The Gentian - Ness Botanic Gardens

Free to Friends of
Ness Gardens
NESS, NESTON
CHESHIRE CH64 4AY
T 0845 030 4063
Email [email protected]
Website www.nessgardens.org.uk
The Gentian
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 511294
The Newsletter for the Friends of Ness Gardens
ISSUE 231 SPRING 2013
£1
Headline News
Contents
ISSUE 231 SPRING 2013
Headline News ............................................................................................... 1
Paul Cook on a decade at Ness .......................... 2-3
Botanische re-invented......................................4-5
Involving Children in the Gardens ........................... 6
Our Wonderful Volunteers! ........................................... 7-9
Rhododendrons ......................................................................... 12-14
National Garden Scheme ..................................................... 15
Gardening Tips - Andy Lambie ................................... 16
Friends’ News ................................................................................... 18-19
What’s On at Ness .............................................................. 20-23
Editorial Board: Helen Watters, Kevin Reid, Paul
Cook, Fiona Harrison, Tracey Crich.
Design: Big Drum Communications. Printed on
recycled paper by C3 Imaging, Liverpool.
Cover picture: Yellow flowered Primula florindae
with multicoloured candelabra primulas in the
Rock Garden.
The Friends of Ness Gardens is a registered
charity No 511294. Views expressed in this
publication are not necessarily those of Ness
Botanic Gardens or the Friends of Ness
Gardens.
Material for the next issue should reach the
editor by 15 June; email
[email protected]
University of Liverpool,
Ness Botanic Gardens
Tel 0845 030 4063
Website: www.nessgardens.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Gardeners’ Question Time returns!
Welcome to the Spring 2013 issue of
The Gentian!
We hope you are enjoying the new style
of your magazine – but it’s not just the
style that’s changed, we are also building
up the content to give you a good read.
I am sure you will sense the fun enjoyed
by the youngsters during the February
Woodland Wonder Week – we are all
looking forward with great excitement to
the May half-term ‘Wildlife Week’.
Following the outstanding success of BBC
Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time Summer
Garden Party last year, we are delighted to
announce that BBC Radio 4 have made the
unprecedented move of holding the GQT
Summer Garden Party again at Ness - on
Saturday 7 September 2013.
Said a spokesperson for the programme: “The
response from the audience was incredible and
the deputy controller of Radio 4 was full of
praise”.
Director Kevin Reid is delighted
with the news: “ We are thrilled that GQT is
returning to Ness again this year! The GQT day
last year was a landmark for Ness; the celebrities
were full of praise for the Gardens and I have
never seen so many smiling faces. GQT loved
us - and we loved them! Don’t miss your ticket
for the 2013 re-visit - and follow us on the Ness
Gardens website, Facebook and Twitter!”
And as Spring arrives we bring you
a feature from Tim Baxter on the
Rhododendrons at Ness. Come along and
take a look... and while you are here, try
the new ‘Tree Trail’ – a self-guided walk
looking at 22 trees of special interest to
Ness.
Also in this issue we sadly say goodbye
to Lorna Harper who, after putting
a fantastic effort into the Friends’
membership system, is moving to a new
post at Jodrell Bank. And we send off
gardener, Steve Miller and cleaner, Jan
Scarffe with thanks for all the hard work
they have put into Ness and best wishes
for their respective retirements.
Finally, can I remind you we would love to
be able to keep you up-to-date promptly
with what’s going on at Ness. To do this we
need your email addresses – do send them
in to [email protected]
Fiona Harrison
487 Bus service comes to Ness
Great news for Ness and the environment!
Arriva has extended the 487 Neston-Liverpool
service to Ness Gardens. The service runs
every 30 minutes from 9.01am to 17.31
Monday to Saturday (the 488 Sunday / Bank
Holiday service remains unchanged).
For more travel details see the Gardens’
website.
Picture perfect
Andrew Loudon, a keen photographer, has a
month-by-month photographic guide to the
delights of Ness Gardens.
With the closure of the Webshots photosharing website, the guide has been transferred
to Flickr. Go to: www.flickr.com/photos/aloudon/
sets then click on the album UK: Ness Gardens,
Wirral.
Sunday brunch, anyone?
The Garden Kitchen is offering a delicious
all day Brunch (9.30am-3.30pm) and
Roast Dinner (12noon-3.30pm) every
Sunday.
The brunch (price £4 - £8) features eggs
benedict, old smokey (toast, scrambled
eggs, streaky bacon) and pancakes &
maple syrup. The roast dinner (price
£7 - £8) includes a main (chicken, pork,
gammon or beef) and all the trimmings.
Vegetarian options are always available.
