In need of gardening inspiration? Visit Stonesfield open gardens and pick up some tips
Enjoy the glory of nine open gardens in Stonesfield on Sunday, 23rd June, including some which have never been open to the public before.
Organised by Stonesfield Gardening Club, a number of gardens are opening in aid of local charities. There are a variety including a mix of flower beds with a productive vegetable garden including soft fruits and apple trees. The lawns are slowly being left to become meadows.
A garden for wildlife where you are asked to pause a while, maybe sit for a few minutes, smell the roses, listen to the bird song and the waterfall. Stepped gardens with shrub and herbaceous borders, wildflower orchard, fruit cages and kitchen garden and a peaceful, work in progress garden, full of labours of love from lockdown learnings. Come for the view not the gardening knowledge.
Entry is £6 per person, cash only (accompanied children under 16 free). Tickets and maps will be available from St James Centre, High Street, Stonesfield OX29 8PU where teas and plants are also on sale. Gardens are open 2pm-5.30pm, last tickets at 5pm.
Limited car parking will be available in Stonesfield Primary School opposite St James Centre.
Overstroud Cottage will open its gates again this month as part of the National Garden Scheme (NGS) local fundraisers
Overstroud Cottage, HP16 9Q, sits halfway up Frith Hill above Great Missenden. In the 17th century this cottage was used as Missenden Abbey’s fever house.
Thanks to The National Open Gardens Scheme, you can visit the gardens of this local treasure, owned by Mr & Mrs Jonathan Brooke on Sunday, 9th June, 2-5pm. Entry is £4 for adults (children free) and cream teas will be served at the nearby parish church.
The chalky soil has been tended on two levels to showcase a collection of 17th & 18th century plants including auriculas, hellebores, bulbs, pulmonarias, peonies, germaniums, dahlias, herbs and succulents. With its blue and white ribbon border, this garden, reminiscent of the late Margery Fish’s garden at East Lambrook Manor, is carved out of an old chalk quarry so the soil is alkaline.
The potager, edged with ‘step-over’ apples is featured is Joy Larkcom’s book, Creative Vegetable Gardening. Traffic noise has been lessened by a layered hedge, row of hornbeams and an ivy ‘fedge’ which forms the backdrop to a mini wildflower meadow. Visit National Garden Scheme (ngs.org.uk) for more info & open gardens.
Discover plants, garden and home accessories, art, design, sculpture, fashion, gifts and tempting foods and wine and more
The Garden Show is back to celebrate the 30th and the last at Stansted Park from June 7th to 9th.
Thirty years ago the first garden show at Stansted Park in Hampshire was created as a forum for the smaller family fun businesses and to showcase the work of talented artisans particularly those who couldn’t afford the larger, more commercial shows.
It’s a great opportunity to explore what’s on the doorstep; source new talent, designers and artisans. Browse affordable and handpicked companies showcasing the latest specialist plants, garden and home accessories, art, design, sculpture, fashion, gifts and then treat your taste buds to tempting foods and wines.
Pick up top tips from horticultural experts to solve those frustrating problems – as ever the specialist plantspeople will bring their knowledge and brilliant advice plus we have daily expert advice from The Gardening Doctor, Paul Slater, who will also be giving a Talk on Friday on ‘Plant Selection’. Also on Friday the show is joined by Dr Ian Bedford, entomologist, with The Pest Clinic to help solve any bug issues in as friendly a way as possible. On Saturday there is a Q&A Session on ‘Empowering Communities into Horticulture’ with Tayshan Hayden-Smith. Ben Cross from Crosslands Flower Nursery will also be back on the Sunday to extol, in his usual energetic way, on the ‘British Cut Flower Industry’… ‘British Flowers Rock’!
The Show’s chosen charity is CancerWise – www.cancerwise.org.uk – aspiring to be an enabling, compassionate community for people with cancer and those who care for them. Based in Chichester, offering support and information to anyone who is concerned about cancer. Through counselling, complementary therapies or emotional care, providing support to the mind, body, spirit and emotional health of people through and beyond cancer. They will be holding ‘A Giant Tombola’, prizes donated by the Garden Show Exhibitors, along with some fete fun games.
