their beloved pets into selected areas in the garden every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during the six month trial from March until 17th September.

Dogs will be allowed to explore the formal gardens, stream field, lakeside, arboretums, and woodlands with their owners.

Dogs will not be permitted in the children’s play areas, eateries, education centre, fruit and vegetable gardens, potager

April is the miracle month.

CHARLES LEE

garden or any lawns. All dogs must be on short leads which will be available on loan to those who arrive with long or extendable leads.

Rosemoor follows the number of comments about dog access on social media increasing threefold in the past year with over 70 per-cent of remarks in favour of more dog access at the gardens.

For six months, up to two dogs per adult will be welcomed to RHS Rosemoor from Monday through to Wednesday, with the toilets outside the main welcome building (nearest to the car parking) assigned specifically for use by dog walkers with their pets. Poo bags and water bowls will be offered on these days.

Assistance dogs will continue to have access every day and the gardens ‘no dogs in cars at any time’ policy will remain in place.

RHS Garden Rosemoor, Torrington EX38 8PH

A welcome to April with joy for the year. The winter has gone, the springtime is here.

PHOEBE HOLDER, AN APRIL SONG www.countrygardener.co.uk

3

Whether You Love to Lounge or Grow

Make This Spring Bloom!

Garden furniture for comfort, plants for joy – all in one place.

NEW season garden furniture is now in store!

Start enjoying your garden again with a stylish new garden furniture set, there’s something perfect right here for every budget, space and taste.

Your local Otter Garden Centres: TAUNTON Pen Elm Hill, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, TA2 6PE WINCANTON Bruton Road, Wincanton, BA9 8HA OTTERY ST MARY Gosford Road, Ottery St Mary, EX11 1LZ Also find us at JACK’S PATCH, PLYMOUTH, TORBAY & LYMINGTON

www.ottergardencentres.com

There’s nothing more rewarding than growing your own plants and vegetables at home.

Whether you’re nurturing fresh herbs on your patio, planting vibrant flower beds, or creating a thriving vegetable patch, growing your own brings a sense of achievement and joy.

CUTTINGS

SIGN UP PROMPTLY FOR GARDEN WASTE COLLECTION Somerset council has urged homeowners to sign up for the garden waste disposal service before the growing season really gets going.

Subscriptions can start any time and the quickest way to subscribe is online at the website below.

Collections are made fortnightly, apart from a short break during Christmas and New Year. Residents can either sign-up to a pre-paid 180-litre wheeled bin or 90-litre compostable paper sacks. The price of a wheeled bin subscription for 2024//25 is £68 for 25 collections and packs of ten garden waste sacks cost £33.60.

All garden waste stays in Somerset, going to one of several composting sites, including Dimmer and Walpole, where it is shredded, and turned into compost. The end-product is sold as revive soil conditioner through all recycling sites.

The simplest way to renew or start a subscription is online. However residents can also renew and subscribe on 0300 123 2224. Garden waste can also be taken to any one of Somerset’s 16 waste recycling sites. www.somerset.gov.uk/garden-waste-collections

SHUTTLE BUS OPERATES BETWEEN TWO OPEN GARDENS FOR THE NGS BROW COTTAGE An ingenious solution to getting visitors to two nearby gardens opening for the National Garden Scheme will operate when BROW COTTAGE, Seend Hill, Seend, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6RU opens on Sunday 13th April jointly with SEEND HOUSE, High Street, Seend, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6NR. A shuttle bus will run between the gardens which are opening between 1pm and 5pm.

The two properties are connected by a field footpath. Brow Cottage has a half acre contemporary cottage garden owned by a garden designer and created over the past 25 years, with many harmonious parts including lawns, well-stocked borders, topiary, potager, sunken pool garden, wildlife pond, short woodland walk, species bulb and wildflower lawn, and a canopied dining area.

Seend House is a Georgian house with six acres of gardens and paddocks and an amazing view across the valley to Salisbury Plain. Framed with yew and box, highlights include a cloud and rose garden, stream lavender, knot garden, a fountain with grass border, walled garden and formal borders. There is joint admission to both gardens at £8, children free. Homemade teas available, refreshments in aid of the Church of the Holy Cross, Seend, wheelchair access mainly to Brow Cottage and dogs allowed on short leads. www.ngs.org.uk

DOBBIES’ GARDEN CENTRE SET TO WORK WITH DEMENTIA CHARITY A Somerset garden centre has announced a new partnership with a charity. Dobbies’ Shepton Mallet store has pledged to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK. The partnership will see Dobbies highlight the benefits of garden living for brain health and raise funds for dementia research. Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer, with almost one million people currently living with the condition. David Robinson, chief exec of Dobbies Garden Centres, said: “When we were looking for a new charity partner that would be the right fit for us, and resonate with our customers, Alzheimer’s Research UK stood out as an ideal choice”. The partnership will launch in March 2025, with a year-round programme to educate on the impact of dementia and encourage donations to fund research.

Look out for our May issue of Country Gardener available on Saturday 26th April Find your nearest stockist www.countrygardener.co.auk/magazine/stockists www.countrygardener.co.uk

BUYING DIRECT FROM THE GROWERS! Growers Organics, the south west’s largest selection of Soil Association approved organic vegetable and herb plants has opened for another growing year!

Joa Grower, Growers Organics owner and head gardener said the nursery had seen such a large increase of customers in the last few years, that sometimes it could not keep up with demand. So, it needed some big decisions. “Should we put up more polytunnels and increase the size of our nursery or stop supplying other outlets with our organic vegetable plants and concentrate on our own outlets.

We went with the latter which feels good. We now have control of all plant sales which means we can make sure we have enough stock.”

Visit www.growersorganics.com and choose your vegetable plant selection online and have them delivered. Growers Organics also saw a large increase of new customers using their online services.

Joa explained; “Our website was very old and was struggling with the amount of orders. It has been specifically designed with our customers in mind. With the new site, the customer gets to choose the week they would like to receive their plants.”

Growers Organics regularly sell their organic plants at Totnes market every Friday and Saturday.

The nursery is located next to Bens Farm Shop in Yealmpton, Devon PL8 2LT and open seven days a week.

CHARITY ANNOUNCED DATES FOR BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT The leading wildlife charity, Butterfly Conservation, has revealed the dates of this year’s highly anticipated Big Butterfly Count, which will take place from 18th July to 10th August.

The event, which is now in its 16th year, attracts tens of thousands of people out into their gardens, local green spaces or the countryside to spend 15 minutes counting butterflies and helping to track trends and inform conservation action.

After declining numbers of butterflies resulted in the charity declaring a nationwide Butterfly Emergency last year, it’s more important than ever that people take part this year.

Last summer’s Big Butterfly Count results were alarming. Overall, participants spotted just seven butterflies on average per 15-minute count in 2024, a reduction of almost 50per-cent on 2023’s average of 12, and the lowest in the history of the Big Butterfly Count. It was also the worst summer in the count’s history for several popular species including Small Tortoiseshell and Common Blue.

5

Some like

it hot!

Bougainvilleas are a sensationally colourful plant, which many associate with the warmer climates of the Mediterranean but it is well worth the effort to try and grow them in the UK

In the Mediterranean, the wonderfully colourful bougainvilleas are a doddle to grow, but, here, they are divas that demand some serious tender love and care.

But boy are they worth growing!

In the Mediterranean, where they clad villas in falls of vivid cerise purple and fuchsia pink, bougainvillea is pure joy. In the UK, it can be grown on a smaller scale under cover and wheeled out to grace the terrace during the warm summer months.

In its native South America, this liana (climbing shrub) pulls itself up trees and other structures using the thorns on its stems as crampons. The colourful papery ‘flowers’ it is covered in during summer are in fact bracts; the true tiny flowers are nestled amongst the bracts and are often visible as white dots.

At their best, bougainvilleas bulge in masses of these weird and wonderful confetti bracts, like plants made of tissue paper.

In warm climes, the more vigorous vines are capable of scaling ten metres or more and remain evergreen.

Whereas, here in the UK, they won’t be as rampant and usually lose some or all their leaves in winter.

There are 17 species, with the most cultivated being Bougainvillea glabra and B. spectabilis, which both hail from Brazil; the hybrid B. x buttiana is also widely grown.

All three have fabulously gaudy bracts in shades of neon

magenta, but the 300 or so garden varieties include white, yellow, orange, lilac, red, and two-tone forms.

The more compact cultivars can be grown as houseplants, but the bigger bougainvilleas will coat the sunny wall of a conservatory in a curtain of colour. In good conditions, they should perform throughout summer and into autumn, cheering you with paper clouds of electric hot pink.

How to plant a bougainvillea In a greenhouse or conservatory, bougainvillea can be planted in beds, unless you want to enjoy it outside in summer, in which case a pot is better. The root run is deep, but some containment will enhance flowering, so beds or pots don’t need to be huge. You can add a bit of soil to greenhouse beds, if it isn’t very alkaline (bougainvilleas like slightly acid soil), but compost should make up half the mix or more to prevent waterlogging.

• Under cover: bougainvilleas must be grown under cover for most of the year, unless you have a sheltered garden. Compact varieties can be kept as houseplants. A heated greenhouse or a conservatory is ideal for the large forms; during the warm summer months, they can be placed outside in full sun.

• Moisture: the main mistake people make with bougainvillea is overwatering. It is drought tolerant

Credit for the bougainvillea As you move your bougainvillea plant outdoors for the sunny spring and summer weather, spare a thought for the young hardworking French woman who discovered this plant for the western world.

Exactly 250 years ago this year, in 1775, Jeanne Baret arrived back in France to become the first woman ever to have travelled around the world… but enroute, high in the hills over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, she had discovered a truly beautiful plant.

It hadn’t been the easiest journey and the plant was named after the captain of her ship, Captain Bougainville, to stop him from arresting her.

British journalist and author Sally Smith says she has uncovered the full story for her latest book, The Women Who Went Round the World, and says that while credit for the discovery of the bougainvillea has traditionally been given to French botanist Philibert Commerson, it is now without doubt that young Jeanne first found the plant.

6

Country Gardener

•

•

•

and prefers a slightly parched growing medium to excess water.

Food: feed during the growing season. In early spring, give a balanced liquid feed every fortnight. In late spring, swap it for a high-potash feed. Then, during summer, switch back to the balanced feed.

Support: provide a climbing structure or frame, such as canes or an obelisk for a small plant and wall wires or strong trellis for larger plants.

Pruning: tidy big plants with a trim in autumn, if need be, but do the main prune in February or March. Bougainvilleas flower on new wood, so the yearly haircut is important. The pruning routine is not dissimilar to that inflicted upon climbing roses: to begin with, focus on establishing a fan-shaped framework of a few strong stems – cut these back by three-quarters or more and discard the weaker stems.

Then, over the next few years, prune your main stems back by two-thirds to three-quarters and trim side shoots to one or two buds.

Remember bougainvilleas are toxic to dogs and cats and the woody stems are thorny, so wear gloves when handling bougainvillea.

Which bougainvillea to grow this summer •

‘Alexandra’ is a good variety with pink-purple bracts and reaches a decent size. Red-magenta ‘Barbara Karst’ is also excellent and a vigorous grower.

•

If you are racy enough to try one of the unusual colours, ‘California Gold’ is rich yellow and ‘Tomato Red’ is scarlet.

•

To enjoy bougainvillea as a houseplant, opt for a compact form, such as ‘Helen Johnson’ or ‘Vera Deep Purple’. Bougainvilleas can also be bought and trained as beautiful bonsai.

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7

READERS LETTERS

HAVE YOUR SAY...

A selection of readers letters sent to Country Gardener magazine. Write to us at editorial@countrygardener.co.uk and share your views, ideas and opinions

My mum refused to cook them

Memories of growing mangelwurzels The piece about growing mangelwurzels in your March issue brought back lots of memories of my grandparents, specially my grandfather who used to grow them every year in his allotment and garden at Ilminster. I remember them being big bushy plants with large roots. He grew them he said because they were so big and would provide plenty of meals. I think my grandmother wasn’t so keen.

She thought the cooked vegetable was very bland and took a long time to cook. I am not sure she said much about this as she didn’t want to hurt grandad’s feelings. He was very proud of them and always called them his Somerset vegetable.

Mangelwurzels (March Country Gardener) were always a constant source of rows with my parents. Dad grew them a lot and I have an image of him pushing his wheelbarrow full of the plants up the garden in autumn.

Mum refused I think to cook them and said they were only fit for pigs and animal fodder.

They certainly fell out of favour in our house and although they are easy to grow, saying they have an acquired taste is something of an understatement.

Samantha Willis Portishead

Eileen Oakes Ilminster

Why are gardeners suddenly so expensive to hire?

Wonderful early garden opening

I cannot manage my garden now due to arthritis and the only way is for me to pay for a gardener to do hard manual tasks of pruning, digging clearing but also I need someone who knows what they are doing in terms of tending my flower beds, roses and to some extent my greenhouse alpines.

I wonder if your readers have noticed how expensive good gardeners are now and especially it seems this spring.

According to my research, the average daily target income for a qualified gardener in the Cotswolds area I live in with four to ten years’ experience was £270 per day.

This increases to £300 per day for gardeners with over ten years’ experience.

Gardeners expect to work an average of eight chargeable hours per day. This suggests an hourly rate of up to £37.50 an hour. I have been offering £25 an hour and have had trouble finding any takers. Is this supply and demand or I have missed something?

I wanted to say how delightful it was last weekend to visit one of the first NGS gardens open of the new season. I took my family to Bere Mill near Whitchurch after seeing it featured in your magazine. It was a lovely garden on a very quiet and peaceful stretch of the River Test with lots of early spring bulbs either out or on their way out. It was all the more special because it was so very early in the season with all of the summer ahead of us. I am an avid gardener and love the NGS gardens we are allowed into and look forward to months of garden visits.

Annie Thorne sent by email

GET THOSE SEEDS SOAKED I have learnt a lot recently since I have started to use seeds exclusively. If you do, there is a handy little tip to help germinate seeds. However, done wrong and the seeds can drown. For a seed to germinate, it requires moisture. While seeds will germinate fine on their own, soaking them beforehand improves speed and success.

There are some tips to follow for successful germination. Firstly, never use boiling water. You should cover the seeds with warm water (preferably hot enough to still stick your finger in without burning yourself).

