Alice Allan’s nature inspired book

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Englefield Green writer Alice Allan’s new book The Whispering Trees is inspired by her love of the natural world and conservation 

A love letter to her home county of Devon is how author Alice Allan has described her latest book The Whispering Trees. 

As the wife of a diplomat Alice travelled extensively with postings in Japan, Ethiopia and Uzbekistan and was admittedly often homesick. 

“The Whispering Trees is my love letter to my home county of Devon and allowed me to imaginatively live back in Devon while I was writing it,” Alice explains. “The book’s themes, which include the delicate balance of nature, and the role of farmers as stewards of the countryside, reflect my keen interest in conservation and the environment.” 

Her book has been described as “a pinch of magic” by Amanda Craig in The New Statesman who named it as her top young adult (13+) pick for 2024. Nature writer Robert Macfarlane has called it “a terrific book: at once haunting, witty and witchy, with the tang of the real to it as well as the shiver of the uncanny”. 

The book follows Liv, a teenager who moves from the city to a small village in rural Devon. She hears a voice on a mysterious hill which seems to be speaking to her. The exciting, magical read touches on conservation, farming and the environment.  

Liv has issues at school to contend with and her mum wants to move back to the city. Telling her parents she wants to become a vet and stay in Devon are the least of her troubles as the voice on the hill has an urgent message that only Liv can interpret. 

Such is Alice’s love of the environment she is co-founder of The Englefield Green Team, a passion which she has passed on to her two daughters. “We have planted wildflowers on the bank of our village green, established fruit and nut seeds to help bio-diversity and provide food for local communities. We even won a Bee-Friendly award for the village last year!”, she enthuses. 

When not helping to conserve our natural world, Alice loves to spend time in Windsor Great Park with her “very ancient Ethiopian street dog Frank” exploring wide open spaces that include 900-year-old oak trees which she calls a “privilege”. 

Her day job involves working in emergency communications, writing and podcasting about some of the most pressing and scary humanitarian, health and climate emergencies. She has also recently run a nature writing workshop at the Sam Beare bookshop in Egham and was encouraged to discover the different ways in which the natural world speaks to people. 

The Whispering Trees is available from Amazon and Waterstones. 

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The Savoy Singers: She Loves Me

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Jo Langdon tells us all about The Savoy Singers’ latest production, a delightful musical performance to warm your heart

The Savoy Singers, renowned for their vibrant and engaging Gilbert & Sullivan productions, are excited to step into new territory with their latest show, She Loves Me.  

This heartwarming classic will be performed at Camberley Theatre from 12th-15th March, promising an enchanting evening of song, laughter and romance. 

She Loves Me tells the story of Georg and Amalia, two feuding clerks in a 1950s parfumerie who, unbeknownst to each other, are romantic pen pals. Based on the play Parfumerie by Miklós László, the book by Joe Masteroff (Cabaret) with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof), it’s a delightful tale that has charmed audiences worldwide with its wit, charm and unforgettable score, including the beloved songs Vanilla Ice Cream, Tonight at Eight and She Loves Me. 

Director Bridget Biggar says: “She Loves Me is a gem of a musical! It’s really funny, the characters are real and relatable, and the music is lyrical and memorable. Each character has at least one wonderful song. By the same team who wrote Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me isn’t performed very often as it doesn’t have a traditional chorus and principals structure. 

“The theme of two feuding parfumerie shop employees who are unaware that they are actually romantic pen-pals, has been taken by Hollywood and made into the much beloved film You’ve Got Mail. 

“We are so lucky to have some truly star-quality principals at The Savoy Singers. I think it speaks volumes that one of our 26-year-old stars said to me ‘I have to say, I have fallen in love with this show. On my way to work and back, I have the 2016 Broadway soundtrack on repeat – I love it! Thank you for involving me in this wonderful show!” 