In memory of one of the original founders of the show, Lizzie Dymock, Tawny Nursery will be selling beautiful poppies in aid on CancerWise.
It’s not all about gardening with ongoing demonstrations including willow weaving, forging along with traditional chairs, broom, trug and fence making plus The Studio Shop artisans demonstrating and sharing their expertise on jewellery design, painting, photography, embroidery, felt making, woodwork along with so much more. Plus the opportunity to join in one of the Blacksmith Workshops and create a leaf to hang on The Tree of Life in aid of CancerWise.
There is plenty to engage your children & indeed the whole family: watch children play in the beautiful parklands, ride on the toddler fun fair with Carousel Amusements, watch Huxley Birds of Prey soar through the skies, learn circus skills with Crazee Hazee and enjoy the daily Punch & Judy shows as well as ‘have-a-go-archery’ with The Queens Archers.
Next year the show moves to Broadlands from June 6th to 8th.
Ticket prices on the gate: Adult £14. Senior £12. Child £5 (Age 5-16yrs. Under 5yrs free). Family £35 (inc 2A & 4C). Prebook and save 15%.
Well done to the team behind Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, who have just won three top prizes at RHS Wisley
The famous rhododendrons of Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens are in full bloom and have recently won three top prizes at the 2023 RHS Main Camellia, Early Rhododendron and Spring Ornamental Plants Competitions at RHS Wisley, Surrey. The winning Rhododendrons were ‘Muriel’ (Class 35), ‘Argipeplum’ (Class 29), and ‘Schlippenbachii’ (first prize).
The Grade I Listed gardens on the 240-acre Leonardslee estate were established by the Loder family, Victorian-era plant collectors. The estate is home to an exceptional collection of flora and fauna, featuring wallabies and deer roaming among seven interlaced lakes. Many of the plants are now very rare and threatened in their native habitats, says estate general manager Adam Streeter.
The RHS Wisley competition was organised in conjunction with the RCM Group – RHS Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia Group, of which King Charles in a patron. The group has gifted rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias to the King for a collection at Sandringham. Two plants closely associated with Leonardslee were included in the gift: Loderi King George which received the RHS Award of Merit in 1968, and Loderi Sir Joseph Hooker.
During their time cultivating the gardens at Leonardslee, the Loder family regularly competed in horticultural contests and won numerous medals and awards for their efforts. The last time this happened was under Sir Giles Loder in the 1970s. This year marks the first time the current gardening team, including Elliot Chandler and Dan Ainscough, has entered a Rhododendron competition. The current estate owners, since 2017, the Streeter family, plan to enter the Camellia categories at Wisley next year, eyeing the opportunity to win the Leonardslee Bowl, donated to the society by Sir Giles Loder.
Head gardener Jamie Harris says: “Leonardslee offers a perfect setting for growing rhododendrons, with an ericaceous loam and sandstone bedrock creating acidic soil conditions that are perfect for these plants, as well as the abundant camellias, magnolias, and conifers,” explains Jamie Harris.
In celebration of King Charles III’s coronation, Leonardslee is restoring the Coronation Garden, first created for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1952. It features the famed rhododendron Loderi King George, created by Sir Edmund Loder, along with over 30 other rhododendron grafts.
A garden with nature’s recovery at its heart will be premiered by The Wildlife Trusts at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival.
The Wildlife Trusts: Wilder Spaces garden promises to take wildlife-friendly gardening to a new level, combining beauty with biodiversity.
Wilder Spaces is sponsored by The Wildlife Trusts, led by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and its ecological consultancy Future Nature WTC. Working with experts from Oxford Garden Design, the team will demonstrate how wildlife habitats can be designed into the structure of a garden, using building waste, reclaimed material and untreated timbers. With biodiversity designed into the garden, hopes of winning a prestigious RHS medal are high.
The Wildlife Trusts believe gardening has a vital role to play in nature’s recovery, with long-term benefits for climate and people’s wellbeing too. The aim of the garden is to inspire visitors to think differently about the appearance of a garden designed for people and wildlife, and to show how we can all nurture nature, no matter what size or style of garden.