Use a clean container or a saucer for this.

Secondly, is the time you should leave seeds germinating. This is a controversial area, with different gardeners having different opinions. However, you should aim to soak your seeds overnight for the best results. Never leave them for more than 24 hours.

Once you’ve soaked seeds, they need to be planted straight away into moist soil. Letting seeds dry out after germination could stop them from growing! Only use enough water to ensure the seeds are covered. Don’t drown them in a swimming pool!

'Growing from seeds' see page 33 Mike Andrews Weston

StevenWatson Little Slaughter

Gertrude Jekyll- a remarkable gardener I have just finished reading Gertrude Jekyll’s book Colour in the Flower Garden and would recommend it to any gardener experienced or novice who is looking to bring something different into their garden. She really was a remarkable lady who designed and created 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and even the USA. An inspiration.

I love this quote of hers; ‘A garden is a grand teacher.

It teaches patience and careful watchfulness. It teaches industry and thrift, above all it teaches entire trust’.

Coffee grounds are a great fertiliser I gave a talk to my local gardening club recently and someone asked me about coffee grounds. I’ve been using them in the garden successfully for years. They have been the subject of a huge amount of anecdotal advice with mixed results for a wide variety of uses – as a slug, pest and animal deterrent, as a mulch, and as a fertiliser.

Coffee grounds are an excellent compost ingredient and are fine to apply directly onto the soil around most garden plants if used with care and moderation. Coffee grounds contain nutrients that plants use for growth. The grounds are relatively high in nitrogen and also contain potassium and phosphorus, as well as being a source of organic matter.

Peter Francombe Cheltenham 8

£37.50 an hour for gardeners?

Maggie Davison Gertrude Jekyll

Taunton

Happy with coir I bought some coir products last spring for the first time as I was looking for something different. They aren’t cheap but my experience is that they are a good new style compost and easy to use. I bought the bricks which you dissolve in water and the results in my greenhouse were a real insight. It’s nice to come across something new at my age (81 years!).

Arthur Winscombe Poole

Country Gardener

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9

The joy of gardening has no age limit The joy of gardening is universal and has no age limit, which is why Beauchamp House in Taunton has an expansive garden for the residents to continue pursuing their passion.

Getting outdoors has a host of benefits for our mental and physical health, so the residents enjoy planting bulbs and sowing seeds year-round. The activities team at Beauchamp House organise a range of clubs and sessions to bring the residents together to share their love of gardening to keep them happy, healthy and active.

Residents have formed a gardening club where they get together to grow their own flowers, fruit and vegetables in colourful pots and planters. They also have their own in-house Men’s Shed club which sees residents create a host of items including wooden flower planters, bird boxes and insect houses.

There is a team of gardeners who do all the general maintenance of the garden, meaning that the residents in our care can spend their time doing the bits they enjoy, with none of the gardening chores, like weeding and cutting the grass, tied in.

Gardening has a host of mental and physical benefits for everyone but it’s particularly beneficial as we get older.

These include: • Gardening involves a manageable amount of exercise – walking around the garden, digging the soil and sowing seeds, and watering plants.

• Improved mobility – Engaging in gardening requires some bending, reaching and stretching which can help improve flexibility and mobility.

• Getting outdoors boosts Vitamin D levels helping to maintain healthy bones as well as being a great mood booster.

• Social opportunities to connect with family and friends while chatting over shared interests.

•

Sense of accomplishment - The wonderful feeling of successfully growing plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables provides a huge boost to self-esteem and confidence.

The garden at Beauchamp House, set in the stunning Somerset countryside, has been designed to offer a sensory space for people living with dementia or sensory impairment. Scents from sweet peas, lavender and roses can stimulate memories, while touch can be stimulated through tree barks and grasses, and the residents can listen to host of sounds from bees and birds who visit the garden.

The garden features wide, flat walkways and raised flower beds to make them accessible to everyone, with raised flower beds and a communal allotment space to grow fruit and veg, and plenty of outdoor seating areas and benches to enjoy some quiet time. It’s also the perfect setting for the residents to enjoy a host of garden parties and barbecues to make the most of the sunnier weather, with friends and family always encouraged to join in the fun.

Scan the QR code to find out more, hear from residents and meet the Home Manager.

BEAUCHAMP HOUSE COUNTRY HOUSE CARE

A Care South home for residential and nursing care

Enjoy modern living in a beautiful country home Rated

9.9* out of 10 on carehome.co.uk

September 2022

Hatch Beauchamp | Taunton | Somerset | TA3 6SG 01823 589778 | care-south.co.uk Proud to be part of Care South, a not-for-profit charity and leading provider of residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as care at home services across the south of England. Registered Charity No. 1014697. * Correct at time of print.

10

Beauchamp House, which is part of the not-for-profit charity, Care South, provides specialist residential, respite, and nursing care. It features a dedicated activities team who organise a daily programme of events to bring residents together to socialise and build friendships.

Last year, the team celebrated the completion of two years of extensive refurbishment work on the historic Grade II Listed building. The home features a range of facilities for residents to enjoy including an onsite cafe, library, dining rooms, and a hair and nail salon. The care home also offers a choice of large communal lounges and smaller intimate spaces overlooking the landscaped garden for residents to enjoy some rest and relaxation or catch up with friends and family.

For more information about the care services available, go to care-south.co.uk or call Care South on 01202 712410.

Country Gardener

Crops to grow

to save money Growing your own vegetables and fruit can be very cheap, or even free, and therefore the crop is almost pure profit but it is vital to plan what you grow When cash is tight, growing your own fruit and vegetable is an empowering and rewarding way to stretch precious budgets that little bit further. But what are the highest value crops you can grow to save the most money?

Growing the right things at the right time is key to budget conscious gardening even on the smallest of scales.

Some crops, such as maincrop potatoes and onions are cheap to buy in shops most of the time, so growing your own will not save you a lot of money but runner beans, cherry tomatoes, courgette plants and leeks are extremely productive, so you’ll harvest generous amounts from a smallish space.

Salad leaf seeds are another good investment, as they grow fast and give useful crops from the tiniest patch, or a container.

Early and late crops are another good bet, as they crop when fresh veg and salads are at their priciest in the shops. ‘Exotic’ or unusual crops, such as mangetout peas, celeriac, golden courgettes or yellow tomatoes are expensive to buy, but easy to grow from seed.

Although crops such as peppers, chillies and aubergines do best in a greenhouse, they’ll grow well in tubs on a sunny, sheltered patio.

Here’s Country Gardener’s top money saving option to grow.

This is by no means a definitive list. It goes without saying you should concentrate on those fruits and vegetables you enjoy eating most but get smart and start swapping expensive buys with delicious garden-grown replacements. Look for plants that make the most of space, that crop prolifically or that have a superior taste you’d struggle to find in the supermarket without paying over the odds.

11 LEEKS Leeks are easy to grow from seed and a £4 packet of seeds will produce a sensational harvest in the autumn and winter. Leeks are notoriously expensive in the shops for most of the year, so they rank very highly on the cost savings stakes. They can also stay in the ground through frosts and can be picked when needed.

22 LEAFY GREENS Leafy greens such as chard and kale can give a steady supply of leaves for many months, making them very hard-working vegetables. While we’re always being told to ‘eat our greens’, sourcing field-fresh greens, without the wilt, isn’t easy. But with homegrown greens you’ll always be sure of fresh leaves to enjoy steamed, stewed or blitzed up into your morning smoothie.

33 LEAFY HERBS Packets of leafy herbs cost a small fortune in the shops because they are hard to store and don’t travel well. But gardeners don’t have to worry about any of that and can grow the likes of basil, parsley and coriander to harvest fresh, as needed. Leafy herbs take up very little room and grow profusely.

44 GARLIC Whereas onions are cheap to buy and take up quite a lot of space, garlic is relatively costly yet efficient on space. Softneck varieties of garlic store well too, making this crop ideal for spacing out the usefulness of a single harvest. Garlic is done by midsummer, leaving plenty of time to grow a follow-on crop that will bring further homegrown value to the dinner plate later on in the season.

55 SOFT FRUITS Soft fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries require careful handling and packaging to keep them blemish-free, which makes them often pricey. But grow these fuss-free fruits yourself and you can save the pennies while enjoying some of the tastiest fruits you’ll ever experience.

66 COURGETTES Courgettes are infamous for heavy cropping. The courgette’s versatility in the kitchen – used in everything from stir-fries to cakes – makes this one vegetable worth making room for.

77 CELERY Celery’s an important base ingredient to many soups, stews and salads. It makes this list thanks to its compact shape and the fact you can harvest it one stem at a time, meaning none of the waste associated with purchasing whole heads of celery. Selfblanching varieties are the easiest to grow.

88 QUICK-GROWING SALAD ADDITIONS Quick-growing salad toppers such as radishes, baby beets and spring onions offer prized pickings for the cost-conscious gardener, reaching harvest point in as little as four weeks. Make repeat sowings as you harvest, throughout the growing season, and a small patch of soil can yield a surprising weight of fresh produce. You can even grow them in gaps between slower maturing crops.

MORE ECONOMY TIPS Save your own seed Collect traditional non-F1 hybrid varieties, but only when they’re grown at least 250 yards away from other varieties of the same veg which might cross-pollinate them. Don’t save F1 hybrids.

Save part-used packets of seed Roll down the tops of the packets each time you use some, and store any left over at the end of the season. Don’t bother saving parsnip seed – they need to be bought fresh each season.

Sow seeds thinly and evenly Sow sparingly to make a packet of seeds go further. It also saves a lot of thinning out for direct-sown seeds, and means easier pricking-out when you sow in pots.

Mix small seeds such as carrots with sand if it helps to sprinkle them thinly.

Share seeds with friends or neighbours Give away or swap surplus veg seedlings among yourselves. This is ideal when each of you wants just a few plants of several varieties. Suggest the gardening club sets up a table so members can sell their spare plants. www.countrygardener.co.uk

11

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

JOBS IN THE APRIL GARDEN

This can be the cruelest month with sunshine but frosty mornings and nights so keep an eye on the weather April is often described as the most beautiful month of the year with bulbs, shrubs and alpines all bursting into bloom. These plants bring fantastic colour and scent to the garden. There is a variable weather pattern of sunshine and showers in April which is great for the flowers.

It is also a busy month but as the days length is longer, then there is plenty of time to enjoy your garden. It is one of the busiest times in the garden, but don’t panic,

1

take things one step at a time and you’ll get it all done. It’s important to take a few moments to sit in the sun, listen to the birds and plan your gardening.

April, as they also say, is the cruellest month with sun one minute and frosty mornings and bitter winds the next. In the garden tender young leaves are prone to frost burn and judging what to do when is tricky. It’s all a question of timing.

So, what can you sow this month

2

Sweet peas should be something of a priority and now is your last chance. Sow into deep pots or root trainers as they dislike any sort of disturbance. Or, you can look out for young plants in nurseries and garden centres.

Check whether they are grown for scent or for cutting. Some longer stemmed varieties may smell less strongly.

Also sow marigolds, petunias, nasturtiums, asters, zinnia and salvia indoors or in the greenhouse.

Outdoors you can sow native wildflowers and hardy annuals such as poppies and sunflowers.

3

For beautiful displays in the summer, plant hanging baskets now and grow them in a greenhouse. Fill your baskets with compost and add slow feed granules , to give your plants the best start, with six months’ worth of feed, for stronger roots and greener foliage. To reduce summer watering, add a deep plastic saucer to the bottom of the basket, to act as a reservoir.

It’s now all action on the veggie front

April should see the soil warming up and should now be warm enough for seeds to germinate so, once the nights begin to warm up find room for carrots, parsnips and beetroot.

Start sowing spinach and chard. These can go direct into the soil and will need to be watered well until they get going. Avoid letting them dry out or they might bolt.

Sow broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts for winter. Sow individual seeds into modules and leave to germinate either in the green house or a windowsill. They should appear within a couple of weeks.

Once they have reached about four inches they can be hardened off and then planted outside.

Sow runner and French beans two to a small pot indoors or under glass. Keep the soil moist and they should soon germinate.

Potatoes need to be planted this month. New potatoes go in early to mid April. Maincrops follow in the second half of the month but exactly when you plant your potatoes will depend on local conditions. The key is to avoid emerging foliage being burned by frost. New potatoes (also known as First and Second Earlies) should be spaced a foot apart.

5

Keep sowing those tomatoes

You can sow tomato seeds through to the end of April. Keep young plants protected from the cold. Tomatoes grow quite quickly, so will need potting-on several times. Once the last frost has passed (hopefully by now) you can plant them out. Once the first flowers form, feed with liquid tomato food which is packed with the essential nutrients your tomatoes need to thrive!

12

4

More April garden jobs

• Keep azaleas and rhododendrons looking good by pinching off fading flower heads above a new set of leaves.

• Deadhead early flowering primulas as early as possible, as they tend to cross-breed very easily.

• Early April is your last opportunity to hard-prune late-flowering shrubs.

• Stake your perennials before it’s too late. Create attractive willow or hazel structures.

• Remove pure green branches from variegated shrubs, such as elaegnus, privet and euonymus – cut them right back to the main stem with secateurs.

• Start spraying roses using an organic-approved garlic formula; the key is to start early and spray often.

6

Plant hanging baskets

Country Gardener

Time to plant dahlia tubers Bringing dahlias in for the winter doesn’t just protect them against frost.

It also allows them to dry out properly, and helps you bring them on a bit earlier. They’re now ready to be planted so it’s time to look ahead to get things right for later in the season.

Give tubers a sprinkling of water in early spring, and they’ll start to produce young shoots in April.

Dig a planting hole, making sure it isn’t too deep. The shoots are still delicate, and you don’t want to damage them.

Gently pour coarse sand over the tubers; this prevents them from rotting and it’s also a great slug repellent.

Backfill with soil and add a ring of sand to mark the planting spot.

READER’S STORY

7

Supporting role for your fast growing plants

Climbing plants head skywards as temperatures rise. Some, such as passion flowers, are masters of clinging on, using tendrils to firmly attach to supports. Others such as climbing roses and honeysuckle may need a little bit of help, especially if conditions are windy. Use garden twine or string to anchor new growth to supports. Installing trellis can help, too. Obelisks offer shelter and support for climbers while looking ornamental in borders.

