DEVON
Chelsea garden to celebrate
Two Moors 10th birthday
The Two Moors Festival on Dartmoor
Devon
and Exmoor celebrates its 10th
anniversary with a garden at the
Cuttings
Chelsea Flower Show. “Music on
the Moors” is the title of designer,
Christina Williams’s, courtyard garden
a look at news, events and
where the aim is to combine music,
GARDENERS
happenings in Devon
countryside, the special moorland
CUTTINGS
areas and the environment. The
festival covers 1200 square miles and
to squeeze every facet into a 5 x 4
metre garden has been a formidable
Award winning Sidmouth Garden Centre set the standard
task. Christina has interwoven Gothic
Sidmouth Garden Centre reached the finals of the prestigious Horticultural Trades
willow arches representing church
Association National Garden Retailer of the Year awards for the third year running
concert venues, and a ravaged wind-
and received a highly commended accolade.
blown hawthorn with a stream,
Exmoor cobbles, Dartmoor granite
The award is open to nearly all 2,200 garden centres in the UK.
and an amphitheatre–shaped pool.
Sidmouth Garden Centre last year came away with the prestigious award of Best
With its origins in Foot and Mouth
Garden Centre. This time it was narrowly beaten into second place.
disease, the Two Moors Festival has
The garden centre offers a vast selection of trees, shrubs and plants in all shapes
developed into an international,
and sizes including unusual and exotic species. With a range of garden furniture,
event. Young high-flying professional
hard landscaping, water features, garden sculptures, irrigation systems, every musicians give concerts alongside
conceivable garden tool, pots and ceramics, it meets the demands of even the most international names and visitors
proficient and enthusiastic gardener. come from far and wide, spend days
James Trevett, general manager challenges his staff to give their utmost so the
in the area, go walking on the Moors,
experience for the customer is welcoming and one of enjoyment.
stay in comfy B&Bs and clock up
as many as 10 concerts. This year’s
He says ‘that the only reason we keep getting through to the finals is because we
festival dates are 30 September to 9
have the best customers’.
October and guess what! The theme
is music and the countryside.
time of the regular openings from 1st April.
has uncovered this hidden gem under
Many old varieties will be seen at Hartland
ponticum, rampant and impenetrable
alongside more modern hybrids from
gorse and bramble. It ends with the
the Walled Gardens to the walk to the
most fantastic view of the Atlantic.
beach and cottage where ‘Sense and
Bluebell Sundays will be held on 18th and
Sensibility’ was filmed a couple of years
25th April. Great drifts of blue, lead all
ago. Last year many old varieties were
the way from the gardens to the beach.
brought to the Abbey from an old family
During March and April the wildflowers
home, Moreton, at Bideford, subsequently
are spectacular; primroses, violets and
Spring and daffodils at Hartland Abbey
Grenville College, which is being sold and
wood anenomes are followed by unfurling
Daffodil Day at Hartland Abbey
the future of the wonderful garden is
fern fronds and St Nectan’s foxgloves.
Dogs are really welcome and there is 3
Hartland Abbey is holding its first Daffodil
uncertain. Two old family statues have
1/2 miles of walking within the grounds
Day on 21st March. For the past few years
also been given to the Abbey garden.
for the energetic. There is a reduced entry
the Snowdrop Sundays in February have
For the first time since 1914 a path
to the gardens of £3.50 for adults, with
been a huge success but this year it has
leading to the Gazebo through
dogs and children free! The house will be
been decided to ring the changes.
woodland will again be walkable. It
open at an added charge. Lunches, hot
But for all the galanthophiles Snowdrop
was lost when all the gardeners went
pasties and cream teas are provided by
Sundays will return next year! But for
to the Front in World War I, many never
the ladies of St Nectan’s church, with all
this year it is a great chance to see all the
to return. After the war there were
profits going to the beautiful church, ‘the
historic daffodils which can be over by the
other priorities but now the family,
with the help of modern machinery,
Cathedral of North Devon’.
Country Gardener
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