The amateur operatic group was founded in 1969 and are celebrated for their award-winning Gilbert& Sullivan operettas such as The Pirates of Penzance, The Grand Duke and The Sorcerer and are embracing the new challenge of the Broadway-style musical, She Loves Me. 

I have been singing with the society for 14 years and love it. I hope this brilliantly funny romantic musical will inspire more people to join us. The joy of singing and acting is a real buzz and is a great escape from the craziness of today’s busy lives. We hope that by attracting new members to the society, we’ll be able to continue performing for another 50 years. 

For more information visit: savoysingers.org.uk/ or to buy tickets, visit camberleytheatre.co.uk/events/she-loves-me 

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Art to make you ‘appy!

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

AppArt celebrates 30 years of arts for everyone, the annual Easter Art Exhibition and Sculpture Trail, April 5th-20th, with artists from all over including Alton and the surrounding area as Gwyn Phillips tells us

AppArt continues its tradition of having a very eclectic mix of artworks with something for everyone to experience and enjoy. 

The current venue is Prior’s Field School and the event has grown into one of the major art exhibitions in the South East of England. 

Lisa Bartlett “is excited by colour and for her each painting is a new journey. She plays with paint to discover colour, texture and light, exploring to find colours that really bring a picture to life.” Dahlia Delight is a bold and vibrant example of her work. 

Animals of all kinds are a popular theme with several Alton artists. Andrea Meakin’s highly detailed and realistic portraits are exemplified by Whiskers a very alert hare. Water is a common theme for Sean Kennedy and Turtle Reef is a lively acrylic painting that conveys the steady and majestic progress of the creature. Many of Toni Goffe’s works have a humorous element to them and Blossom Blossomed surprisingly is a cow  festooned in pink? A different medium is employed to great effect by Marion Davis and a Hunters Moon is a delightful lino cut print of a watchful fox at night. Pat Clarke’s Cat and Cow Parsley is a charming and well executed painting in an attractive setting. 

Len Murrell’s favourite subject is boats and rivers. Faversham Creek in Kent is a watercolour that captures the wharf scene in great detail. A different approach is taken by Susannah Acland and her seascape of Wittering which uses acrylics and pastel oils and “allows her a freedom of expression, where brushstrokes are fluid and intuitive, creating a less detailed interpretation of the landscape”. 

Kate Davis’s work is characterized by a vibrant, joyful colour palette, blending intricate details with abstract elements. Evening Light captures the warm glow of the setting sun as it filters through the trees. Created in pen and wash, this artwork celebrates the beauty of twilight and the interplay of light and shadow on the tree trunks. Lorraine Mills’ dramatic abstract painting Ice Thaw employs colours that give you a sense of the cold and the change taking place in the landscape. Diana Snow employs several different mediums including collage and Golden City provides a silhouette of a high rise urban area. 

AppArt’s exhibition is open daily from 10am to 4pm. Admission free. More information at appartonline.co.uk and facebook/AppArtSurrey

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Make a racquet at Padel

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Pick up your padel & have a go at the sport that’s gripping the nation. Discover it for yourself at Advantage Padel in Kingsley

re you a padelista? Have you been bitten by the padel bug? The racquet sport started in Mexico in the 1960s and while it has taken a while for players here to fall in love with it, it is now the ‘hot’ sport to play with David Beckham among its army of fans.  

And now it’s your turn to give it a go with the opening of Advantage Padel in Kingsley, near Bordon. The state-of-the-art new facility offers seven courts, the first multiple indoor courts in Hampshire. Alongside private changing rooms, free parking and a sports shop with racquet hire, padelistas will be able to enjoy the bistro, licensed bar and specially brewed coffee. 

Want to give it a go? Advantage Padel will feature coaching sessions for all ages and skill levels, competitive leagues and social events as well as hosting regional, national and international tournaments, attracting players and spectators from far and wide. 