In an ideal world one would only grow a handful of plants that need support, but in small gardens and where plants are drawn up to reach for light, this will be necessary. Hazel twigs are excellent, but steel hoops are most easily installed.

Make wigwams for sweet peas and climbing beans.

It is early in the season but fruit needs attention.

To avoid risk of infection, stone fruits such as plum, cherry, peach, nectarine and apricot should only be pruned during the growing season. Prune late April, when the plants are in leaf and after flowering. Immediately seal all cuts greater than one centimetre with wound seal.

Repot your citrus in fresh citrus-specific compost. If you can’t find this, ericaceous is the next best thing.

Top dress blueberries grown in pots with ericaceous compost. It’s important to have two different varieties of blueberries to get good production – they will fruit without, but you’ll get a paltry quantity.

All soft fruits, for example strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, and gooseberries, will benefit from a mulch. Garden compost, leaf mould, organic manure, straw, hay and spent mushroom compost can all be used.

8

Jack Stephenson retired two years ago and spends more time gardening and now appreciates the changes in the seasons and especially the joy of welcoming spring

Re-energise your garden soil

It is tempting to get sowing and growing but there is one important task still this early in the season.

It’s one of the oldest clichés in gardening: the answer lies in the soil. And as all good gardeners know, it’s true! Improving soil now will pay dividends come summer, resulting in bigger crops and more flowers. Buy sacks of well-rotted manure and dig or fork it into border soil and vegetable patches (don’t let manure meet stems of shrubs and plants). If you don’t have access to manure, the contents of your compost bin can work wonders. Open the access hatch at the bottom and if the material inside is brown and crumbly, it’s a nutrient-rich wonder that’s ready to be dug into soil.

9

Sweet peppers are a must in any greenhouse

If you have a greenhouse, sweet peppers are a must.

They’re one of the easiest crops to grow and have a multitude of uses in the kitchen – adding flavour and crunch to stir fries, summer salads and fajitas.

Red, green and yellow varieties are commonly available. Seeds should be sown as soon as possible this month, placing seed trays or pots in a propagator at around 20°C. Once the first pair of leaves have formed, seedlings should be prickedout into pots. Sweet peppers thrive under glass.

10

‘Fingers crossed we’ve made it through another winter!’

It’s time for a new start for your houseplants

As light levels increase and temperatures rise, houseplants put on new growth. Increase watering and start liquid feeding – general purpose feeds such as Baby Bio cater for a broad spectrum of houseplants, while specific feeds are available for orchids and citrus.

If a houseplant looks unhappy and has been in its pot for two or more years, it may need to be re-potted (roots bursting from drainage holes at the bottom of the pot are a tell-tale sign). Choose a slightly larger pot and fill with houseplant or loam-based compost. Never use houseplant compost for orchids though, which need an open, bark-based orchid compost that allows air to reach the roots.

“What about the joy of coming out of winter and into spring?”

Every early spring there is a day or two which changes everything.

The sun comes out with real some real warmth and in an instance, it is possible to properly look ahead and forget the dark bleak days of winter.

Of course, there will still be cold, wet days to come-often right through to April and beyond -but that first day or two of sunshine and warmth means so much to gardeners like myself.

It’s a sign to get ready.

There is something about getting the sun on your back and warmth on to your shoulders that makes me impatient and keen to get myself clearing up, sowing, digging , raking and potting.

It is of course about being reminded what a warm spring day feels like. But getting into March we all think perhaps that there’s hopefully not much more winter is ready to throw at us with any long, cold spells.

Fingers crossed we’ve made it through another winter.

Two years ago I finally decided to retire from my small but successful estate agents’ business in north Devon. It took a while but I was able to sell it. I had always planned to spend more time on my long-term passion -gardening on our almost two-acre plot by the coast.

Hard work in a business and gardening doesn’t always go together and most gardening seasons I was always behind, slow to get things done early and never able to catch up. It was frustrating and something I always felt sad about.

Being out of doors in all weathers has always appealed to both myself and my wife whether its walking or pottering about in the garden on cold dry days.

Which brings me to finally the main point of me writing to your excellent magazine.

It is to me all about appreciating the changing seasons in England, how different they are, what each has to offer, how we need to find things to love and appreciate and what each one really means to someone who gardens a lot.

After two years in retirement, I am so much more aware of it.

I have family who now live in Cyprus and who moved there a few years ago now. They have become successful expats, soaking up the sunshine and the outdoor way of life. We are always being offered the chance to join them.

‘There’s over 320 days of sunshine here’ is the regular claim as if that was all that mattered in life!

Then there are friends living in the sunshine state of California who seem proud of great weather. England, they say is cold and wet.

But what about the seasons and what each one offers? What about the joy of coming out of winter and into spring, the beauty of summer, my favourite season the autumn and yes it can be tough but we can all find something to love and hate about the winter. It can be a trial and it can be long but it makes spring all the more special. I have no desire to live where the garden and the countryside and the weather doesn’t change dramatically.

The changing seasons have become a poetic journey for me in retirement.

As spring approaches, I look forward to seeing how Devon goes into another transformation, taking off its winter coat and blossoming into a display of colours.

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GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

FINALLY, THE GARDENS

are open!

We can finally be confident that April spells an end to winter and the beginning of a new gardening season packed with exciting visits, days out and things to do.

Plant fair follows on from Forde Abbey tulip displays Packed with inspiration and ideas for the popular Forde Abbey will be a plant and gardening fair on Saturday 5th April. There will be some fantastic specialist nurseries from the southwest selling plants and excellent craftsmen with brilliant and beautiful gardening sundries from 10.30am to 3pm.

The growers are happy to chat about their plants and offer their expertise and share their enthusiasm, so do come along to see what you can add to your own garden for a splash of colour this spring – or just admire the beautiful plants on show!

The fair takes place at the beginning of the popular tulip display, a lovely time to see the garden waking up from its winter hibernation.

The in-house plant nursery is also open from 10.30am to 5.pm and it is fully stocked with spring bulbs and a diverse range of herbaceous perennials, many rare and unusual. The gardens will remain open until 5pm (last entry at 3pm).

A reduced entry fee of £5 to the Plant & Gardening Fair, including admission to Forde Abbey’s 30-acre gardens. Parking is free as is entry to Forde Abbey and Historic House Members.

Forde Abbey Estate, Chard TA20 4LU

There are often some false starts to the end of spring but now we are ready to enjoy April, the end of winter and the start of what is the proper gardening season is with us.

We can all see our own gardens start to come to life and that’s the signal for a whole range of gardening events to enjoy from spectacular west country garden spring displays to plant fairs , shows and many gardens to visit, Many private gardens have new season offerings with tulips displays at some venues a particular favourite. Magnolias and displays of spring blossom are also on the list of much-loved displays It’s been a long wait so we are delighted to offer you some ideas of ways to get yourself back into the swing of gardening themed visits with some great days out.

Spring treat for the whole family at Lukesland A real hidden gem – we’ll be back!’ ‘What a glorious, tranquil place – divine plants’ ‘Yummy cakes!’ Planted by a tumbling stream in a peaceful Dartmoor valley just north of Ivybridge, Lukesland Gardens’ fine collection of camellias, magnolias, and rhododendrons will be a blaze of colour for Easter this year. Just five minutes’ drive from the A38 you will find yourself suddenly transported into another world of exotic plants and wonderful bird song. With its popular tea room, serving home-made soup and cakes, an exhibition of prints by local artist Louise Scammel, and a fun children’s trail, these 24-acre gardens have something for everyone. Parking is free and your dogs are welcome on a lead. Lukesland Gardens are open 11am to 5pm on Sundays, Wednesdays and Bank Holiday afternoons (including Good Friday) until 12th June.

26th April date for Hardy Plant Society plant sale Hardy Plant Society Somerset Group’s Annual Plant Sale will take place at Monkton Heathfield Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, Taunton TA2 8NE on Saturday 26th, April from 10am to 12.30pm. The village hall is half a mile from Monkton Elm Garden Centre. Admission is £1 on the door, there is free parking on site and refreshments for sale. There will be a large selection of quality hardy plants (many perennials) grown by our members at reasonable prices, including some unusual varieties. There will also be some specialist nursery stalls present, so a great opportunity to find some interesting plants.

Bath & West App helps plan your day The Royal Bath & West Show is introducing an App for the threeday event held between May 29th and 31st to enhance visitors’ show experience. With full timetable information and a feature to create your own line up of favourite attractions, the App will make sure you don’t miss those demonstrations and exhibits you really want to see! It will be released in April, so keep visiting the Bath & West Show website and social media channels to be amongst the first to download it.

Advanced rate tickets are available until 28th May, for prices and to book yours visit www.bathandwest.com

Garden and country fair kicks off big events at Bishop’s palace The Bishop’s Palace Garden and Country Fair kicks off ‘ a series of big summer events for this year at The Bishop’s Palace in Wells.

Set within the breathtaking 14-acre RHS partner gardens, the fair is a celebration of all things garden and country. Whether you’re a passionate gardener, a nature enthusiast, or simply looking for a fantastic family day out, the fair offers something for everyone.

Adult tickets are £16 with children £8.

Another of the early summer events takes place on 14th and 5th June with History Live! where you can step back in time and experience history brought to life at History Live 2025, a weekend filled with demonstrations, captivating displays, and unforgettable experiences.

Set within the stunning surroundings of The Bishop’s Palace, this event is perfect for history lovers.

For more details go to www.lukesland.co.uk or phone 07906480362 Lukesland House, Ivybridge PL21 0JF

The Walled Gardens of Cannington offers classic and modern features This is an RHS partner garden with a Grade 1 listed medieval priory backdrop. A mix of classic and modern features, including a ‘hot’ border, sub-tropical walk, blue garden, Mediterranean garden, shade border, Southern hemisphere and a winter garden. Home to Somerset’s only botanical glasshouse, featuring hundreds of different species from around the world such as the magnificent jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys). There’s also a gift shop, tearoom, and specialist plant nursery; plants are propagated on-site and sold at great prices! Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm/4pm/5pm (seasonal), year-round excluding two weeks at Christmas. Last admission to the gardens is one hour before closure.

The Walled Gardens holds a variety of events and special offers throughout the year suitable for all age groups. Please check out the website for further information.

Church Street, Cannington TA5 2HA Tel: 01278 655042 Email: walledgardens@btc.ac.uk

Two-day West Kington spring plant sale One of the most popular plant sales in the Cotswolds returns on Saturday, 26th and Sunday, 27th April when West Kington Nurseries hold their massive plant sale. Entry over the two-day event is free and visitors will have the chance to wander over the five-acre site of the nursery which promises to be bursting with plants.

Catalogues for the sale are sold in aid of local charities.

Call 01249 782822 or visit www.wknurseries.co.uk for more information.

West Kington Nurseries, West Kington, Chippenham SN14 7JQ

The Bishops Palace, Wells BA5 2PD 14

Country Gardener

24 acres of Rare Shrubs, Trees, Pools & Waterfalls Home-made soups & cakes Sunday 16th March to Sunday 8th June, Suns, Weds, Bank Holidays 11am - 5pm

Harford Ivybridge PL21 0JF Tel 01752 691749

www.lukesland.co.uk

WELL BEHAVED DOGS ON LEADS WELCOME

A world of exotic plants

Nestled in the heart of North Devon, Marwood Hill Garden is a hidden gem

at Overbeck’s Garden

Home to four National Plant Heritage collections, this private valley garden spans over 20-acres and showcases three stunning lakes, rare trees & shrubs, and colourful surprises throughout each season. Not only a haven for wildlife, the garden is also the perfect environment to explore and be inspired.

© National Trust 2025. Registered Charity no. 205846. © National Trust Images/Jason Ingram

Tea Room & Walled Garden Nursery

Discover a subtropical paradise, tucked into the cliffs above Salcombe.

Explore the gardens and surrounding coastal walks, farmland and woods.

Dogs on short leads are welcome.

Enjoy a day of inspirational and relaxation for the whole family.

Catch up over coffee and homemade cake or a cream tea in the picturesque Garden Tea Room or take a bit of Marwood magic home with you from our Walled Garden Nursery and Plant Sales.

Sharpitor, Salcombe, Devon, TQ8 8LW nationaltrust.org.uk/overbecks-garden

© Matthew Bruce

Enquiries & Tea Room 01271 342528 Plant Sales & Nursery 01271 342577 e info@marwoodhillgarden.co.uk w marwoodhillgarden.co.uk Marwood Hill Gardens, Marwood, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 4EA

Visit a tulip garden and enjoy these brilliant jewels of spring Find a garden open near you: ngs.org.uk

Hartland Abbey & Gardens Bluebell Sunday 13th April and Easter Fun 20th & 21st April Film location for Enid Blyton’s ‘Malory Towers’ & ‘The Salt Path’ Visit this stunning family home in the Easter holidays with its fascinating collections, exhibitions, walled and woodland gardens and wildflower walks to the beach. * Dogs welcome * Holiday Cottages * * Delicious light lunches & cream teas * House, Gardens etc open until 2nd October Sunday to Thursday plus Good Friday 11am - 5pm (House 2pm - 5pm last adm 3.45pm)

For more information and special events see www.hartlandabbey.com Hartland, Nr. Bideford EX39 6DT 01237441496/234 www.countrygardener.co.uk

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GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

Life among trees - springtime at Westonbirt As spring arrives, Westonbirt, The National Arboretum comes alive with vibrant new life. The warmer spring days bring the emergence of many forms of new life, from tree buds bursting into flower to the sound of songbirds and sights of newborn wildlife.

Why not discover more about this living masterpiece and what Westonbirt’s team are doing to encourage 100’s of species to thrive? Join one of Westonbirt’s guided spring walks or family-friendly events and immerse yourself in the beauty of this biodiverse haven.

Plan your visit at Forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/spring-westonbirt-arboretum

Little Malvern Court ready with its sensational colour The picturesque gardens at Little Malvern Court sit below the wooded slopes of the Malvern Hills, with far-reaching views across the Severn Valley to the Bredon Hill and the Cotswolds. Features to look out for in May include the beautiful pots of tulips, grouped according to colour, surrounding the house. The varied flowering cherries and crab apple trees will be in blossom. Wildflowers begin to appear in the grass banks and lovely blue camassias pop up in the tall grass of the meadow. In the rose garden, alliums literally burst into flower and the early roses start to open.