So come along for a hearty brunch
or Sunday lunch and a refreshing walk
around the Gardens.
Spring 2013
1
and look good. Our visitors want to see a well
cared for garden and take away ideas for their
own spaces. The Potager was designed to do
that in spadefuls! A high quality alpine house
display at its centre surrounded by a mix of
vegetable and flowers give a very different
atmosphere to the larger landscape settings of
our main plant collections.
Paul Cook... on 10 years at Ness
H
orticulture is the profession that gives the greatest job satisfaction
and is the role that stressed professionals would choose if the salaries
were higher. I chose to work in gardens after seeing an article about two
Kew students and how they were able to combine the practical aspects
of gardening with the science of botany and horticulture. After following
those students and spending three years at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on the Kew Diploma
course I returned to the northwest to teach at Reaseheath College before starting a garden design
and landscaping business. The opportunity to take over as Head Gardener from Tom Acton at Arley
Hall came in 1994 and I spent eight years working in one of the finest gardens in the country with a
dedicated team of four gardeners.
Ness pulled me away from Arley in 2002
to take on the role of Curator from Peter
Cunnington. This role has, as the survey says,
given me great job satisfaction.
My first day at Ness was on the first of
February 2002. I arrived, somewhat nervously,
with ideas and plans for the future of the
Gardens and hoped to work with staff, Friends
and volunteers to continue the Gardens’
development. The first year was a gradual
bedding in process, listening to many views and
opinions on Ness, meeting people and getting
used to the University’s systems. It became clear
that Ness Gardens had many challenges ahead
to preserve its status as a ‘good garden’.
and other features due to major changes within
the University.
The Pingo waterfall
Ness had been home to the School of
Biological Sciences but in 2004 moves began to
relocate back to Liverpool and allow Ness to
be managed under a different University regime.
Negotiations resulted in a plan to develop
the Gardens on a more commercial footing,
build a new visitor centre and, when complete,
appoint a Director to secure the future of Ness.
Working through this disruptive stage was
made easier thanks to a core group of staff and
volunteers who carried on regardless of the
constant builders’ interruptions.
By 2006 the Horsfall Rushby Visitor Centre was
complete, and the bulk of the clearing work was
over. It was time to start building a new future
for Ness.
Some garden areas had become dominated by
large evergreen shelter belts, mainly consisting
of Leyland cypress, (× Cuprocyparis leylandii).
Chainsaws were sharpened and felling began to
clear spaces - allowing light and moisture back
into the ground, and to reveal those views of
the Dee estuary.
The natural beauty of Ness lends itself to the
major collections we have of Sorbus, birch,
rhododendrons, camellias, heathers and alpine
plants. In our 64 acres we have a lot of plants
but not all were easy to reach and not all were
labelled. Making the collections accessible,
physically and intellectually was, and is still, a
priority. New pathways have been built and
more are planned, plants have been propagated
and planted out and that also continues.
Partnerships have been formed between staff,
volunteers, colleges and nurseries to make this
happen. Funding has been
provided by the Friends of
Ness Gardens to support
this vital part of our role as a
Botanic Garden.
The loss of these domineering hulks was an
easy decision but it was harder to see the
gradual decline of our glasshouse collections
Secondary to this is that Ness
has to inspire gardeners, be
maintained to a high standard
The strength of Ness is its site. The rock, slopes,
water and views that drew Arthur Bulley are
still the Garden’s heart. I want visitors to walk
into Ness and feel that they are in a special
place.
2
It would also provide an area for Ness students
to learn their trade: there is a lot to learn in
planning and cultivating an intensive productive
garden.
The Gentian
The Alpine House in the Potager
Ness has always had a fine balancing act to
make between the academic research and
botanical side of our work and the aesthetics
of a garden as a visitor attraction. I see my role
as supporting the Garden’s aspirations to be
both a beautiful space and a garden to inspire.
I am only too aware that not everything has
succeeded and resources have been squeezed,
which is always uncomfortable. What has been
consistent is the support of staff, volunteers and
the Friends of Ness Gardens to keep pushing
for improvements and maintain Ness as a
garden for science and pleasure.
“It will make you jolly to see people going
round your garden; if you mix with them
unbeknownst, you will hear some very nice
things.”
Arthur Kilpin Bulley - Radio Broadcast 1934
I am always happy, as our founder was, to hear
nice things about our work at Ness and The
Gentian has accounts of the many projects such
as the Pingo, the Making Waves garden, RHS
gold medal winning gardens, Ness Holt Azaleas
propagation, and many others - all made
possible through the Ness team’s efforts over
the past decade.
We will be completing work on
the Terraces over the next few
months. Then next year our
major project will be renovation
of the Potting Sheds. Keep an
eye out for updates on this.