The club will be fully equipped in the summer when it will hold events including founders’ day, with celebrity attendance, competitions and media events including lessons and reviews of all things Padel. A grand opening event is planned to celebrate featuring exhibition matches with top-ranked players, free coaching clinics and family friendly activities.  

Lewis Deyong of Advantage Padel said: “Our goal is to make Advantage Padel the place where people of all ages can come to enjoy this exciting sport, improve their skills and be part of a thriving community.” 

Adding that anyone is welcome from beginner to expert, Lewis explained: “Padel is an inclusive, sociable game – just pull on your sports kit, come along and have a go. We can provide the racquets, partners of your level, and intend to make sure you thoroughly enjoy the padel experience. At Advantage Padel get ready to enjoy the sport for a lifetime.” 

See advantagepadel.co.uk for further details 

What is padel? 

The racquet sport uses the same scoring system as lawn tennis – 0, 15, 30, 40 with the game played to best of three sets. 

The game is mainly played in the doubles format, with players using solid racquets with no strings.  

Padel balls are smaller than those used in tennis and players serve underarm. 

The padel court is 20m long and 10m wide, divided in the middle by a net. The court is enclosed entirely at the back (the width of the court) and partially on the sides (4m in length) with solid walls. The height of the back wall and sidewalls is 3m. The rest of the court is enclosed with mesh wire that is also 3m high. 

Points are won if the ball bounces twice, the ball strikes you or a teammate or if the ball hits wire fencing or another fixture before going over the net or going into the opponent’s court. 

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Henley Festival launches Emerging Artist Prize

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

New award will honour up and coming visual artists with work to be exhibited at the Audi High RISE Gallery

Henley Festival is launching a new prize rewarding trailblazing emerging talent in the visual arts space called ‘RISE by Henley Festival Emerging Artist Prize’.

The award forms part of Henley Festival’s charitable mission to support the next generation of talent through its RISE programme.

The UK’s only black-tie music and arts festival is an experience like no other: world-class music set alongside stellar comedy and cabaret, stunning art galleries and sculpture installations, roving performers, as well as dining, drinks, dancing and simply jaw-dropping fireworks. Among the big names this year are Diana Ross, Rick Astley, McFly and Jamie Cullum.

But, it’s more than just an unmissable event: the Festival’s RISE programme gives a unique platform for aspiring professionals in music (who perform on the dedicated RISE stage), visual art (with artists exhibiting in the Audi High RISE gallery) and production (with backstage students working across the site with the best lighting and sound companies in the industry.)

The new ‘RISE by Henley Festival Emerging Artist Prize’ is set to give recognition and awareness to outstanding emerging visual artists who are in the early stages of their career or are still establishing a reputation as an artist amongst art curators, buyers and critics.

Three finalists will be selected, with a first prize of £1,000 and two runners-up prizes of £500 each. The three finalists will also have the exciting opportunity to exhibit their work at the Audi High RISE Gallery at Henley Festival 2025, from 9th-13th July. The Festival is renowned for pioneering spectacular festival art, annually featuring a stunning array of paintings, prints, sculptures, drawings and so much more, transforming the scenic Thames riverside into an immersive outdoor gallery.

Submissions for the prize open on 14th February and close on 14th April. The shortlist of artists will be announced on 30th April and finalists on 7th May. A panel of judges, chosen by RISE by Henley Festival, will be announced shortly.

For more information about the RISE by Henley Festival Emerging Artist Prize and how to enter, visit the Festival website at www.henley-festival.co.uk

“The RISE programme is at the core of everything we do at Henley Festival, and we are thrilled to be expanding our support of new talent with the introduction of our inaugural visual arts prize. RISE by Henley Festival Emerging Artist Prize will sit alongside our music prize (the Westcoast RISING Star Award) in championing and celebrating outstanding achievement and great potential,” said Emma Ellis, Head of RISE programme development at Henley Festival.