Estelle Bailey, BBOWT’s chief executive, said: “Nature is in crisis and not enough is being done to reverse this terrible decline in the UK’s biodiversity. We want to see 30% of land well managed for nature by 2030 and our gardens are a vital part of that wild jigsaw. Private gardens make up a bigger area than all of Britain’s nature reserves combined – they can provide a mosaic of mini-habitats that support a diverse range of species, so they are key to helping create more nature everywhere. RHS Malvern Spring Festival will be a great opportunity to showcase to people everywhere what they can achieve in their own gardens for nature, for climate and for themselves.”
The garden will include a range of nature and climate positive features, including grassland, wetland & deadwood, pollinator and larval friendly planting, a steam, waterfall and pond, a compost channel and hoverfly stumpery, recycled materials – timber, steel, building aggregate, a biodiverse roof and solitary bee columns & climate resilient planting and landscaping.
The garden features a watercourse that meanders through the plot towards a central pond and a section of bog planting. A pavilion, created in conjunction with Charlie Luxton Design and constructed from reclaimed steel joists and grating, will be topped with a living roof.
Oxford Garden Design, with Jamie Langlands as lead designer, is returning to the RHS Malvern Spring Festival following its successful 2022 show garden. Jamie has designed a garden that’s beautiful to behold and beneficial for the natural world. Jamie says: “I love creating spaces that are wild and untamed whilst having a little wonder within them.”
“I love creating spaces that are wild and untamed”
Sheena Marsh, owner and founder of Oxford Garden Design, which is also building the garden, said: “We are delighted to be working with BBOWT on The Wilder Spaces Garden, bringing together our learnings from BBOWT with Jamie’s creativity. We hope that this garden will inspire home owners to create wilder spaces in their own gardens.”
Once the RHS Malvern Spring Festival is over, the garden will be distributed across various Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust sites and projects. The seating will go to BBOWT’s College Lake visitor Centre, near Tring or Sutton Courtenay Education Centre’s wildlife garden near Didcot. The RHS Malvern Spring Festival runs from 11-14 May 2023 at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire.
Mark Gregory returns to RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023 with a “Plot To Plate” haven for Savills
“King of Chelsea”, Mark Gregory, is set to return to the RHS highlight for 2023 with a “plot to plate” garden for Savills.
The Savills Garden will be his 108th Chelsea show garden and marks his return to design in his 34th consecutive year. The Savills Garden is set within the grounds of a country hotel. Revealing an intimate walled seasonal potager, with the show’s first ever working kitchen at its heart.
“The garden will be a feast both for the eyes and for the palette”
Mark said: “I am incredibly proud to have designed this garden for Savills. I think it will speak to a lot of people and has, at its core, elements that are very close to my heart. A beautiful space, created considerately, that brings people together to enjoy fantastic food and great times. The garden will be a feast both for the eyes and for the palette, demonstrating that productive gardens can be both elegant and delightful.”
Designed to demonstrate an “edimental” planting theme, combining edibles and ornamental planting, the garden provides inspiration for a “plot-to-plate” alfresco dining experience. Ingredients will be foraged from the surrounding living larder and used to prepare delicious meals for the guests to enjoy in the adjoining dining area. Cementing the relationship between grower, guests and chef.
Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in this tranquil retreat, resting beneath a mature tree, taking time to reconnect with nature, enjoying the formal planting, whilst anticipating the taste experience to come. The aim of the space is to help change the way we think about our gardens, the way we eat and source our food. And to share ideas and knowledge that can be introduced into even the smallest of plots.
This evocative and aromatic garden will capture the sights, smells and tastes of a productive garden while also delivering a beautiful, elegant space and a haven for wildlife.
Following the show, in keeping with its sustainability commitment, Savills will work with the Shaw Trust, a national charity running employability programmes and complementary services for people with complex needs, to relocate the garden. It will be replanted at Meadow View House in Nottinghamshire for their residents to enjoy.
Additionally, Savills will work with existing charity partner Rethink Food, an organisation focused on educating school children on food security, to share learnings from the garden.