There are cedar trees, planted from seeds brought back from the Holy Land by Charles Michael Berington. The chain of lakes, formerly fish ponds for the monks, follow the layout from a plan dated 1720 and, like much of the garden, were restored in the 1980’s.

Little Malvern Court & Gardens Little Malvern WR14 4JN Tel: 07856 035599 www.littlemalverncourt.co.uk

Wonderful colour returns to Marwood April heralds the arrival of the extensive collection of magnolias and camellias which will be flowering in the gardens. Early April sees the deep pinkish-purple flowers of magnificent Magnolia ‘Marwood Spring’ bursting open just below the tea-room; it can’t be missed! and is part of the Marwood Heritage Collection.

Well over eighty camellia plants are in a big greenhouse in the walled garden and are a riot of colour at this time of year. Elsewhere in the garden large camellia plants are in full blossom and an area at the top of the garden has been planted over the last 16 years where an avenue of nearly 100 forms creates an avenue of contrasting colour. Did you know Marwood is an International Camellia Society Garden of Excellence too?!

The scree garden just below the walled garden looks wonderful this month with masses of dwarf specie tulips forming a carpet of glowing colour.

All around the garden daffodils are naturalised in the grass below the spring display of glistening white cherry blossom.

Lastly Marwood’s tearoom is a great stop for something to eat and refresh on your walk around and the final stop must be plant sales, where there are some really unusual plants for sale.

Rare Plant Fair returms to Quenington in April The season of Rare Plant Fairs continues in April with the long-standing event at The Old Rectory at Quenington, near Cirencester, on Sunday, April 13th, from 11amto pm, in support of Cobalt Health.

A great selection of specialist nurseries will be attending the Fair, all of whom are experts in the plants that they grow. There will be a wide range of interesting and unusual plants for sale, including choice on a great selection of unusual shrubs, all accompanied by the expert advice that you need to select and grow the right plants for your garden.

There are 13 fairs this year. Visit the website at www.rareplantfair.co.uk for full details of all the events, including lists of the exhibitors attending.

Marwood Hill Gardens, Nr Guineaford, Barnstaple, North Devon EX31 4EA Tel: 01271 342 528 Email: info@marwoodhillgarden.co.uk www.marwoodhillgarden.co.uk

SCAN HERE

29 - 31 MAY 2025 DISCOVER MORE AT THE ROYAL BATH & WEST SHOW Book your tickets now: bathandwest.com/tickets

16

Country Gardener

Little Malvern Court Nr Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 4JN

Garden open Wednesday & Thursday afternoons 2.00pm to 5.00pm from 16th April to 12th July

07856 035599 www.littlemalverncourt.co.uk

PHOTO: MARCUS HARPUR

House tours to be prebooked, please see website for further details & to book.

Come and visit our RHS partner garden. Enjoy light bites and refreshments in our Tea Room, buy plants from our Nursery, or simply explore the beautiful gardens. The Walled Gardens holds a variety of events and special offers throughout the year suitable for all age groups.

Scan the QR code to check our website for more information.

forestryengland.uk/westonbirt

walledgardens@btc.ac.uk

April Fair 13th April The Old Rectory, Quenington, Nr. Cirencester, GL7 5BN in support of

www.rareplantfair.co.uk Please visit our website for full details of admission fees and times of opening.

MASSIVE PLANT SALE! Open to the public

26 & 27th April 2025 th

SATURDAY 9AM-5PM SUNDAY 10AM-4PM Follow the yellow signs from the A420 FREE ENTRY

Over 5 Acres of plants • Refreshments • Catalogues sold in aid of local charities

01249 782822 www.wknurseries.co.uk West Kington, Nr Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 7JQ www.countrygardener.co.uk

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New for 2025!

The Garden and Country Fair at The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens, Wells A celebration of all things garden and country for all the family!

Come and explore the petting farm, craft and plant stalls, craft demonstrations, havea-go activities, baking competitions, dog show, circus performers, speaker’s tent and live music.

Scan the QR code for more info:

Saturday 10 May, 9.30am – 7pm Tickets at:

www.bishopspalace.org.uk

Adam Frost (Friday)

Carol Klein (Sat & Sun)

Arit Anderson (Saturday)

Garden inspiration + Plants and garden shopping Hillier Experience + BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Stage Top Experts + NEW Spring Table demos + NEW In Conversation With stage Plant Expert Tours + Bandstand + VIP Extra + NEW Masterclasses Good Food Market + Beaulieu’s visitor attractions

at Beaulieu, Hampshire 2-4 May 2025

BOOK NOW

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Book tickets at bbcgardenersworldfair.com Not all experts appear on all days, check website for details. Transaction fee applies per advance booking. Details correct at time of print. £3.95 transaction fee per advance order. The Gardeners’ World logo is a trademark of the BBC. © BBC. The Good Food trademark is used under licence from Immediate Media Company London Limited. Organised by Immediate Live (trading name of River Street Events Ltd).

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Country Gardener

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GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

April at Hartland Abbey

The NGS- all things bright and beautiful.

April is a wonderful month for visiting Hartland Abbey with wild garlic, bluebells and primroses everywhere and the emergence of azaleas and rhododendrons in the woodland walks, tulips and narcissi in the Walled Gardens. This year Easter falls at prime bluebell time, carpeting the walks from the Walled Gardens to the sea at Blackpool Mill. Bluebell Sunday on 13th April is a lovely time to visit at a reduced entry rate. Easter bunny hunts on Easter Sunday and Monday are great fun for families who will also be able to search out their favourite ‘Malory Towers’ locations!

Hartland abbey, Stoke, Bideford EX39 6DT

Enchanting riverside gardens an extra temptation at Kelmscott Manor Kelmscott Manor was the iconic country home of William Morris; father of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Today, visitors will find an outstanding collection which spans over 300 years and reflects the lives, ideas, and creative legacy of those who lived and stayed there.

The domestic charm and ambience of the house is still retained and having influenced Pre-Raphaelite art and design and the Arts & Crafts Movement, its legacy still very much treasured today.

Kelmscott Manor also boasts enchanting riverside gardens and the River Thames is located just a few hundred yards away.

For more information visit kelmscottmanor.org.uk Tel: 01367 252486 Kelmscott Manor, Kelmscott, Lechlade GL7 3HJ

If you’re a lover of all things bright and beautiful then there’s no better place to look than the gardens opening with the National Garden Scheme full of daffodils for those wonderful golden moments this spring. There are a host of lovely gardens opening over the long Easter weekend too, a wonderful time to get together with family and friends and to explore the great outdoors – and children go free in most gardens. What could be better than an affordable day out in a beautiful garden – and perhaps a slice of delicious home-made cake!

Find a garden open near you: ngs.org.uk

A springtime oasis at Overbeck’s Garden This spring, why not make it a priority to visit National Trust Overbeck’s Garden, terraced into the cliffs above Salcombe, South Devon. Escape into a world of vibrant blooms and exotic subtropical plants set against stunning views of the Salcombe estuary.

Meander tranquil pathways, framed by tall palms, with glimpses of the sea at every turn. This unique coastal setting is the perfect backdrop for a leisurely exploration. For those seeking a more active adventure, the South West Coast Path beckons, with scenic walks directly from Overbeck’s to Bolt Head and beyond.

Don’t miss the opportunity to join a guided garden tour on Wednesdays at 2pm (pre-booking essential), where you’ll delve into the secrets of Overbeck’s rare plant collection. For 2025 season, dogs are welcome on short leads and with parking available and refreshments to enjoy, Overbeck’s Garden promises an unforgettable springtime retreat. Open Sundays to Thursdays 10.30am – 4.30pm. TQ8 8LW

Be part of the world’s leading cultivated plant conservation charity Something for everyone interested in plants and their conservation: • talks and celebrity lectures, plant fairs, garden visits, • plant exchanges, propagation & social events.

Hampshire & IoW Group

GRAND PLANT FAIR Mon 5th May 2025 10am - 4pm

at Longstock Park Nursery Nr. Stockbridge SO20 6EH

Join online at www.plantheritage.com, or at our May Plant Fair and we will refund your admission. www.countrygardener.co.uk

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READER’S STORY

Blowsy AND brash BUT I JUST ADORE dahlias Mary Clarke shares what she admits is a totally out of control love of dahlias in their many forms which have captivated her since she was a student

Why do I love dahlias?

They are a little doolally aren’t they?

Blowsy, often very big and brash, crazy colours, and sometimes odd-looking flowers. The foliage is lush and loved by slugs, yet they drive dahlia lovers like me wild with desire at times.

Near me in Dorset we see in autumn whole front gardens full of dahlias, crazy mixtures of colours and shapes.

There are getting on for 18,000 RHS registered varieties of all shapes and designs. I don’t love them all and some I actively dislike but there are plenty left for me to love.

I studied horticulture at Shuttleworth College in Bedfordshire and had a solid grounding in growing and the plant world and one thing stood out were dahlias and that’s where the love affair started.

It wasn’t for any single reason. I found the story of dahlias romantic and spellbinding.

I loved the different varieties.

I loved the fact that they were at their best in the autumn my favourite time of year.

I’ve been growing them ever since. My garden is full of them. I grow them in cut flower beds and a decorate the house with them.

I guess I grow all sorts that doesn’t make it boring.

I must also admit to loving the history of the dahlia which is tied up in romance, travel and adventure.

So, here’s my history lesson.

Little is known about the dahlia before the time of the Aztecs. It is believed that they used parts of the dahlia for food and medicine. The root was bitter- a cross between a radish and chicory.

Today, this flower remains the National Flower of Mexico where its great beauty was first discovered by these mighty Aztec Indians.

They grew hundreds of varieties of dahlias and used them for medicinal purposes.

The next time dahlias appear in history is 1789, when the director of the Botanical Garden at Mexico City sent plant parts to Antonio Jose Cavarilles, who worked at the Royal Gardens of Madrid in Spain. From these he grew three new plant forms, Dahlia pinnata, D. rosea, and D. coccinea. He named the genus after Andreas Dahl, a Swedish botanist.

Seed and plant parts from these dahlias were sent throughout Europe beginning in the early 1800s and the first fully double forms began to make their appearance, as did many new colour combinations.

It was during this time that the scarlet Dahlia coccinea was crossed with a mauve-flowered species, possibly D. pinnata, which ultimately resulted in the first modern dahlia hybrid. This was easy to grow and hybridise so they quickly became very popular in European and American gardens.

Through the 1800s and 1900s, thousands of new forms were developed, with 14,000 cultivars recognised by 1936, 20

Country Gardener

and in the past century nearly 50,000 named varieties have been listed. All these dahlia forms were hybridized from at least two, and possibly all three, of the original dahlia species from Mexico.

After 200 years of culture, selective breeding, and hybridizing, today’s dahlia has one of the largest variations of forms, colours, and sizes of any flower grown. More dahlia hybridizers are active now than at any other time in history, which means a constant addition of varieties each year.

The story of how Empress Josephine became the champion of the dahlia flower in Europe is an interesting one. According to Andrew Smith, as the 18th century came to an end, the Spanish were entrenched in Mexico and they had a monopoly on a particular dye that was uniquely found in Mexico in the Mexican carmine grana insect. The female dried insects were used to make an intense red dye known as cochineal.

At this time, French tapestry and fabrics were well known for their craftsmanship all over Europe, and the French needed this intense red dye to enhance their fabric.

As the French got tired of relying on the Spanish to supply them with this red dye, the French Minister to Mexico decided to smuggle a few of the carmine grana insects to France. Along with this shipment of insects inadvertently came a large batch of dahlia tubers. When this shipment arrived in France, the insects had died but the dahlia tubers survived.

But the French Minister turned this disaster into an opportunity. He offered the dahlia tubers to Empress Josephine, Napoleon Bonaparte’s Queen at the time.

Empress Josephine was an avid gardener. She had a life long love of flowers from a young age and grew an extensive array of plants and flowers. Under her expertise, the dahlia tubers thrived and bloomed prolifically, and soon became the envy of everyone. But she guarded these dahlia plants and wanted them to be exclusively hers.

Eventually a Polish count who was visiting her home bribed a lady in waiting and one of the gardeners to dig up over 100 dahlia plants and took them back with him to propagate. Empress Josephine was so angry at this thievery and at the loss of dahlias and her exclusivity that she ordered all the remainder of the dahlia tubers to be dug up and ground into mulch.

Soon after her death at the age of 51, Josephine’s dahlias became more common and a popular plant in Germany.

By 1826, over 60 varieties were recorded.

It is the British however who embraced the dahlia and took it to the next level of popularity. Dahlias worked perfectly within the flamboyant Victorian style of gardening and gardeners started using them extensively in English landscapes. The dahlia became the flower of the nation – at least by numbers. They have dipped in and out of fashion but today it is still the variety which I think drives the passion and devotion of growers.

That’s my excuse anyway!

Growing truly great

tomatoes

My tomatoes always seem to be slow to get going in the summer months and that means late summer rather than early summer fruit. I grow them in a sheltered sunny position against a wall.

Before planting it’s important to acclimatize tomato seedlings to the great outdoors over a period of about a week or two. This process, known as ‘hardening off’, ensures they aren’t shocked by too much sun, wind and cooler temperatures all at once. Once temperatures are reliably well above freezing in your garden, pop your tomato seedlings outside somewhere sheltered for a few hours each day. Leave them out for increasingly longer periods as planting time approaches.

If you don’t have the time, space or inclination to grow plants from seed, most plant nurseries and garden centres offer a solid selection. Inspect plants before buying – they should look strong, sturdy and, crucially, green, free of any discoloration. They will often need to be hardened off in the same way before planting.

I heard that fish heads are a great fertilizer for tomatoes. Is this an old wives tale?

I’d heard of fish heads being used in the base of planting holes and, if I’m totally honest, have rather scoffed at the idea. But on doing a little more research it turns it this isn’t such a bad idea. Fish is loaded with nutrients which, as it breaks down into the soil, the tomato’s roots can tap into. Native Americans have been doing this for thousands of years. Hold your nose and put a couple of fish heads into each planting hole, then cover with a layer of the dug-out soil. This both serves as a buffer between the roots and fresh fish until it has started breaking down a bit and should hopefully help to mask the smell from wandering wildlife and pet cats and dogs!

