Garden And Gardener

Everything for the Gardener and their Garden

Archive for November, 2019

Solar Wax Extractor

Tuesday, November 19th, 2019

I’ve not used a solar wax extractor but we have one built ready, but we need replacement glass for the top as this got broken.

I’ve just watched this excellent video that offers some great hints on how to maximise the wax you get out of brood frames.
It’s often said you don’t get much wax from brood combs, but this video explains how you might ensure you get more.

Quite a short video but well worth while watching.

The Nation’s Favourite Gardens

Wednesday, November 6th, 2019

The Nation’s Favourite Gardens – winners announced

Coton Manor Garden in Northamptonshire has been named the Nation’s Favourite Garden to visit. Coton’s owners, Ian and Susie Pasley-Tyler, were given their award at a presentation held by The English Garden at London’s Garden Museum on Monday night.

The English Garden joined forces with the National Garden Scheme and Viking Cruises earlier this year to find the Nation’s Favourite Gardens. Throughout spring and early summer nominations poured in for favourite gardens from among the 3,500 that open their gates to the public through the National Garden Scheme.

Those nominations were narrowed down to a shortlist of 30 gardens by a panel of judges: National Garden Scheme chief executive George Plumptre, garden designer Paul Hervey-Brooks, garden photographer Clive Nichols and The English Garden’s editor Clare Foggett. During late summer and autumn the public voted for their favourite shortlisted gardens to produce the winners: one for each of the Scheme’s six regions and one champion of champion with the most votes overall.

The regional winners are: Kew Green Gardens, London, in the South East; Horatio’s Garden in Salisbury for the South West; The Manor House, Stevington for the East; Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire for Wales & The Marches; Larch Cottage Nurseries in Melkinthorpe, Cumbria for the North; and Coton Manor Garden for the Midlands and overall.

Clare Foggett, editor of The English Garden said: “Any of the gardens on the 30-strong shortlist would have made very worthy winners, but we’re delighted that these six gardens have been voted the winners in their respective regions. They obviously all strike a chord with their visitors and have become much-loved places to visit.”

George Plumptre, CEO of the National Garden Scheme said: “We were quite bowled over by the quantity and range of nominations which illustrated very powerfully the huge diversity of our gardens. English Garden readers voted in huge numbers and so it was a great achievement for the six gardens that were our regional winners and in particular for Coton Manor, the well-deserved overall winner. Having opened for 50 years in aid of the National Garden Scheme, 30 of them under the loving care of the present owners, Coton Manor typifies the loyal support which we are so lucky to have from so many garden owners and visitors.”

Wendy Atkin-Smith, Managing Director of Viking UK, said: “We were pleased to support the search for the nation’s favourite garden, especially given that the nominees were chosen by the public and encompassed a diverse range of gardens across England and Wales.  Gardening is very close to the heart of Viking guests and in a recent survey two thirds said that being outdoors is the key to wellbeing.  At Viking we share our guests’ passion for nature and horticulture and we are involved in many garden-related events.  We look forward to welcoming visitors to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival presented by Viking in July next year.”

Garden Images

Please use photographers credit where given

A link to images from these gardens can be found at: http://bit.ly/TEGVikingShortlist

The Winners

SOUTH EAST

Kew Green Gardens

Kew Green Gardens in London is actually five discrete but adjoining gardens that combine to form one large and unique space extending over one-and-a-half acres. Borders are low and contribute to viewing, while clematis and roses climb between gardens to unite the whole.

MIDLANDS

Coton Manor

Old yew and holly hedges bring structure to the 10-acre grounds at Coton Manor in Northamptonshire. Herbaceous borders are a speciality and are especially eye-catching in late summer. An adjacent nursery is stocked with plants propagated from the garden.

NORTH

Larch Cottage Nurseries

Larch Cottage in Penrith, Cumbria, is well-known for its nursery but the surrounding gardens are important in their own right. Find a Japanese dry garden, flowing perennial borders, a small lake and even an Italianate columned garden specifically for shade plants.