The Potting Sheds... awaiting 2014
Spring 2013
3
‘This garden has been in place for two years
now and the planting had matured to the point
that the original design intent of the garden
had been largely lost, and
the central Primula bulleyana
pollen grain sculpture
obscured from view.
The plan of the garden is
based on the structure of
a plant stem seen under a
4
The Gentian
Botanische re-invented
microscope, with groups of cells represented
by groups of plants, and with the circular rings
arrangement of the beds representing the layers
found in a plant stem.
Photo: Mike Turner
Rachel Saunders has taken a
one-year placement at Ness
to gain practical experience
following a full-time college
course. This post is
sponsored by the Historic
and Botanic Gardens
Bursary Scheme
and partly funded by the Friends of
Ness Gardens. Rachel is with us until
August and takes great inspiration
from the history of the Gardens and
especially Arthur Bulley’s vision in
founding them over 150 years ago and
his remarkable generosity in opening
them to the public. Here she tells us
about her first project revitalising
Ness Botanische, otherwise known as the Chris
Beardshaw Garden.
Some form of evergreen planting will also be
introduced to give year round structure, and
the grass seating mound will be replaced with
tiered hedging instead to ease maintenance.
I started by looking at the successes
and failures in the planting to inform
future changes, and also at whether
or not to reinforce, reinterpret or
abandon the original design ideas in
the redesign and redevelopment of the
garden.
Some plants had simply grown too bulky or tall
for the space, with others being crowded out
and even disappearing. Some of the grasses
looked untidy and there was a lack of long
seasonal interest in the planting.
Rachel is tackling the lack of Winter interest
work better with
a slightly different
palette of plants so
I am reinterpreting
the original design
ideas by modifying the planting to increase
seasonal interest and to refocus the garden on
the central sculpture.
Rachel’s planning is over and the hard work begins
I studied the original plans and plants for the
garden here at Ness and compared them
with photos and descriptions of the original
show garden at the RHS Tatton Park Flower
Show 2009. I then noted the plants found in
the garden as we cleared most of them into
a holding bed to see which had survived and
those missing.
I concluded that the design idea was and is a
good one. However, the style of planting could
Some work is still to be done to relocate plants
out of Ness Botanische to other parts of the
gardens, and I have not yet come up with my
plant list for those going back in so I still have
plenty of work to do to complete the project
on the ground. I hope to be able to update
you on my progress in future editions of The
Gentian.’
The fully stocked holding bed
Spring 2013
5
Woodland Wonder Week
The latest family fun event during February Half-Term was a big success
- even on the coldest of days, folk wrapped up in woollies and turned
up keen to have some fun...
The variety of February Half -Term activities in
the Visitor Centre and the Garden proved very
popular with children aged 2 to 13.
Learning Centre, ran an Ipad Tree Trail
that used QR Codes (quick response bar
code) to find out about the fascinating trees at
Ness.
The Woodland Wonder Game Trail
combined treasure hunt and trail with visitors
collecting counters (pine cone, leaf twig, a magic
stone from the treasure chest...) and searching
for woodland facts placed
around the Garden. On
leaving, they took their
board game home.
Children of all ages, but particularly the tiny tots,
loved the Magical Woodland Colouring
Den.
Science presenter
Rob Wix excited the
audience with interactive
sessions on woodland
products. Plenty of keen
volunteers joined him
to help demonstrate the
strength of bamboo, the
stretchiness of rubber,
how trees take up water
- and much more - in his
Woodland Wonder Show.
The Hulme Room buzzed with Woodland
Craft drop-in sessions as little ones made stick
picture frames, dream catchers, cone animals,
hobby horses and puppet theatres as well as
trying out water divining. Becky Ford and her
volunteer helpers
gave advice about
crafts while Rose
Froud demonstrated
to young film-makers
how to write a story
board, capture video
footage of their
puppet characters
and use the puppet
theatre as a film set.
The Learning
Lighthouse City
6
The Gentian
A Gallery of Tree Images taken by Tim
Baxter, Ness’s resident
botanist, and others
was on display in the
Centre alongside screens
showing woodland
information designed by
Andy Lambie.
So what’s coming up for
youngsters next?
EASTER
•Two garden trails will
run over the Easter
holiday - the everpopular Easter Egg Hunt and ‘Don’t Count your
Chickens’, a CSI-style trail where families (best
for 6-13 yrs) have to fathom out who stole
Henrietta chicken.
MAY HALF TERM (Sat 25 May – Sun 2 June)
• Wildlife Week! Another week-long event
melding entertainment and education with
trails for various audiences (guided and selfrun), shows, talks, drop-in sessions, displays and
demonstrations. See the What’s On guide at
the back of The Gentian for full details.