Plant your tomato on top, then it’s simply a matter of back-filling with the soil, burying the bottom few inches of stem up for good measure.

How important is it to stake tomatoes well?

Geoff Baird has been growing tomatoes in his Somerset greenhouse and vegetable plot for 30 years and shares his knowledge by answering Country Gardener readers questions What is your secret to grow great tomatoes?

Why put baking soda around tomato plants

If I had to pick one thing it would be to give your tomato plants room to grow. Too many gardeners squash the plants together thinking that’s the way to have a bigger overall crop. Actually, the opposite is true. The plants need space and as the growing season goes on the foliage needs to be cut back to allow the fruit to develop in space and air. Grow fruit not foliage. I went into a friend’s greenhouse last July and it was a mass of foliage and you couldn’t find the fruit and all he had left was tiny tomatoes. I reckon 80 per-cent of the growth went into the foliage. That’s crazy but you wouldn’t believe how big a problem this is.

The baking soda absorbs into the soil and lowers its acidity levels and will give you tomatoes that are sweeter than normal. It really does make a difference.

Although I haven’t done this with every plant on my patio, having a few extra sweet nuggets to mix into a fresh tomato salad has been a wonderful discovery!

What is the best thing to put around tomato plants?

Grass clippings from the lawn (organic), newspaper, cardboard and even seaweed, well-rinsed off, of course.

Mulching keeps the soil at a more even temperature, and keeps the moisture more even, both of which is important with tomatoes. If there are big fluctuations in moisture, you can get splitting in the fruit.

Do tomatoes like to be planted in the same spot every year?

Most definitely no. You must find a different spot every year. If you are growing in a greenhouse then make sure the soil is completely replaced. It is vital to rotate through your garden space every three to four years. Planting them in the same place allows disease pathogens that are specific to tomatoes to build up in the soil. By moving them around in the garden each year, you can break up the disease cycle.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

This is a much-neglected skill which can affect your crop. All tomatoes appreciate some form of support to keep them up off the ground so that fruits don’t rot or get eaten by slugs.

Bush tomatoes have a determined height they’ll get to, and they won’t grow any taller. The simplest way to support these is with bamboo canes or stakes, which should be sufficient for even the heaviest plants laden with weighty fruits.

Cordon or vine tomatoes, easily reach head height or even more, so for those you’ll need sturdy stakes. Push them down into the soil so they stand nice and firm, then tie the stems in as they grow. Do be careful not to drive them right through the roots of your young plants though, or perhaps get the supports in position before planting.

I have never been able to get the way I water plants completely right. What is the secret?

There really isn’t any secret but the starting point is that plants need a lot of water if you want them to ripen and fill out. Consistency is the secret If not the skins of your tomatoes will split or even get the dreaded blossom end rot. I always water in the evening and when the tomatoes are putting on real growth .Water every other night. Get a watering can with a long spout so the water gets to the roots and not the leaves which can bring foliage disease.

For the last two years I have installed a drip irrigation system and the results have been fantastic as it delivers consistent moisture without overdoing it.

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ACCESSORIES

GARDEN ACCESSORIES - the pleasures of early spring April and the start of spring brings with it a couple of unique things. Firstly, amongst all the hard work during the longer daylight hours is the chance to sit back and enjoy the spring flowers and your early season efforts. It’s a time to perhaps consider what you can do to improve your gardening offering. Is it time you finally opted for a greenhouse with new furniture, extra luxuries to improve the value of your property or just the odd new fixture and fittings?

Time to make the greenhouse dream come true This is the time of year when gardeners minds turn to the dream of having a greenhouse. There’s lot to consider when it comes to selecting and buying a greenhouse.

It is true they are very personal things and there’s a wide range of options when it comes to choosing one as they will be an exciting addition to your garden for many years.

Prices can vary from a few hundred to many thousands of pounds. The

It’s also the time of year when you don’t want all that hard work in spring to be wasted and that means making sure everything is growing at full steam and flowers and shrubs are looking their best.

At Country Gardener we are always on the lookout for great products and fresh ideas so here’s a few which might tempt you make the garden even more enjoyable and your home more pleasureable.

High quality greenhouses from standard to bespoke Dovetail Greenhouses is a second-generation family firm based in Tamworth, Staffordshire and serving the entire mainland UK. They were established in 1993 and since that time have evolved Dovetail Greenhouses built by second from offering a fixed range of generation family members quality standard buildings to specialising in the bespoke market.

Dovetail greenhouses are hand-made from their own heavy duty aluminium profiles to fit the exact requirements of each individual customer.

This approach allows them to replace an existing timber greenhouse without disturbing the original base or to design and build a new greenhouse into a very particular location.

For a personalised quotation contact Dovetail Greenhouses on 0121 3112900

greenhouse you eventually choose will come down to two main factors – the area you have available and your budget.

It also comes down to experience and quality of service. One of the south west’s most experienced greenhouse supplier is Leigh Goodchild based near Bath who can supply almost all makes of greenhouses and have particularly extensive knowledge of Robinsons, Hartley Botanic, Gabriel Ash, Alton, Hercules and Simplicity structures. With over 30 years experience in the supply and installation of greenhouses the business prides itself on providing professional and practical advice where aesthetics, practicality, durability and creation of a space for plants and people can be combined. www.leighgoodchild.com

Inside Out combine skill with experience in bespoke buildings Inside Out Buildings are a family run company set in the Blackdown Hills of Devon, who have been building bespoke buildings for over 10 years and have a wealth of knowledge across their team specialising in bespoke timber buildings such as log cabins, garden sheds, summerhouses, play houses, garden offices, workshops, garages and animal houses.

All the made-to-measure buildings are manufactured in-house by skilled woodworkers using sustainably sourced FSB approved UK timber. There is a wide range of buildings in the display area at our Dunkeswell premises, showcasing some of the timber buildings that we can provide, as well as accessories such as gates, fences, picnic tables and planters which we can produce in a range of shapes and sizes.

If you would like to get in contact and discuss your ideas please contact us on our email or phone.

Dunkeswell Industrial Estate, Timber Yard, Marcus Road, Dunkeswell Office: 01404 891404 / Simon: 07894 510133 or Ben: 07787 635623 info@insideoutbuildings.co.uk

G

Bespoke Aluminium Greenhouses Handmade in Staffordshire High quality, extra strong greenhouses, individually designed and custom-built to suit your growing needs

www.dovetailgreenhouses.co.uk 22

Country Gardener

Call 0121 311 2900

10

U AR Y AN EA TE R E

Safe and effective unique controls for all your shrubs and climbers You can control your shrubs and climbers this year using Rivelin Glen Products uniquely designed Wire Anchors. They are quick and easy to attach to concrete posts (without drilling) to act as an ‘eye’ by threading wire through them to create a trellising system.

The Gripple Trellising System is ideal to use with the anchors as the wire does not stretch, takes up to 100kg load & has a life of up to 15 years. Multiple rows can be achieved with one length of wire and two tensioners. No more sore hands or sagging wires!

Rivelin Glen Products are the main stockists of the Gripple Trellising System.

Prices: Wire Anchors from £10.25 for a pack of three; Gripple Starter Kit - £20.25.

Looking for a greenhouse?

We supply and install almost all makes of greenhouses and have particularly extensive knowledge of Robinsons, Hartley Botanic, Gabriel Ash, Alton, Hercules and Simplicity structures.

Details available at www.rivelinglenproducts.com Email: info@rivelinglenproducts.co.uk Tel: 01246 462666

Concrete Post Fixings (Wire Anchors) & Easy Trellising System Quick & Easy Solution to fix wires to concrete posts NO DRILLING - simply clamp the two halves together Three sizes to fit most concrete posts

FREE UK DELIVERY

Wire Anchor

Main Stockists of Gripple Trellising

We supply greenhouses anywhere in the UK and even further afield. Customers who buy from us can be sure that their project will be completed to the highest standard with the utmost attention to detail from foundations to finished structure.

Wire Anchor with Gripple Trellising System

Visit our website to view our other gardening accessories and gift ideas www.rivelinglenproducts.co.uk info@rivelinglenproducts.co.uk 01246 462666

www.leighgoodchild.com Tel: 07971 251261

BESPOKE GARDEN BUILDINGS GREENHOUSES, SHEDS, CABINS & OFFICES We have a new exciting range of greenhouses coming out for the spring with a variety of different colours to brighten up your garden for 2025, along with a wide range of apex & pent design sheds with a number of different configuration options to choose from.

WE ALSO MAKE BESPOKE GARDEN BUILDINGS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS FROM GARAGING, WORKSHOPS, GARDEN STORES TO CABINS.

We are a family run company set in the Blackdown Hills of Devon, we have been building bespoke buildings for well over 10 years and have a wealth of knowledge across our team. If you would like to get in contact and discuss your ideas please contact us on our email or phone numbers below.

OFFICE: 01404 891404 / SIMON: 07894 510133 OR BEN: 07787 635623 INFO@INSIDEOUTBUILDINGS.CO.UK

WWW.INSIDEOUTBUILDINGS.CO.UK www.countrygardener.co.uk

WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY. 23

GARDEN VISITS

ETHNEVAS COTTAGE

GARDENS TO VISIT

Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5PY Opening for the NGS on Sunday 27th April, 1pm-5pm, an intriguing isolated granite cottage in two acres, with a flower and vegetable garden, a bridge over a stream to a large pond and primrose path through a semi-wild bog area. Hillside with grass paths among native and exotic trees. Many camellias and rhododendrons.

Mixed shrubs and herbaceous beds, wildflower glade, spring bulbs. Admission £5, children free.

in April

compiled by Vivienne Lewis April is a special month, with spring truly under way, the Easter break and school holidays. Time to get out and enjoy the spring flowers and blossom in gardens opening for the National Garden Scheme that raises much needed funds for nursing and caring charities. Here’s a selection in the areas covered by Country Gardener and one or two just beyond. Check wherever possible before starting out as circumstances can force cancellations in private gardens. www.ngs.org.uk

BROCKAMIN Old Hills, Callow End, Worcester, Worcestershire WR2 4TQ Opens for the NGS on Easter Sunday 20th April, 1pm-4pm, a 1½ acre plantsman’s garden situated next to common land, there are informal mixed borders with a wide variety of hardy perennials where plants are allowed to self seed.

Plant Heritage National Collections of Pulmonarias, Symphyotrichum novaeangliae and some hardy geraniums.

Admission £5, children free.

DENMANS GARDEN Denmans Lane, Fontwell, Sussex BN18 0SU Opens for the NGS on Sunday 27th Aoril, 11am-4pm, created by Joyce Robinson, a horticulturalist and pioneer in gravel gardening and former home of influential landscape designer, John Brookes MBE. Denmans is a Grade II registered post-war garden renowned for its curvilinear layout and complex plantings. Year-round colour, unusual plants, structure and fragrance in the gravel gardens, faux riverbeds, intimate walled garden, ponds and conservatory. Admission £10, children £8.

CHYGURNO Lamorna, Cornwall TR19 6XH Opening for the NGS on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th April, 2pm5pm each day, a beautiful three-acre cliffside garden overlooking Lamorna Cove, with mainly southern hemisphere shrubs and exotics with hydrangeas, camellias and rhododendrons. A woodland area with tree ferns is set against large granite outcrops. Garden terraced with steep steps and paths. Plenty of benches to enjoy the wonderful views. Admission £5, Children free.

WESTON HOUSE Boughmore Road, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 8SJ Opens for the NGS on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April, 2pm5pm each day. This stunning garden covering an acre is steeply sloping (lots of steps!) east-facing, providing ever-changing views across the valleys and towards the sea with lots of seating areas.

Admission £5, children free. Also open other dates during the season, see the NGS website (above).

OUR KEY TO FACILITIES:

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Refreshments available

Plants usually for sale

Wheelchair access to much of garden

Partial wheelchair access

Unsuitable for wheelchairs

Dogs on short leads

No dogs allowed

Visitors welcome by arrangement

Coaches welcome consult owners

Accommodation at this venue

Picnics welcome

Country Gardener

PRIOR’S PIECE Mill Street, Prestbury, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3BQ A new opening for the NGS on Saturday 26th April, 1pm5.30pm, a semi-formal garden surrounded by mature trees, historic buildings and views of the church. with lawns and box hedges, many interesting trees and shrubs including an enormous magnolia, ginkgos, acers, lilac and Portuguese laurel. An historic dovecote leads to a secluded tranquil part of the garden. Admission £5, children free.

GREENCOMBE GARDENS PYLEWELL PARK Porlock, Minehead, Somerset TA24 8NU

South Baddesley, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 5SJ Opening for the NGS on Sundays 6th and 20th April, 2pm-5pm each day, a large parkland garden laid out in 1890 with distant views across the Solent to the Isle of. Wight. Walk along the extensive informal grass and moss paths down to the lakes, home to magnificent swans, with giant gunnera and bordered by fine rhododendron, magnolia and azalea trees carpets of bluebells. Glasshouses, swimming pool and other outbuildings are not open to visitors. Bring your own picnic and wear suitable footwear for muddy areas. Admission £5, children free.

Opening for the NGS on Tuesday 15th April, 2pm-6pm, this organic woodland garden of international renown stretches along a sheltered hillside and offers outstanding views over Porlock Bay. Moss-covered paths meander through a collection of ornamental plants that flourish beneath a canopy of oaks, hollies, conifers and chestnuts. Camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, lilies, roses, clematis, and hydrangeas blossom among four National Collections. Admission £7, children £1.

KEYBROOK HOUSE East Orchard, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0LG A new opening for the NGS on Sunday 6th April (also Sunday 18th May) 2pm-5pm, a 2½ acre garden with thousands of daffodils along with newly planted trees and shrubs. The grounds surround a converted Methodist chapel dating from 1890 with the ongoing gardening project which continues to evolve; a large area is set aside to be wildlife friendly. Admission £5, children free.