Richard Rees, Savills MD, said: “We are excited to be returning to Chelsea with a garden design that touches on so many themes that are core to the future success of our industry and gives us the opportunity to bring to life our commitment to promoting sustainable development. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of nature in our lived environment. Whether in an urban or rural setting, and Mark Gregory, five times Chelsea Gold Medal winner, has designed a garden that will be both stunning to the eye and packed full of learnings for us all.
“I look forward to seeing the garden relocated post show in conjunction with the Shaw Trust. An organisation committed to challenging inequality and breaking down barriers to enable social mobility. We also welcome the opportunity to further develop our employee engagement with Rethink Food, and to exploring with them issues around food production and food miles, sustainability and the learning and sharing of knowledge.”
Newbury Business Improvement District are launching a new Dog-Friendly Trail Map in time for National Dog Day
The handy pocket Dog-Friendly Trail Map has launched online in advance of National Dog Day on Friday, 26th August, to help raise awareness of Newbury’s dog-friendly venues in the town centre.
The guide also supports the national and independently owned cafes, coffee shops, pubs, and eateries.
Copies of the map are due to be distributed in matching display boxes to all 20 independent businesses and some of the national brands featured, as well as at the 48 independent businesses included on the Independent Retail Map, launched in July.
There will be a further map in late summer / early autumn, this time sporting a vegan-friendly theme
The Dog-Friendly map includes a brief description of each venue and is set to become a useful resource for dog owners to discover the best dog-walking routes within walking distance of the town centre, while signposting to dog-waste bins in and around the area to encourage keeping Newbury clean and tidy. View the map online at: visitnewbury.org.uk/maps.
The themed maps produced by the BID are the second in a series of town centre maps for Newbury under the umbrella term ‘Newbury Town Trail Maps’.
Newbury BID, the not-for-profit organisation behind the Visit Newbury brand will also be releasing a further map in late summer / early autumn, this time sporting a vegan-friendly theme. This map will promote 59 vegan-friendly businesses extending from hospitality to retail and hair and beauty venues across the town centre.
The aim of our beautifully illustrated pocket guides and online interactive Town Trails is to help support our local businesses and raise the profile of our wonderful town centre
Kirsty Lemberger, Marketing Manager at Newbury BID, says: “We’re so pleased with our dog-friendly trail maps and hope the handy pocket-sized format will encourage dog-walkers to use the map on a regular basis to locate dog waste bins in the town centre and enjoy exploring new dog-walking routes in the area.
“The aim of our beautifully illustrated pocket guides and online interactive Town Trails is to help support our local businesses and raise the profile of our wonderful town centre. Launching our dog friendly map in line with the nationally recognised National Dog Day will help to increase awareness further while supporting a cause important to dog-lovers in West Berkshire and beyond!”
Maps are available to collect across the town centre at most businesses featured on the map, and from Newbury Library, West Berkshire Museum, and in the Old Town Hall.
If you run a business in Newbury Town Centre and would like to be included on an upcoming map, please email: [email protected].
How does your garden grow? Does it rival Chelsea Flower Show or is it just patches of green and brown in need of some love and attention? Once it looks good, sit back and enjoy it in style and comfort
We’ve had some good weather in the last few weeks and that has definitely been a bonus as we all adhere to the ‘stay in’ restrictions. The other thing it’s meant is that we’re all enjoying our gardens more – showering them with TLC and generally being more appreciative of our personal green space.
And as we move towards summer with fingers crossed for both sunshine and being able to be with our family and friends again, let’s get out in our gardens and make the most of them!
It’s really important at this time to think about our mental wellbeing as well as keeping physical activity up, simply weeding and prepping pots for new plants boosts your spirits. Then sit back and admire your handy work in some stylish furniture on your patio or decking and under the shade of a gazebo!
The lawn
The crowning glory of many a garden is the lawn and whether you’re attempting to emulate Wembley-like turf for the kids to play football on or a lush green carpet to simply sit back and admire, how do you achieve that? You may have had to reseed in the spring with regular feeding, the lawn is a living plant like any other in your garden and needs nurturing. Cut the grass little and often and give it air if needed, make deep holes to allow it to become aerated and you’ve given yourself a good start.