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They seek him here…

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Accidental spy John Merrett had an uncanny knack for being able to evade capture as author and journalist Michael Smith tells us

John Merrett was an accidental spy. One of a number of British expatriates who had built up businesses in St Petersburg, the capital of Tsarist Russia.  

The owner of a large and successful engineering company, he was a longstanding member of the city’s British expatriate business community. Their lives were changed completely by the 1917 Russian revolution.  

In September 1918, the Bolsheviks stormed the British embassy, in what was now called Petrograd, and arrested a number of British intelligence officers. With the British spy networks under threat, one of the few secret service officers still around handed Merrett 200,000 roubles and asked him to keep the networks running, collecting their reports and handing them to couriers who would smuggle them across the Finnish border. Merrett had absolutely no experience as a spy but he did have a good deal of common sense and ingenuity. He not only kept the networks running, he began using the courier lines to smuggle British citizens out of Russia to safety.  

At one point he was arrested by the paramilitary Red Guards. “Fortunately, I succeeded in escaping on my way to prison,” he said, “and was thereafter only able to avoid rearrest by adopting disguises and sleeping in ever-changing and out-of-the-way quarters.” One of the British businessmen Merrett got out of Russia described him as a “Scarlet Pimpernel” never where the Bolshevik agents who were trying to track him down expected him to be. 

When Paul Dukes was sent from London to take over the networks, he was told Merrett had been arrested. But he reached out to some of the British agents and a few days later, one of them turned up with what Dukes described as “a huge fellow, whose stubble-covered face brimmed over with smiles, beaming good nature and jollity. This giant was dressed in a rough and tagged brown suit and in his hand, he squeezed a dirty hat”. It was Merrett.  

In his report to London, Dukes said Merrett was in constant personal danger. “I found him in hiding, changing his abode every night, in various disguises. I formed the judgement in those days that Mr Merrett was actuated partly, perhaps, by a love of adventure, but mainly by a sense of duty towards the British in Petrograd.” Dukes had Merrett and his wife Lydia swiftly smuggled out of Russia down the same escape lines the businessman had himself created. 

Read more about spies like this in Michael Smith’s book Six: The Real James Bonds, published by Biteback. 

Want to chat spies or books with Michael? Get in touch at editor@roundandabout.co.uk 

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Living willow sculptures

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Willow can make an eye-catching addition to your garden as gardening expert Cathie Welch tell us

I have woven dried willow into baskets and animals. I have made living willow trellises, arches and tunnels but this year I have taken it to a whole new level sculpting the actual plants. I was inspired by a walk around Wisley lake to see these incredible works of art. 

Growing Willow 

There are many types of willow from the wild pussy willows to the colourful stems, similar to dogwoods, that we plant for winter colour. They are particularly successful in damp conditions in bog gardens and sound waterways. People are often put off because they grow so big but there are ways around that. It needs a little knowledge and some artistic licence! 

Propagating Willow 

Willow root readily from hardwood cuttings taken from autumn through to early spring when they are dormant. My propagation classes will be doing this. Take a section of stem ideally from the current season’s growth and cut just below a bud at the base and just above a bud at the top. It’s possible to root them from long willow rods and these are excellent if you want to make a walkway. 

Pruning Willows 

Often the trees are pollarded to the top of the trunk and you can do this with a smaller one in the garden. Don’t be afraid to cut it back to a stump every spring. Once the new growth has dropped all its leaves and looks amazing, it is ready to sculpt. 

How to learn with CGS 

Drop me a line, book a visit or check the website. Join in the learning fun! 

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Author Alice Fowler at Cranleigh Library

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Guildford inspiration for short story collection The Truth Has Arms and Legs

Event details

Award-winning local author Alice Fowler will be speaking at Cranleigh Library on March 20th from 6-7pm. Alice will discuss her collection of short stories, The Truth Has Arms and Legs, local inspiration and her path to publication. Tickets cost £3. Book at Cranleigh Library or email cranleigh.library@surreycc.gov.uk

Guildford’s Literary Legacy

Here she explains how Guildford has provided plenty of inspiration for her books, including new short story collection The Truth Has Arms And Legs.