WELLAWAY Close Lane, Marston, Wiltshire SN10 5SN

POUNDS Hemyock, Cullompton, Devon EX15 3QS Opens for the NGS on Good Friday, 18th April and Easter Saturday on 19th April, 1pm4pm each day (also 30th and 31st May), a cottage garden of lawns, colourful borders and roses, set within low flint walls with distant views. Slate paths lead through an acer grove to a swimming pool, amid scented borders, traditional ridge and furrow orchard, with a rose hedge, raised beds combine vegetables with flowers for cutting. Admission £5, children free.

Opens for the NGS on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th April, 1pm-5pm each day, a two acre flower arranger’s garden with daffodils, tulips and hellebores, herbaceous borders, orchard, vegetable garden, ornamental and wildlife ponds, lawns and naturalised areas. for year-round interest. Shrubberies and rose garden, other areas underplanted with bulbs or ground cover. Admission £6, children free.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

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GARDEN VISITS

WICKS GREEN FARM Wicks Green, Longney, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL2 3SP Opens for the NGS on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April, 11am3pm, set in 1½ acres planted for year-round colour, surrounded by countryside, with flower borders, vegetable garden, a spring fed pond and mixed orchard with some very old local pear varieties and beautiful blossom. The old bakehouse has been re-purposed for garden entertaining. Admission £5, children free.

THE OLD RECTORY Litton Cheney, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 9AH Opening for the NGS on Sunday 27th and Wednesday 30th April, 11am-5pm, has steep paths leading to four acres of natural woodland with many springs, streams, two pools, one a natural swimming pool planted with native plants. The formal front garden, designed by Arne Maynard, has a pleached crabtree border, topiary and soft planting inc tulips, peonies, roses and verbascums; walled garden, kitchen garden, orchard and 350 rose bushes for a cut flower business.

Entrance price £8.

LORD WANDSWORTH COLLEGE Long Sutton, Hook, Hampshire RG29 1TB Opening for the NGS on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April, 11am3pm, is set in 1200 acres of rolling farmland and wooded valleys, the main college campus set around formal lawns with mature paper bark maples, cedar trees, cherry trees, and magnolias; herbaceous borders planted with tulips, daffodils, and alliums. A South African inspired border runs the full length of the new science centre.

CORSHAM COURT

FAIRFIELD Stogursey, Bridgwater, Somerset TA5 1PU Opening for the NGS on Sunday 13th April, 2pm-4.30pm, an historic woodland garden with many interesting bulbs including naturalised anemones, bluebells, fritillaria with roses, shrubs and fine trees, a paved maze and views of the Quantock Hills. An informal garden surrounds the house which dates from the 12th century, but was largely rebuilt in Elizabethan times. The 18th century park has fine trees and the walled former kitchen garden now includes small trees, shrubs and grass, with a rose garden and herbaceous border; many kinds of apple in the traditional orchard with daffodils planted in the grass, leading on to more woodland walks.

Admission £7, children free.

THE GATE

Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 0BZ Opening for the NGS on Sundays 30th March and 13th April, 2pm-5.30pm, the park and gardens laid out by Capability Brown and Repton; large lawns with fine specimens of ornamental trees surround the Elizabethan mansion. An 18th century bath house is hidden in the grounds. Spring bulbs, beautiful lily pond with Indian bean trees, young arboretum and a stunning collection of magnolias. Admission £5, children £2.50.

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80 North Street, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire GL54 5PS Opening for the NGS on Sunday 27th April, 1pm-5pm, a compact cottage style garden planted with a colourful display of tulips, and with perennials, annuals and climbers in the walled courtyard of a 17th century former coaching inn. Also a separate, productive, walled kitchen garden with espaliers and other fruit trees.

Admission £4, children free.

Country Gardener

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Garden advice for April If you have any gardening problems, queries or issues you would like help with, email them to editorial@countrygardener.co.uk

Should I put indoor plants out in the rain?

Carole Porter Exmouth Yes, make the most out of the rain and use it to re-energise and refresh your indoor plants! Rain contains more nitrogen and oxygen than tap water, and because your plant roots are receiving them directly, you’ll notice them grow quicker and greener with rainwater. Plus, micro-nutrients and minerals, which are already present in the soil, are unlocked by the rainwater soaking through and then readily absorbed by the plant roots.

I have read how great it is to leave grass clippings on the ground for soil nutrients. We pick up our grass clippings and still have too much thatch.

What are we doing wrong?

Derek Hall sent by email Thatch in lawns is not caused by lawn clippings.

This is a common misbelief. It occurs when dead material builds up from the bottom of the lawn, rather than the top. Common causes of thatch are overwatering or overuse of high nitrogen fertiliser or mowing with the blades too short. Leave the grass cuttings on the lawn- especially in the spring and autumn.

I have a lilac tree. It’s about nine feet high and I think growing fast. I have it planted roughly six feet from my neighbour’s wall. I have now had three conversations with them that they are worried the roots will damage their foundations.

Can you tell me if this will do that?

Marlene Gordon Martock It is highly unlikely that the lilac will cause damage to a foundation. They have very nonaggressive root systems and this is why you often see them used as foundation plants. The only way that it could be a threat (and even then, the plant would probably die before it did damage) would be if the roots were restricted tightly, as in there were only a few feet for the roots to grow in. That does not sound like the case where you are, so the lilac is not a threat.

I don’t seem to be able to keep cut flowers very long before they start to fade. Are there any secrets to make they stay fresh for longer?

Katie Greene via email There are a few things that should make them last longer. Changing the water more frequently will help and remember to re cut the stems each time you do it.

Remove any foliage below the water line. Make a fresh cut below the water line about 10cms down the stem so that you are cutting both foliage and flowers.

Don’t place your cut flowers near sunny windows or radiators or they’ll fade quickly! The lower the temperature the better which is why cut flower displays placed in cool churches last so long.

I have tried growing a lemon tree in a pot and all the leaves keep dropping off. This latest one is the third lemon tree that the same thing is happening to. The other two died, and now it looks likely to happen to this one if I don’t come up with a solution.

Carla Davies Southampton The most obvious problem with any citrus trees is watering. Leaves drooping off is normally caused by letting the soil get too dry. Citrus trees are funny because they hold onto their leaves when they are under watered and then drop the leaves once water returns. You need to keep these plants evenly always watered to avoid this.

I live in the city but want to do more for wildlife.

Are there any first steps you would recommend for city gardeners with limited space who would love to create a welcoming habitat for wildlife?

Anna Trent Bristol Whatever your space you can help wildlife.

On balconies and roof gardens you can grow Mediterranean herbs in pots and let them flower for pollinators, leave a dish of water for passing birds and small mammals to drink from. If you have a small garden, then grow flowers but if you have space add in a few native shrubs and ‘weeds’ that moths will lay their eggs on. A container pond may attract aquatic invertebrates and frogs while a patch of long grass will help beetles and moths, which are food for many species further up the food chain. Taken alone, your garden won’t do much but linked with other gardens it will become part of a much wider, wilder landscape, which will help huge numbers of species.

I have a small rose bush that was beautifully growing in its original pot. There were lots of new growth and buds coming up. However, it got too big for its small pot, so I transplanted it to a larger pot and gave it fresh potting soil.

Since then it just looks as if it is suffering and not healthy .Now, the buds are gone and the new leaves that are growing are yellowish with a red lining around the edges. Why is this happening? Do I have a diseased rose? Lack of nutrients?

Any advice would help.

Zena Richards Cheltenham This sounds like transplant shock and many roses just don’t like to be moved and can take a season to recover. You should also investigate phosphorus problems. Maybe make sure your compost has enough phosphorus in it to sustain the growth system. Mulch it well and try a good quality feed. The damage shouldn’t be permanent.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

27

SPECIAL PLANTS If I do not want my tomato plants to grow to a height of four feet (maximum), what can I do?

Mark Ellison Boscombe You should plant bush type tomatoes that only grow to three feet, or you can prune the tops off when they reach the desired height. The best method if you already have the plant established is training the plants sideways. Make use of trellising and cutting the tops off plants to force branching down the sides. As well as keeping it shorter, it can also improve the yield of the fruit.

The trade-off here is the time it takes for recovery after each cut. They can still attempt to bear fruit but won’t really get going until they have had time to heal and settle. Hope this helps some.

I want to do some experimenting on changing hydrangea colour. If the tree is already grown, can I still change the colour of the flower?

Hetty Rooper Liss Yes changing the colour is fairly easy. After you have decided that you want to make your hydrangea change colour, it is important to understand why hydrangea colour can change. The colour of a hydrangea flower depends on the chemical makeup of the soil it is planted in. If the soil is high in aluminium and has a low pH, the hydrangea flower will be blue. If the soil has either a high pH or is low on aluminium, the hydrangea flower colour will be pink. So, it is simple enough, you just have to change the chemical composition of the soil. If the pH is above 6.0, then the soil has a pH that is too high and you need to lower it (also known as making it more acidic). Lower the pH around the hydrangea bush by either spraying the ground with a weak vinegar solution or using a high acid fertiliser, like those made for azaleas and rhododendron. Remember that you need to adjust the soil where all the roots are. This will be about two feet beyond the edge of the plant all the way into the base of the plant.

Why specialist nurseries and their plants are a

lifeblood

Plant nurseries are at the very heart of our day-to-day gardening life offering greater choice of specialist plants through the selection of choice, value for money, advice and low risk of imported disease

When is the best time to plant rose bushes?

We have a new garden project this summer and would like some roses on the patio.

Siohan Okrra

sent by email For roses you want in pots and are growing and blooming, usually the end of May is okay, but check your location for the last hard frost date in your area. If a hard frost is coming once it’s been planted, protect the bush with fleece. Roses are expensive and a spring frost could do a lot of damage.

Three years ago, I planted two different types of fig trees in the same area. (within two feet of each other) One plant was from my brother’s trees in Devon -type unknown. The other came from Otter Nurseries and was a dark type. The one from my brother has produced figs for the last two years while the second has yet to produce any figs. My guess is that I need a second plant of the same kind to get figs on the second plant.

Martine Cordon Exeter Most fig trees need to be between three and five years old before they can produce fruit. I would say that your Devon variety needs a few more years before it is mature enough. The one from your brother’s home may have been older when you got it or it may have come from a cutting from more mature wood or it is simply a variety that has less time to full maturation.

For the one that is not producing, give it another year or so. Just in case, add a bit of bone meal. Figs are very susceptible to too much nitrogen, which can produce lots of foliage and little fruit. Bone meal will provide phosphorus, which helps boost fruit production.

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In recent years a new generation of garden hunters has appeared. They may not be thrashing through the jungles of faraway countries but their passion to find new plants, new things to grow is strong.

For these new hunters are the ordinary gardeners of the UK who are out and about demanding high quality, great value specialist plants which offer us something different in our gardens.

The better-informed gardener now wants to spend time making sure they have the right plant for the right task and need help and advice. All of which throws the spotlight on specialist plant nurseries.

Plants purchased from any specialist nursery can save you time and frustration – and chances are, they’ll live longer and look better. Nurseries use top grade soil media when potting their plants. These plants tend to live longer and look more appealing because skilled gardeners have grown them and cared for them.

Generally, specialist nurseries offer a greater selection to choose from.

Big-name retailers often only carry bestsellers limiting choice, whereas a nursery offers a wide selection.

You will typically find healthier plants at nurseries. They have endured less handling and have been grown and nurtured in an optimal environment with the right care, and under expert supervision. The healthier plants are, the better they tend to adjust when replanted, and the better they grow.

At a local nursery, the plants are at the centre of everything the team does. This means that you have first-hand access to knowledgeable staff who can help you with valuable advice on specific plants, answer any questions you may have, and make relevant suggestions based on your needs.

In addition to the wider selection on offer, a specialist nursery that cultivates its own plants will generally be able to provide more choice plus advice regarding indigenous, and specifically native plants. Native plants are a great buy, because they are already adapted to the soil, light, and climate.

Foreign pests pose a huge risk, as they are often able to spread rapidly and cause significant damage. Buying from a local nursery that grows their own plants eliminates this risk.

Koirin satifies all your wishes for rhododendrons and azaleas Koirin, the Dorset based Rhododendron & Azalea Centre have an international reputation as specialist growers of rhododendrons and azaleas and at this time of year have a wonderful display of plants to browse.

The nursery is open Mon-Fri 9am-4pm all year round, Sat 10am-4pm Apr-May. The nursery does not accept cheques.

Crossroads Nursery, Woodlands, Nr. Verwood, Verwood Road, Wimborne BH21 8LN Tel: 01202 824629

THE MEADOWMANIA HORI HORI KNIFE: Your New Favourite Gardening Tool

As a team of wildflower experts, we’ve been growing, digging, and planting for more than 30 years. We’ve planted thousands of wildflower plug plants and bulbs, and we’ve probably tried every tool there is; but we’ve never been so impressed by a tool as we were when we first used the HORI HORI KNIFE. This tool has truly transformed our gardening experience— it’s now our absolute favourite and one that we never garden without.

And the HORI HORI isn’t just for digging and planting! We use it for almost everything in the garden: weeding lawns, flower beds and paths, cutting through tough roots, light pruning, getting plants out of pots, splitting bulbs, and even slicing open compost bags and trimming twine. It’s such a versatile tool – think of it as a Swiss army knife for the garden - that we really can’t imagine gardening without it.

If you’ve never used a HORI HORI before, let me give you a quick rundown.

Inspired by traditional Japanese gardening tools (the word “Hori” is Japanese for “to dig”), the sharp blade of the HORI HORI knife makes it the perfect digging tool for planting bulbs and plug plants. Simply use the blade to cut down into the soil, then wiggle it back and forward to create a hole at the perfect depth for your plugs and bulbs. The inch and centimetre measurements on the blade help you to plant at the right depth, which is key for healthy, thriving plants. The process is quick and easy—no more struggling with a trowel! Whether you’re planting daffodils in the lawn, crocuses in a flowerbed, or wildflower plug plants in a meadow, the Hori Hori makes it effortless to get your wildflower bulbs and plugs exactly where they need to be. It’s made planting so much quicker and easier for us – we honestly couldn’t recommend it more!

MEADOWMANIA’S HORI HORI stands out with its ergonomic wooden handle that feels great in your hand, even after hours of work. The high-quality stainlesssteel blade is sharp, durable, and rust-resistant, and makes light work of tough gardening tasks. Plus, it comes with a handy sheath and belt loop, meaning you can carry it safely and always have it to hand when you need it most.