Pots and containers
If you only really have a patio or small space to make the most of, pots and containers are the answer. Not only are they a practical way to grow plants, they’ll be easier to maintain – just remember they need a lot of root space, water and stability to protect them from the wind. And there are a great variety of pots and containers out there now not just the traditional terracotta, although you could update these with a lick of paint making them as colourful and attractive as the plants they’ll hold.
Outdoor entertaining
This is the fun part of the garden and even if we can’t have our friends and family round to enjoy it at the moment with us, making those video calls with a glass of wine in the garden does at least make it more bearable! More and more now gardens are becoming a true extension of people’s homes so the need for a paved entertaining area with space for a table and chairs is essential.
The ambitious among you could also get your teeth into a pizza oven too, it could be used as a wood-fired fireplace even if you aren’t hungry. Sunken fire pits are becoming more popular and for the really decadent, how about a hot tub to help extend the use of the garden into the evening and in the cooler weather?
Talking of the weather, while we’ve been lucky the past few weeks with some glorious sunshine to enjoy, we all know how fickle the English climate can be so some sort of shelter is a must, choose a summerhouse, gazebo, pergola, awning, shade sails or umbrellas – you’re spoilt for choice if the weather does spoil the party.
Water features
You’ve got the basics done so now it’s time to take it up a notch, how about a water feature to enhance the space and provide a focal point, not to mention the relaxing sound running water makes. Water features don’t just mean ponds, there are any number of ornamental structures available which needn’t take up a great deal of space but can be a real talking point.
Flooring
Decking or natural stone paving are the most traditional methods of flooring for your garden space, think about what you want to use your garden for and if it’s uneven and you want to avoid enormous amounts of levelling then gravel may be the answer.
Lighting
How about shedding some light on your garden too – it will allow you to eat, read or just sit and enjoy it long into the evening and lighting doesn’t have to mean multi-coloured Christmas tree-like adornments, although if it’s a party garden that may be ideal. From spotlights to tea lights, stylish decorative lighting needn’t cost the earth. The right lighting really can add a magical touch to your garden but make sure you position it well – you don’t want guests to feel they are being interrogated!
Play area
Many gardens need to fulfil more than just one function, as well as being somewhere to relax, for many families they have to be somewhere children can play too. So how to combine the two? Perhaps screen off an area using trellis, use a shed to store bulky equipment, consider natural materials for swings and playhouses so it blends in more than manmade alternatives – it’s more environmentally friendly too.
Growing your own
If you’re lucky enough to have room in your garden to grow some veggies, there has never been a better time to give it a go. Not only does it deal with environmental concerns but it’s also a cheap alternative, why not get the kids involved and turn it into part of home schooling too! Nothing beats the taste of fresh veg, herbs and fruit grown by your own hands and don’t let lack of space stop you, tomatoes and strawberries can be grown in pots.
Vertical gardens
These are a great way for people with small gardens to surround themselves with plants. Green walls and vertical gardening allows urban-dwellers to make more of their space. Specialist green wall companies are popping up who can install and help maintain your systems.
Wildlife friendly gardens
Do your bit for the environment with plants and structures that attract wildlife, birds, insects and small mammals. Log piles, hedgehog boxes, bee hotels and more will help to bring wildlife that is interesting to watch, and keep down pests such as slugs and aphids. Many plants are attractive to pollinating insects too.
And most importantly once you’ve created your perfect haven make sure you take time to enjoy it with a glass of something refreshing!
Need some inspiration...
Many gardens can be toured virtually while closed, take a look at:
RHS Wisley – enjoy the Glasshouse, Wisteria Walk, Rock Garden and The Mixed Borders as well as aerial views of the gardens
The National Garden Scheme (NGS) has launched a virtual library of tours around its gardens, find out more at ngs.org.uk
Virtual tours, gardens through the ages and top gardening tips can be found at
Celebrate gardens of all shapes and sizes with two days of talks, Q&As, interviews and readings… all online, and all for free
‘Get out’ and enjoy Chawton House’s virtual garden festival this weekend on May 30th and 31st at this garden event like no other.