For creative types, there’s something about Guildford… Lewis Carroll (the Rev Charles Dodgson) famously completed Alice Through the Looking Glass while staying with his sisters in the town. Comic novelist PG Wodehouse was born here (though he soon left for Hong Kong and, later, America). Novelist Kazuo Ishiguro lived in Guildford from the age of six:, recalling a land of puddles, squashed hedgehogs and branches scraping the roof of his double-decker bus.

Alice Fowler’s Inspiration

While I certainly don’t count myself among these literary greats, I too have drawn creative inspiration from living here. My debut short story collection, The Truth Has Arms And Legs – published in July and attracting great reviews – would never have been written without my love for Guildford and the nearby Surrey Hills.

Let me explain. When I arrived in Guildford ten years ago, a career as a print journalist meant the editing muscle in my brain was far too big and critical. As a writer, I was blocked.

Discovering the town’s rich history and landscapes changed all that. For writers, there’s a physical benefit in connecting with our neighbourhood: the link between the steps we take out walking, and the rhythm of our words.

My story Dancing in the Grass describes what happens when a woman’s search for wild orchids takes a sinister turn. It’s entirely fictional, but the germ of the idea certainly comes from the orchids I see on my frequent walks on Merrow Downs. Another prize-winning story, The Race, draws inspiration from local history. Three years ago, I chanced on a news feature about the gypsies (as they were called then) living at the Hurtwood, close to Peaslake, in the 1920s. Surrey County Council provided the community with a “school on wheels” and the uneasy relationship between the gypsies and villagers helped me find the “voice” for that story.

Developing Your Writing

For anyone interested in developing their own fiction writing skills, I warmly recommend creative writing classes. Surrey Adult Learning runs classes in Guildford and Woking, while the Guildford Institute offers weekly workshops. Attending and reading out one’s work, as well as hearing other writers read theirs, is an invaluable experience.

For myself, walking up Guildford’s wonderful granite-setted High Street, I find it hard not to imagine the people who once walked this way before me. My historical novel, currently under way, draws on the lives of two real-life characters in Victorian Guildford and reimagines them in unexpected ways.

Wherever you live – whether it’s history that inspires you or gritty urban life – dig deep into your local area. You’ll be surprised at the wealth of inspiration waiting to be found.

Buy The Truth Has Arms And Legs, published by Fly On The Wall Press, at flyonthewallpress.co.uk, Waterstones and Amazon.

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Be a Guide Dogs Puppy Raiser!

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Guide Dogs is one of the UK’s leading sight loss charities whose work helps change the lives of thousands of people each year. Now they are asking for your help with a bark out for puppy raisers

Rewarding, fulfilling, a sense of worth and pride are just some of the emotions puppy raisers experience and if the adorable pictures on the cover and here aren’t enough to inspire you to help, then read on…  

There are more than 1,000 visually impaired people currently waiting for assistance dogs according to charity Guide Dogs who have launched an appeal for volunteer puppy raisers.  

Puppy raisers can literally help change someone’s life. Introduce a 6-8 week old pup into your home and you’re preparing him or her for their future ‘career’ as a guide dog. They’ll become part of your family for 12-16 months while you train and socialise them, introducing them to new experiences and environments. There will be ups and downs and chewed slippers and perhaps a few ‘wee-related accidents’ along the way but you’ll have the knowledge of knowing you’re improving the life of someone with sight loss.  

Bex & Jolly

Local puppy raiser Bex Hellings, pictured, tells her story inspired by her nan who had gone blind and decided to do it in her memory. “Being a puppy raiser is so many things, it’s a year of hard work, it’s emotional, it’s a test of patience, it’s a lot of fun, a lot of walking and most importantly it’s helping to train your puppy so that they can be accepted into formal Guide Dog training. 