With minimal care – just keep it clean and dry and occasionally oil the wood handle – the MEADOWMANIA HORI HORI will last for years, becoming your trusted companion in the garden season after season.

Happy gardening!

At Meadowmania, we’re passionate about helping individuals, companies, and communities across the UK create thriving, biodiverse landscapes. From native wildflower seeds to wildflower plants and bulbs, we provide everything you need to cultivate sustainable, wildlifefriendly habitats. Our mission is to inspire and equip people to make a real difference for nature, bringing vibrant meadows to life in gardens, community spaces, or larger landscape projects.

As a special treat for readers of Country Gardener, we’re offering 10% off our Meadowmania Hori Hori knife during April. Just use the code HH10 at checkout at www.meadowmania.co.uk

ADVERTORIAL www.countrygardener.co.uk

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SPECIAL PLANTS

Chrysanthmums to die for…

Chrysanthemums Direct are the UK’s leading grower and supplier of Chrysanthemum plants to the public. They stock over 415 varieties covering a wide range of different types, including exhibition and garden hardy cultivars.

They sell via mail order and have developed a sustainable packaging solution, which ensures that you receive top quality plants, within 24 hours of dispatch, from their nursery in Cheshire.

Look out for them at the top flower shows around the country this year, including Chelsea and the new RHS show at Wentworth Woodhouse. Also, Harrogate, Malvern, and Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC. They will have a good selection of plants available to buy at each show.

Details of all the products we sell are available on their website www.chrysanthemumsdirect.co.uk

THE RHODODENDRON & AZALEA CENTRE SPECIALIST GROWERS OF AZALEAS & RHODODENDRONS

Barthelemy & Co – the Japanese maples specialists Barthelemy & Co near Wimborne in Dorset was established by a French nurseryman almost a century ago and the Skinner family now specialise in propagating and growing Acer palmatum – or Japanese maples as they’re known.

Throughout spring, summer and autumn the delicate foliage of the acer presents exquisite shadings of Mother Nature’s gold, pink, purple, green, yellow, orange and red. Acers are a delightful addition to anyone’s garden, giving an aura of peace and tranquillity. The ten-acre nursery at Stapehill has a huge collection of Japanese maples to choose from and expert staff are on hand to help select the right variety and to offer advice about caring for the trees in future.

Over 100,000 acers are produced at Barthelemy & Co and Co every year approximately 15,000 - 20,000 of them are grafted named palmatum varieties, as one of the largest specialist growers of their kind.

Barthelemy & Co, 262 Wimborne Road West, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2DZ Tel: 01202 874283 www.barthelemymaples.co.uk

Wood anemones, epimediums, trilliums and more at Picton Garden

VISITORS WELCOME MON-FRI 9AM-4PM ALL YEAR ROUND | SAT 10AM-4PM APR-MAY | MAIL ORDER AVAILABLE Koirin, Crossroads Nursery, Woodlands, Wimborne, Verwood Road, Dorset BH21 8LN (Near Verwood) Tel: 01202 824629 enquiries@azaleacentre.co.uk

The Picton Garden is perhaps best known for its autumn displays particularly the wonderful michaelmas daisies. But a visit in April offers something really different and a chance to explore the smaller treasures that thrive in the woodland areas of the one-and-ahalf-acre garden.

You can visit and enjoy a wander alongside wood anemones, epimediums, trilliums and more. It’s also a great time to purchase a few new treats for the garden from the adjoining Old Court Nurseries.

Walwyn Road, Colwell WR13 6QE Tel: 01684 540416 www.autumnasters.co.uk

Chrysanthemums Direct

Old Court Nurseries & The Picton Garden The Michaelmas Daisy Specialists since 1906

Order your plants now for delivery in May. ORDER ONLINE or catalogue available by request.

Holmes Chapel Road, Over Peover, Knutsford, Cheshire. WA16 9RA

Telephone: 0800 046 7443 sales@chrysanthemumsdirect.co.uk 2025 Catalogue available online now or, contact us to receive your FREE paper copy.

The widest range available in the U.K. with over 415 cultivars, including a choice selection of hardy garden (Korean) varieties, plus many others suitable for the Dixter Orange garden or exhibition.

New for 2025

www.chrysanthemumsdirect.co.uk

JAPANESE MAPLES Acer palmatum varieties We produce and grow the largest selection available in the UK. Plants are pot grown and suitable for garden, patio or bonsai.

Open Wednesday to Saturday 11am - 5pm Have you ever booked onto one of our courses?

Take a look at our new website for details of the courses we have coming up this year - www.oldcourtnurseries.co.uk/events Also open 10TH APRIL and 8TH MAY for the National Garden Scheme please book at www.ngs.org.uk

Tel: 01684 540416 www.oldcourtnurseries.co.uk Old Court Nurseries, Walwyn Road, Colwall WR13 6QE 30

Country Gardener

Visitors welcome Mon-Sat 9am-1pm & 2pm-4pm Barthelemy & Co (DCG), 262 Wimborne Rd West, Stapehill, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2DZ

Tel: 01202 874283 enquiries@barthelemymaples.co.uk www.barthelemymaples.co.uk

TIME OFF

Diary events from clubs and organisations in

SOMERSET

Welcome to our April Time Off and details of gardening club and association events, shows and meetings over the next few weeks in Somerset. This is a free service in Country Gardener and if you would like any events given some promotion write to us at timeoff@countrygardener.co.uk

THE JOY OF CREATING

‘black gold’

RECORD NUMBERS OF GARDENERS ARE NOW CREATING THEIR OWN GARDEN HOME MADE COMPOST BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME TRICKS OF THE TRADE TO BE LEARNT If the latest research is anything to go by, record number of gardeners have since lockdown invested in and enjoyed the horticultural art of composting.

It seems also lots more are dabbling in what is a hugely practical benefit for the garden.

Anything that grows decomposes eventually; composting simply speeds up the process by providing an ideal environment for bacteria, fungi, and other decomposing organisms (such as worms, sowbugs, and nematodes) to do their work. Fondly referred to as ‘black gold,’ compost is rich in nutrients and can be used in almost every aspect of gardening.

Q: CAN I PUT JUST ONE MATERIAL IN MY COMPOST BIN OR DOES IT NEED A MIXTURE? A: To make good compost add a variety of compostable materials and create loose layers. Avoid heavy layers of grass cuttings or leaves.

Q: SHOULD MY COMPOST BIN BE DRY OR WET? A: Keep your materials damp but not wet. Add small quantities of water, or moist grass clippings and leafy materials, if the compost is drying out. Or add drier material such as shredded newspaper if the mixture is too wet.

Q: MY COMPOSTER GIVES OFF A NASTY SMELL. WHY IS THIS AND WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT? A: This is because your compost is too wet and is breaking down anaerobically, meaning without oxygen. To help reduce the wetness, try leaving the lid off in dry weather, removing some grass clippings, or adding some shredded paper. Turn regularly with a garden fork to mix dry and wet materials to improve air circulation.

Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE COMPOST? A: Composting can take weeks or months, depending on how much air and moisture the material receives. By turning the compost regularly to help add air you should make compost in 3 to 6 months.

Q: WHAT CAN I ADD TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS? A: Compost can take a while to make. A slow turn over may be because the material isn’t reaching high enough temperatures. Try moving the composter into sunlight and keep the lid on. It could also be that it’s too dry, so keep the pile moist. Try adding an activator; ready-made activators can be bought from garden centres.

Young nettles help to speed the process up too.

Q: WHY DOES COMPOST TURN WET AND SLIMY? A: Usually because you have put in too much soft material, grass clippings, and vegetable peelings. Make sure you get a good mixture of materials and add chopped-up dry twigs, wood chips, and some shredded newspaper to give the compost a better texture.

Q: CAN I COMPOST MY HEDGE CLIPPINGS? A: You can compost green waste. This includes fallen leaves and prunings from hedges. Ensure you get a good mixture of materials in your compost pile as well as the hedge clippings. Any woody stems and branches will take longer to decompose and you may want to take those to your HouseholdWaste Recycling Centre (HWRC) or add them to your collections for larger-scale composting.

Q: WILL HAVING A COMPOST HEAP ATTRACT RATS? A: Compost heaps may highlight the fact that vermin are in your local area.

Remove any unsuitable materials and remember what can and can’t be composted. Try placing chicken wire round the base of the compost heap.

April 5TH Nailsea & District Horticultural Society SPRING SHOW - NAILSEA SCHOOL 12pm More details 01275 855342 Barrington & District Gardening Society ‘PLASTIC FREE GARDENING’ - SALLY NEX Details on 07870 928423 8TH Eastwood Gardeners’ Club ‘THE SEED DETECTIVE’ - ADAM ALEXANDER Email: secretary.egc95@gmail.com Sedgemoor Gardens Club ‘IN PURSUIT OF THE PLANTS OF PERU’ - HILARY LITTLE www.sedgemoorgardensclub.co.uk 9TH Nailsea & District Horticultural Society ‘LIFT THE LATCH’ - PAULINE AND DAVID WRIGHT More details 01275 855342 Kilmersdon Gardeners Club ‘HISTORIC FRONT GARDENS’ - FRANCIS BURROUGHES www.kilmersdongardeners.org

West Moors Horticultural Society ‘DORSET THROUGHOUT THE YEAR’ - PAUL STURGESS Details on 01202 871536 Fagus Garden Club, Nailsea ‘THE HISTORY OF BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION’ - SALLY PINHEY More details 07507816327 17TH West Down Garden Club ‘VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN A SMALL PLOT’ - PETE ADAMS, RHS ROSEMOOR Details on 01271 865554 22ND Chilcompton Gardening Club ‘GARDENING WITHOUT PLASTIC’ 23RD Clevedon Gardeners’ Club AGM & PLANT AUCTION www.clevedongardeners.chessck.co.uk 26TH Hardy Plant Society Wilts & Avon Group ‘A WORLD UNDER OUR FEET’ - LEILA FROUD www.wilts@hardy-plant.org.uk

10TH East Coker Gardening Club ‘REMARKABLE TREES OF STOURHEAD’ - EMILY UTGREN Details on 01935 862447 Long Ashton Horticultural Society ‘CREATE YOUR OWN SUCCULENT GARDEN’ www.lahortsoc.co.uk Weston Village Gardening Club ‘WHY DO WE HAVE BOTANIC GARDENS?’ - ANN BRAKE www.westonvillagegardeningclub.co.uk 11TH Carhampton Gardening Club AGM & QUIZ Details on 01643 821085 13TH South West Orchid Society MONTHLY MEETING Email: sows.secretary@gmail.com 14TH Nynehead Gardening Club ‘GERANIUMS/PELARGONIUMS’ - BRIAN CARLSON

Are you part of a garden club or society?

Please send us your diary for the year - we’d love to include your talks and shows

It's free!

Send them into us by email giving us 10 weeks notice of the event: timeoff@countrygardener.co.uk or by post to: Mount House, Halse, Taunton, TA4 3AD. 31

Arboricultural Consultants

TREE ADVICE & REPORTING

Barn Close Nurseries

Taunton’s plant plug centre, Henlade Tel. 01823 443507 Open 7 days a week 9am - 5.30pm On the main A358 Taunton to Ilminster road next to Henlade post office • Geraniums £3.00 for ten • Busy lizzes, petunias, lobelia, bedding begonias £12.00 per 100 • Baskets plants £7.00 for ten • Refill baskets from £12.00 • Levington professional compost 75 litres £8.50 per bag, 5 bags £40.00 Why use mail order or garden centres when you can buy quality plants locally at lower prices?

A large variety of plugs available including ivy leaf geraniums, nemesia, diascia, visit our website at

www.barncloseplugcentre.co.uk

MARK HINSLEY

MSc.Res.Man.(Arb), OND (Arb), F.Arbor.A We are a Dorset based company offering a friendly, professional tree consultancy service for all areas of the South.

WE SPECIALISE IN: ■ Tree Condition Advice and Surveys ■ Tree Liability Assessments and Management Plans ■ Tree Preservation Order Advice ■ Planning Applications - Advice and Reports (to BS5837 standards)

ALL ENQUIRIES WELCOME

Lawn Mowers • Strimmers • Hedge Cutters • Chainsaws Pressure Washers • And Much More Main Road, Cannington, TA5 2LD

01202 876177 www.treeadvice.info enquiries@treeadvice.info

01278 651300 • bridgwatermowers.co.uk

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NURSERY MASBURY, NR. WELLS, SOMERSET BA5 3HA TEL: 01749 841014 FAX: 01749 841055 www.rockymountainnursery.co.uk We have a good selection of perennials and shrubs that are looking good,with lots of colour to brighten your garden or patio.

Our shop James Store now has a large range of Home Brew products See our website for more details www.rockymountainnursery.co.uk

Enjoy a meal or drink in our Coffee Shop and browse around James Store. Large stock of HOME BREW PRODUCTS now available + many other great bargains

HOME GROWN TREES (ROOTBALL & CONTAINERISED) SHRUBS, PERENNIALS, CLIMBERS & GRASSES

ALL YOUR GARDENING NEEDS – SET IN 12 WONDERFUL ACRES – 32

Suppliers of superior fuel for all your garden machinery.

Your local specialists in horticultural machinery WE SELL, SERVICE AND REPAIR

Country Gardener

SOW MORE SEEDS

this spring Now is the time to buy seed packets and get sowing it’s cheaper, more rewarding and a lot more fun

Sowing seed is one of the most easy, satisfying, and cheap ways to get growing.

March and into April is the perfect time of year to start most of the seed sowing.

Some people start early in autumn, some start seeds off in January or February, but the next few weeks is fine, especially if you don’t have a greenhouse.

It should be starting to get a bit warmer which means that seeds germinate faster and you’ll soon catch up.

So many more gardeners now grow from seeds and they more are opting for annual flower seeds, meaning that in one year the seed will germinate, grow, flower, go to seed and then die. Like Gertrude Jekyll, they don’t like to see bare soil. Jekyll seemed to follow the philosophy that more is more, so we know she loved an abundance of plants!

SOWING INTO SEED BEDS:

FOR PEAT’S SAKE!

Many hardy annual flower seeds can be sown directly where you want them to flower.