The 400-year-old manor house was owned by Jane Austen’s brother Edward who gave his mother and sisters the nearby bailiff’s cottage, which became Jane Austen’s House Museum.
The event will bring you an exciting programme inspired by the Chawton House gardens and collections. Gardening talks and tips, botanical workshops, discussions with heritage gardeners, and a chance to take part in a virtual ‘best in show’ competition on Instagram will all feature.
Find out more about what it takes to manage a country house garden, the inspirations behind them and the team managing the gardens at Chawton House.
Learn about the extraordinary botanical women such as Elizabeth Blackwell who was also the inspiration behind their herb garden.
Take a virtual walk on Chawton House’s Jane Austen Garden Trail and find out more about Jane Austen and her love for gardens. There will also be plenty of opportunities to ask any questions that you might have as the Chawton House team share tips throughout the weekend to use in your own gardens.
Just register for your free weekend ticket and Chawton House will send you the full programme and line up. All content is free excluding their online creative writing workshops. There is a cost of £5 per session with festival sign ups given priority booking.
The Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is looking forward to welcoming people back to visit but stress this is not the time to come and enjoy the countryside.
They want to reinforce the Government’s message in the releasing of lockdown measures in the countryside and encourage you to use the greenspaces closer to home and observe social distancing rather than travel distances.
Heather Kerswell, Chair of the Surrey Hills AONB Board comments:
“As we move out of the lockdown period over the coming months we look forward to welcoming visitors back to the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
“We know you will be keen to return to the Surrey Hills but just for now please stay local! This will ensure we all respect Government safety measures, local communities and wildlife.
“As freedom returns and we embrace a new normal, we will be keen for everyone to come and enjoy the benefits of natural beauty while supporting the local business community who very much need our custom at this time thank you.”
This very slight lifting of lockdown measures will still see many businesses remain closed, particularly those catering for the visitor such as attractions, hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs, public toilets etc. The worry for many rural communities is people descending on beauty spots and picturesque Surrey villages making social distancing difficult and therefore increasing the risk of spreading the disease.
Chris Howard, Chairman of the Tourist Board – Visit Surrey added: “Whilst we are all anxious to get back out into the countryside, it is worth bearing in mind that facilities are still very limited due to the coronavirus restrictions. This means a lack of open toilets, and places to get food.
“Plan your outings carefully and get to know some of the amazing places right on your doorstep. Remember, the lockdown rules have only been tweaked slightly.”
Stephanie Fudge, National Trust General Manager for the Surrey Hills reinforced this saying that while the National Trust has been working on reopening plans, the safety of staff, volunteers, visitors and local residents is the priority.
She said: “Any reopening will need to be gradual and phased and visitors’ experience is likely to be different from usual, including the need to manage volume at our pay for entry places. Countryside car park opening will also be phased.”
Surrey Hills AONB has set out some key guidance points for accessing the Surrey Hills over the coming months:
· Keeping yourself and others safe is paramount and we encourage you to adhere to guidance set out by DEFRA in their Countryside Code.
· We are aware that many visitors who love to walk and cycle will have greatly missed the Surrey Hills landscape, the views and the well-known beauty spots. We encourage you to use countryside sites close to your home rather than travelling. Over the coming weeks and months we will see carparks and facilities gradually re-open and we urge you to check before you travel that car parks are open and would advise you away from the more well-known sites which may become congested and therefore difficult to socially distance.
· Please be aware that our local farms are under great seasonal pressures during this time and we would encourage you to respect their needs by keeping dogs on leads and follow all designated foot paths and bridleways to keep yourselves and farm animals safe.
· During the lockdown period, nature has had an opportunity to thrive and we ask you to look after nature by being extra cautious. Please stick to footpaths and bridleways so as not to disturb ground nesting birds and other wildlife.
· We encourage you to continue supporting local during this time of transition and want to highlight all the wonderful products and services available on our doorstep in the Surrey Hills. Take a look at our list of businesses offering home deliveries, online support and services, gifts and inspiration.
Click for further information on the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