“It’s like being handed a baby that soon grows into a mischievous toddler and then into a teenager before your eyes! It’s quite a journey to go on, you make a lovely bond with your puppy and show them the world and help them grow up resilient and eager to learn. 

“You meet a great bunch of people and have a support network around you all the time. There are puppy classes to attend and group trips on buses, trains and the airport to name just a few places. 

“I became a puppy raiser because I’ve always loved animals but didn’t go down the route of working with them when I left college so I was finally at a point in my family life where I had time to dedicate to a puppy. My youngest daughter was going to nursery three full days a week and my other two daughters were at school all day.  

“Jolly’s future owner will also be getting the most loving, sweet dog and I couldn’t be prouder than to have been a part of that.”

“My nan had gone blind in her last five years of life and puppy raising was something I had decided a long time ago that I wanted to do in her memory. It just had to be the right time for me and my family.” 

Along came Jolly! Bex continues: “My puppy is called Jolly and she’s in the final stages of her training in London. In the next couple of months she will be matched with her new owner. The person this journey I’ve been on was all for them. For Jolly to change their life for the better, to give them independence and confidence to go out into the world with a pair of eyes seeing for them. Jolly’s future owner will also be getting the most loving, sweet dog and I couldn’t be prouder than to have been a part of that. 

“Saying goodbye to Jolly was really tough but she came back to stay with us over Christmas and I will see her again at her training centre before she moves on to the most important stage of her life – being a guide dog.   

“The sadness I’ve felt has been overridden by pride and a feeling of accomplishment. Being a puppy raiser is an amazing thing to do… and when you say goodbye you can also have another puppy waiting in the wings to start all over again!” 

Getting Started

Puppy Development Supervisor Sophie Boorman says: “Looking after one of our pups is a big commitment and takes lots of kindness and patience, but we provide all the support and training you need. We want all our puppy raisers to feel well equipped and supported throughout.  

“Our puppy raisers are a vital part of a guide dog’s life journey, learning so many of their early life skills and gaining experiences and socialisation in a safe way with these volunteers. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a puppy gain new skills and confidence.  

“We encourage anyone who is interested in becoming a puppy raiser to reach out or to check our website for roles available in their area. We also have plenty of other ways to help out for people who may be interested in a different type of volunteer role!”  

Guide Dogs ask that you have a loving home and time to invest in their development and daily needs, for example toilet training. You should have access to a car so pup can get used to travelling and be able to handle large breed dogs, 25-40kg. Puppies can live happily with other dogs and children.  

And if proof were needed as to how life changing a guide dog can be with your help as a puppy raiser, blind and visually impaired owners talk of the “sky being the limit”, saying “he’s simply given me my life back! I’ve regained so much of the confidence I lost”. 

To find out more and apply to be a puppy raiser visit Guide Dogs: Puppy Raisers

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Spruce up your gardens

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

Create a landscape you love with a garden makeover, do the ground work now and come summer you’ll be able to sit back, relax and enjoy your handiwork

Spring is just around the corner and although it seems to be rather slowly creeping in there is the promise of warmer days and fairer weather to come, which all means one thing… 

It’s time to get out in the garden. 

If you have been looking at yours lamentably over the last couple of months as the veil of winter covers your lawn and beds then now’s the time to lift the ‘duvet’ and get out there and give it a new lease of life. 

But where to start, if you’re looking for inspiration then a visit to a Royal Horticultural Society garden – or at this time of year, the website – will help ideas blossom and while you can’t go full on Chelsea Flower Show, you’ll pick up a barrow full of ideas. 

Some of the key themes emerging are sustainability once again, gardens for wellbeing and in the spotlight this year, dog-friendly gardens. Chelsea, May 20th-24th, will feature a Monty Don-designed garden for our canine companions, celebrating “our deep love of dogs and gardens we share with them”. The RHS is joining with BBC Radio 2 for this to inspire the nation of dog lovers to create green havens for them and their pets. 