SOUTH WEST

Horatio’s Garden

Designed by Cleve West, Horatio’s Garden at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury, Wiltshire, features low, sinuous limestone walls and densely planted beds that double as seating. The garden opened in 2012 and is maintained by a head gardener and volunteers for the benefit of long-stay patients.

EAST

The Manor House, Stevington

Kathy Brown’s garden at The Manor House in Stevington, Bedfordshire beautifully combines garden rooms and views. In late spring, cherries, lilacs and orchard trees blossom above meadows of camassias, while wisteria flowers above swathes of alliums.

WALES & THE MARCHES

Wollerton Old Hall

Wollerton Old Hall, near Market Drayton in Shropshire is well-known to many and loved for its picture-perfect borders with towering delphiniums, timbered 16th century house bedecked with climbing roses and immaculate mirror-like water feature.

ENDS

Funding awaits student horticulturists

Friday, November 1st, 2019

1 November 2019

Funding awaits student horticulturists


If you’re a student, who’s passionate about horticulture, send us a scholarship application form.
The David Colegrave Foundation scholarship season is open.

Nursery work placements. Production and marketing experience. Access to plant research and sustainable horticulture. These career driven opportunities are all within reach to horticulture students.

If that’s not enough, how about money for college tuition and accommodation fees, books and equipment, or for extra training courses.

Funding is available to help turn keen students into breeders, nursery managers, horticulture lecturers, head gardeners, plant health inspectors, or whatever it is that fulfils their desire for gardening.

Last season’s student winners have worked wonders since receiving their scholarships. Here’s what they have to say…

“If anyone is considering applying for a scholarship, I highly recommend they do as this has been an absolute fantastic opportunity for me.”

“This scholarship has been an incredible support and opened up so many new options and possible career paths.”

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow as an aspiring horticulturist. The money has helped me gain valuable hands on experience and will also help me in the future to achieve my goals.”

“Winning a scholarship gave me the financial freedom to pursue a number of horticultural interests.”

“Thank you for the incredible opportunity, helping me to further my knowledge and to gain experience that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.”

At a thousand pounds or more, a DCF scholarship can really boost learning potential. This year there are 7 scholarships to apply for:

Ball Colegrave Sponsored Travel Scholarship
Up to £1,500 to fund travel to Europe in order to develop knowledge and experience in bedding plant production and marketing. An employee in the early stages of their career at a commercial bedding plant nursery, or a student studying horticulture with an interest in commercial bedding plants should apply.

British Protected Ornamentals Association – Peter Seabrook Bursary
£1,000 to support one or more students studying commercial horticulture. The scholarship is also available to schools and horticultural colleges to finance trips for students over 16 years of age to leading commercial horticultural establishments.

Horticultural Research Scholarship
£2,500 to support applied research within the horticulture industry. Students who are keen to pursue a research career in the horticultural industry should apply. This includes undergraduates, postgraduates and those studying for doctoral degrees.

John Gibson Environmental Scholarship
£1,500 to support a student with a keen interest in environmental solutions and sustainable applications as applied to commercial horticulture.

Majestic Trees Sponsored Travel Scholarship
Up to £3,000 to fund a placement abroad at a tree nursery for a student who is passionate about tree production. This also includes the opportunity for a work placement at Majestic Trees, which could become a permanent position.

Markham – Colegrave International Scholarship
$4,500 USD for the opportunity to organise a work placement in a horticultural business in the US/Canada. The Scholarship is presented as a joint award from DCF and the American Floral Endowment (AFE), US.

Student Scholarship
£1,000 to each of up to 5 students to support their studies in horticulture. Preference is given to candidates who have an interest in ornamental commercial horticulture, especially with an emphasis on the bedding, container, pot plant and cut flower sectors.

The David Colegrave Foundation Scholarship Season is open now until 31 January 2020.

Applications are already coming in from the likes of The University of the Highlands and Islands – Argyll College UHI, The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise – Greenmount campus, Harper Adams University, Walworth School of Horticulture, Eden Project Learning, Nottingham Trent University, Myerscough College, Pershore college and Broomfield Derby college.

More colleges are encouraged to get on board and get their horticulture students applying.

To enter, complete an application form online at www.davidcolegravefoundation.org.uk.