The soil should be a minimum temperature of 50°F (10°C) when you sow. Annuals don’t need a nutrient-rich soil, so a dressing of artificial fertiliser isn’t necessary. All soils and plants benefit, however, from organic matter that has been dug into the top few inches of the soil early in the year. When sowing a range of annuals, sow the seed in patches rather than in regimental lines.

Remove weeds and rake the soil to a fine tilth, then mark out the groups with a trickle of silver sand or flour. Annuals need only a light covering of soil which can either be sieved over the seeds or gently raked over and then firmed with the flat face of the rake.

When the seed has germinated, thin out any overcrowded seedlings as soon as possible. A further thinning out might be needed when the plants have developed several pairs of true leaves.

When seeds germinate, the first leaves to appear are the cotyledons or seed leaves. These are usually a pair of oval, fleshy leaves that bear no resemblance to the mature leaves of the plant.

Removing the tiny seedlings from the sowing tray into containers of a good universal compost can be a delicate business.

Never handle seedlings by their stems, which bruise easily. Always use their seed leaves.

You should use peat-free seed sowing compost which is lighter and finer than other composts. It’s normally made of a mixture of coir (made from coconut husks), bark and compost. The compost needs to be low in nutrients and have good drainage, but at the same time hold enough water. The seeds themselves have enough nutrients and energy stored to be able to germinate and provide the first leaves of germination, as long as they have access to light and water.

Once they’ve produced their first true leaves they’re ready to be pricked out into a compost with more nutrient content, sometimes called ‘potting on compost’.

Very simply, seeds are embryonic plants waiting to get out. They come complete with their own food supply to start them off, at least until they can put down roots and draw nutrients and water from the soil.

All seeds need water, oxygen, the correct amount of light and the right level of warmth to germinate. If your seeds need to be started indoors or under cover, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to invest in costly equipment or a heated greenhouse. Supplying enough warmth could be as simple as a temporary home in the airing cupboard or a sunny windowsill.

• Seeds trays and pots should be thoroughly cleaned before use.

• Always use fresh, good quality compost.

• Beware of saved seeds. Some remain viable for a year or more after the packet seal has been broken, while others, like parsnips, don’t keep well.

• Most seeds germinate best if the tray is covered with a sheet of glass or plastic to retain the moisture in the compost.

• As soon as the seedlings emerge, reduce the daytime temperature to about 65°F (18°C) and position them away from direct sunlight.

• You’ll need to gradually harden off these plants for about two weeks before they’re moved into their final outdoor positions.

Some vegetables, hardy annuals and tree seeds should be direct-sown into a special ‘seed bed’ rather than into their final positions. The soil should be free of weeds, large stones and debris and be broken down as finely as possible.

Sow your seeds into v-shaped drills made to the recommended sowing depth for each particular variety. Create taut lines with string to help you keep your drills straight. It makes weeding easier as the plants grow.

DIRECT SOWING INTO FINAL POSITIONS:

PRE TREATMENT OF THE SEEDS Some seeds benefit from pre-treatment before sowing, or from being sown in a particular way. This pre-treatment is rarely vital to success, but your seeds might take longer to germinate if you don’t do it.

Soaking is beneficial in two ways; it can soften a hard seed coat and also leach out any chemical inhibitors which might prevent germination. Anything from one to three hours in water which starts off hand-hot, is usually sufficient. If soaking for longer, the water should be changed daily.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

33

PUZZLE TIME

Crossword

Unscramble

WIN £100 IN RHS GIFT TOKENS

Unscramble the following to reveal some of the UK’s most popular potato varieties:

1. _ _ _ A N / _ I _ O _

2. _ A _ I _ / _ I _ E R

3. P_ _ _ L _ N _ / _ A _ E _ I _

4. _ _ N_ / _ D _ _ _ D

5. _ I _ _ / _ _ R / _ _ P _ E

6. _ E _ T _ E _

Our popular gardening themed crossword is compiled by Saranda which over the past year has become enormously popular with readers. The winning entry to be drawn by us will receive £100 of RHS gift tokens. Completed entries should be sent to Mount House, Halse, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3AD. Closing date Friday, 25th April.

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The Country Gardener

Quizzing Dozen

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How many of these quite tough questions can you manage to get right?

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1.

2.

Which Kings of England lived at Kew Palace at Kew Gardens?

6.

What fruit comes in varieties of Orlo Blanco, Pink, Ruby Red, Thompson and Pink?

When should beans be planted to bring good luck?

7.

What is the most common bird in the UK?

What were brought to Britain from Germany by Sir Charles Isham in 1847?

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4.

Which flower is also the goddess of the rainbow in Greek Mythology?

Helianthus is another name for which flower?

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5.

The Major Oak is one of the most famous and most visited trees in England. Where is it to be found?

Which flower grown and picked at Osborne on the Isle of Wight has been carried by royal brides since the 1850’s?

10.

What tree contains all five vowels?

3.

Word Search

This month's Word Search is based on gardening terms

APIARY BALUSTRADE BAREROOT BEE HOTEL BOG GARDEN CORM CLUMP COPPICE CORBEILLE DEADHEAD DECIDUOUS ESPALIER GAZEBO GRAFTING HA HA KNOT GARDEN OBELISK PARTERRE PINETUM POLLARD RAISED BED ROCKERY STUMPERY SUNDIAL TERRACOTTA TOPIARY TROMPE L’OEIL VINERY

Answers QUIZZING DOZEN: 1. George II and George III 2. Good Friday 3. Wren 4. Iris 5. Sherwood Forest 6. Grapefruit 7. Garden gnomes 8. Sunflower 9. Myrtle 10. Sequoia UNSCRAMBLE: 1. Arran Pilot 2. Maris Piper 3. Pentland Javelin 4. King Edward 5. Pink Fir Apple 6. Kestrel

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Country Gardener

38 39

40

41 42

43

45

44

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ACROSS 1. Tall tropical plant cultivated for its oil (6) 4. Tall West African hardwood trees (6) 8. Farmland or garden left uncultivated (6) 13. A tapering medieval dagger (6) 14. English gardener and naturalist (15701638) (4, 10) 16. Common name of Colutea arborescens (7-5) 17. To make someone feel resentful (8) 18. Removing the main body or stalk of a plant or shrub (8) 19. Validate or verify (12) 21. A leaf composed of four leaflets (13) 23. A small wooded hollow (4) 26. Having a margin finely notched like certain leaves (9) 28. Relating to the country where Oreomecon nudicaulis grows (9) 31. Line behind which players throw darts (4) 33. Name sometimes given to the elephant foot yam (8, 5) 37. The art of garden cultivation and management (12) 38. The existence of a tree (8) 40. Payment from public funds for poorer people to go to court (5, 3) 41. Plant with double flower heads and a spiky appearance (6, 6) 43. People who find water using a divining rod (14) 44. Ailanthus altissima or Tree of ______ (6) 45. White poplars (6) 46. A black liquid used in lithography (6) 47. Grand National hero who was the apple of Ginger's eye! (3, 3) DOWN 1. Juneberry, saskatoon or sugarplum (8) 2. Soldierly or army rabble (11) 3. Fruit of a tree native to New South Wales and Queensland (9, 3) 5. Spanish for flowers (6) 6. Buttercups belong to this genus (10) 7. The fruit of the true service tree (4) 9. A hormone that adapts plants to suit different weather features (9)

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10. Strand of conducting vessels extending from the stem to the base of the leaf (4, 5) 11. Common name of Cicuta, a genus of poisonous plants (5-7) 12. Common name of Aplectrum hyemale, an orchid (4, 3, 3) 15. A worker who thins out and trims trees (6) 20. Old pop group perhaps named after the genus Ilex (7) 22. Ornament resembling a small flower (7) 24. This genus comprises about 200 species of plants known as figworts (12) 25. Family name of the poppy (12) 27. These flowers are also called laceleaf and pigtail plants (10) 29. Name sometimes given to Trifolium repens (5, 6) 30. Caribbean trees sometimes called West Indian locusts (10) 32. Alternative name for Ruta graveolens (4, 5) 34. Pierced with small holes (6) 35. Knock out of position (8) 36. An important genus of mosses (8) 39. Stellaria holostea - an invasive plant also known as ______wort (6) 42. Comfrey or ____bone (4)

Answers from previous issue, March 2025: S O L

I

D A G O

T O T A R A

C O A A D A R A S P B E R R I E S

D R A G O

E P E A L C A P E V E R D E

U E D G B R O A D L E A F

T I L I O A H O U S E P L A N T S

N U A M E N T D S C N Y M P H

O M U S S S N E P O L

I

N O F E R O E V N O I S

P S T E A B L I T E E I S R L U T I O N

A A M C C S L S L T E R R A C E T T E A I L S A C R A E B N O U M E A T

E I G G

G L A S G O W R A N G E R S B R E R E D E B P Y B T S I D R R O S E R O O T C A L A M I T O U S L Y A E B T L N L U H M O V I M I A P O P C L

E C A M E R A G R E Y S T O K E C L A N E E W A H Y S I S C A R E Y S T R E E T E A E E E E I R E

H E A P S

M A L A D Y

I

D O L

I

S E R

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Reach a passionate and affluent audience of gardening enthusiasts Circulating 100,000 copies which are distributed to over 500 outlets If you would like to advertise your business or service in our magazines, please contact ava@countrygardener.co.uk Tel: 01278 786139

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PLANT SALE Spring Bedding Plants available Order your Hanging Baskets now Shrubs, Perennials & Alpines Climbers & Trees Logs, Coal & Kindling available Compost & Decorative Gravel Ornamental Pots Find us on Facebook Open every day Godney Road, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 9AF and at Street Roundabout BA16 OEP

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at West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, Taunton TA2 8NE on Saturday 26th April 2025 10am to 12:30pm Specialist Nursery and HPS Member Stalls with quality, locally grown, interesting and unusual plants.

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35

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36

Garages

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Ex-display buildings for sale | Anything to order

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The Terracotta Pot and Gift Shop Stockists of frostproof pots and garden ornaments from Greece and around the world as well as a host of other gifts and bits and pieces Open every day Eastoke Corner, Hayling Island, Hants P011 9LU 02392 637590

Triscombe Nurseries Former Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden established over 60 years ago. We have an extensive range of shrubs, ornamental and native trees, fruit trees and hedging plants.

BROWNE’S GARDEN CENTRE Come and relax in our coffee shop and then select from our large selection of container grown shrubs, perennials, roses, fruit & ornamental trees Huge selection of terracotta & glazed pots Fencing, paving & aggregates Plus all your garden sundry requirements

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Open 7 days a week | 01963 440464 Mon-Sat 7.30am - 5.30pm | Sunday 10am - 4pm www.countrygardener.co.uk

37

TREE SPECIALIST

Protection for our ANCIENT

TREES

I saw a programme on the television regarding a campaign by the Woodland Trust to record all our ancient trees and lobby for them to receive listed building status.

The programme particularly mentioned some ancient yews.

I waited for some mention of Tim Hills and the Ancient Yew Group, who have been recording the location and dimensions of Ancient Yews in this country for more than 20 years (look up their website, they are all there).

Oh well, I was sure that Ted Green and Jill Butler of the Ancient Tree Forum would be given a mention.

After all, it was their idea years ago to start lobbying the Government for ancient trees to be given the same status as listed buildings, whilst also inspiring the formulation of the Ancient Tree Register, where people can send in the details of ancient trees in their area for inclusion on the list.

Not a dickie bird.

If one didn’t know better, one might imagine that the Woodland Trust had just thought the whole thing up and was beginning a register of ancient trees from scratch!

Now, I have occasionally been involved over many years with matters or situations which ended up being reported in some kind of media. I have to say that I have

Editorial

Magazines

Publisher & Editor: Alan Lewis alan@countrygardener.co.uk Tel: 01823 431767

Time Off

Kate Lewis timeoff@countrygardener.co.uk

never seen a 100 per-cent accurate report on anything.

The only publication you can fully trust is the Country Gardener magazine.

For this reason, I am not suggesting that the Woodland Trust would be stupid enough to ignore highly intelligent, learned people who have dedicated a significant chunk of their lives to the protection of ancient trees. It was just bizarre that the documentary seemed to suggest it.

The proposition, that ancient trees are given similar status to listed buildings, is important. However, it will have to be carefully managed. Ancient trees have already been given enhanced status in the planning system, and I have seen council officers trying to give ordinary ‘old’ trees ‘ancient’ status to increase their negative influence on a planning application.

If they continue to try that they will discredit the whole process.

I am sure you are all aware of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and Conservation Areas which offer trees protection. A status like listed buildings would change a couple of things significantly. Firstly, trees which are dead or dangerous are exempted from TPOs and ‘dangerous’ can be a very elastic word. Hollow, gnarly old ancient trees are often at risk of being felled by health and safety fanatics – particularly if it suits their

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purpose. Listed status would remove that risk and probably reduce the liability of the tree owner at the same time.

Secondly, TPOs only prevent actions – if your tree has a TPO you do not have to do anything to nurture it, it is very much on its own. However, anybody with a listed building will know that you have a legal obligation to maintain it; you cannot just let it fall down.

If the same were true of ‘listed trees’ the situation would arise that, rather than felling a tree on the grounds that it is dangerous, the owner would have to take reasonable steps to make it safe whilst still retaining it.

That would be a massive game changer for our precious ancient trees.

The Ancient Tree Forum runs courses for understanding and managing veteran trees. I went on the course in 2023 – it is very good.

People who did the course and took the exam after it are going to be needed, because all this stuff has to be done from knowledge not whims.

Mark Hinsley, of Mark Hinsley Arboricultural Consultants Ltd, offering tree consultancy services. www.treeadvice.info

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The Country Gardener magazines are distributed FREE at Nurseries, garden centres, National Trust Properties, open gardens, garden machinery specialists, country stores and farm shops in each county. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or made available in any form, without the written permission of the copyright holder and Publisher, application for which should be made to the Publisher. Unsolicited material: do not send or submit your only version of manuscripts and/or photographs/transparencies to us as these cannot be returned to you. While every care is taken to ensure that material submitted is priced accurately and completely, we cannot be responsible or liable for any loss or damage suffered.

Views and/or opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of Country Gardener or the Publisher. Printed by Mortons Print Ltd, Morton Way, Boston Road Industrial Estate, Horncastle, LN9 6JR.

38

Country Gardener

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39

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