The garden will focus on dog-friendly plants, natural fencing and features to get tails wagging. Pet-safe water features and shady spots for summer lounging will be popular additions to gardens. If your furry friend is a digger you may want to consider swapping delicate lawns for more resilient grass mixes and how about stabilised gravel paths to stop it being scattered everywhere by paws. 

Developing the sustainability theme which has flourished in recent years will continue with the RHS predicting gardeners will swap traditional planting choices for those more akin to a greener future. 

Clare Matterson, Director General of the RHS, said: “The UK’s 30 million gardeners hardly conform to type. You just have to look at the wide variety of gardening styles on display at our shows and down our streets to see that inspiration can be taken from anywhere, something the RHS will be celebrating in 2025. But issues of sustainability increasingly unite this difference with plants chosen not only for the emotional response they illicit but their broader environmental benefits.”  

Edible landscaping will grow in 2025 so you can expect to see more fruit trees and bushes, herb borders, stylish veggie patches and plants to encourage pollination. 

Guy Barter, Chief Horticulturist at the RHS, said: “Gardens never stand still and 2025 is likely to see not only new, exciting planting choices but new ways of designing, growing and maintaining spaces.” 

Hand in hand with the environmental benefits of gardening go the benefits to us and our wellbeing, another key trend for Chelsea this year with small space gardens focusing on this in particular with gardens taking inspiration from colour therapy and connecting to water to evoke tranquillity. Each garden in the category is celebrating ways in which we can take care of ourselves through gardening. 

Relaxation and mindfulness will be at the forefront allowing you to nurture body and mind, think soothing water features, soft lighting and seating areas to chill in. Plants known for their calming properties will be popular with lavender, jasmine and chamomile all adding to the sense of tranquillity as does the colour green itself which you can expect to see at Chelsea in various hues.  

Small space gardens will also benefit from vertical planting with climbing plants and shrubs against fences and other garden structures adding height, colour and texture. 

Garden design is constantly evolving and offering gardeners more possibilities and there’s plenty of inspiration out there at your local garden centre and from landscapers, including those below:

Surrey

The centrepiece of many gardens is the lawn and GreenThumb Guildford couldn’t agree more. They are passionate about giving you a lawn you can truly enjoy – from tired and weed infested to a beautiful, green carpet for your outdoor space. Three year-round lawn treatment programmes ensure your lawn is looking vibrant and healthy all year long. These include seasonal fertilisers, weed control, aeration, scarification and pest and disease treatments. Each GreenThumb lawn treatment is bespoke to the needs of your lawn; carried out by lawn specialists, and using only the best products, to help your lawn thrive.

Everyone deserves an outdoor space they love. Whatever your budget or vision, Kebur Garden Materials will help transform your garden with quality landscaping supplies. The one-stop shop stocks over 2,500 products, from paving and decking to fencing and aggregates, all with free local delivery. No matter the size of your project, the friendly team will guide you from product selection to delivery and aftercare. They also offer an award-winning installation service. Visit the displays or call six days a week – they’re there to help!

Verdis Horticultural specialise in bespoke garden design and planting projects that bring beauty and tranquility to any space. From lush, vibrant landscapes to elegant, low-maintenance gardens, the expert team will both design and install your project. Whether you seek a modern retreat or a classic English garden, Verdis Horticultural turn dreams into reality. Contact them today at hello@verdisuk.com or 01483 275920 and let nature inspire your home. 

Oxfordshire

If your garden project involves wood, then head to independent timber merchant Adhectic in Abingdon. Their bespoke machining and joinery service makes them stand out as does the expert advice they have been offering since the business started in 1959. The in-house joinery workshop can manufacture whatever you may need for your garden and with a range of products including timber and composite decking, fence posts, sleepers and feather edge board you can be sure your garden will soon be the envy of all.Give them a call on 01235 520738 to find out more.

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