Keep a look out on the Ness
Gardens website,
Facebook and
Twitter pages
for more
details
closer to
the time!!
Making it happen: Volunteering
at Ness Gardens Tracey Crich, Friend & Volunteer
Week in, week out, they are as busy - and as
essential - as bees. Where would Ness be without
its wonderful army of committed volunteers?
As you know, Ness Gardens is a
wonderful place to spend quality time...
But it only survives through the support
provided by the hard work and passion
of its huge volunteer force.
From early beginnings and up to the
present day, a band of willing volunteers
help out in a multitude of ways at Ness
Gardens, some coming several times a
week and although their relative skills and
experience are important, their energy
and enthusiasm count just as much!
Some might think that volunteering at
Ness is all about gardening and it is true
that a lot of our volunteers form the
Garden volunteers Summer 2012: Warwick Hampson directing Kate,
backbone of the weeding teams.
Mary Flanagan, Penny Jennings, Helen Farnell, Sue Emmett and Barbara
Pat Johnson is very happy with her role
Allsop
as a volunteer in the Gardens: “We are
a very mixed bunch – some just love
gardening and some have come into the
Gardens after completing courses at Ness - but
we all get on very well together. I have made a
lot of very good friends there.” She continues,
“Our Monday group works mainly in the Rock
Volunteers at their summer “thank you” party 2012
Garden, under the watchful but kindly eye of
Fred - he is always appreciative of our efforts.
Mainly the efforts
consist of weeding
or cutting back
but time passes
quickly.” And
asked what she
loves best about
volunteering at
Ness, Pat says
“It is lovely to
walk around the
Muscling out a juniper bush!
Gardens and think
‘I planted those’ or ‘we weeded that’. I especially
like Little Overdale wood in the spring, where
we have planted and transplanted hundreds of
snowdrops over the years.”
But there’s a whole host of other activities in
Spring 2013
7
Membership
update...
Our wonderful army
of Volunteers...
welcoming presence for visitors who can
answer questions, assist with orientation and
give information about the Gardens and specific
events as required. If you are interested, speak
to one of our staff.
Paul Cook with stalwart volunteer Beryl Ross
which people can get involved at Ness. For
example, our army of Visitor Centre volunteers
help with visitor enquiries
and with weddings and all the
events we do for our visitors
and Friends through the year.
A strong team of garden guides share their love
of Ness with others and enjoy nothing more
than to take new visitors on a tour of discovery.
They vary considerably in their experience
and skills and thus can give different slants to
the tours. Beryl Ross, one of our octogenarian
garden guide volunteers, is convinced that
“showing off the Gardens to our visitors is the
best job going”. She firmly believes that “the
opportunity to work in an environment which
Ness provides is a delight for
anyone interested in gardening and
working with such a grand team of
helpful gardeners is a real tonic”.
Christine Scrutton, long time
As a Botanical Garden, Ness has
volunteer with experience in
a strong tradition in academic
the shop, office and admissions
study and a team of volunteers
remarks that “whatever the
undertake important work in
weather, you can have an
the Herbarium where the Ness
ongoing relationship with
plant database is maintained,
regular visitors who are
labels are prepared and seeds
Harriet Joy, Liz Young and Eve Elliott
always very friendly”.
are carefully collected,
She is also involved in
prepared and labelled
“ Ness has a small army of over 220
other volunteering but
correctly. Others prepare
volunteers who by giving their time and
enjoys Ness because
botanical specimens from
expertise are a vital ingredient in the daily
“volunteering here
around the world to be
life and health of the Gardens.
doesn’t carry any
catalogued and stored in
baggage or worries
the Liverpool University
It is no exaggeration to say that without
with you. I do the best
Herbarium.
the passionate commitment of volunteers
job I can and then go
at Ness across 50 years, the Gardens
Ness plays a vital role in
home and forget about
would look very different.
educating school children
everything – but in a
up to key stage two.
good way”.
Our wonderful volunteers continue to
Through the schools’
be part of the bedrock of Ness - a highly
Currently Ness is
programme children
valued team whose enthusiasm, skills, and
looking for a number of
get involved in pond
fresh perspective all play an important
friendly, outgoing people
dipping, studying minipart in the Gardens achieving long term
who can become
beasts and comparing
sustainability. ”
‘Meet and Greet’
a range of habitats such
volunteers to provide
as woodland, ponds,
Kevin Reid, Director of Ness
a helpful, friendly and
grassland and meadow
8
The Gentian
and are being amazed by Ness’ collection of
weird and wonderful plants from around the
world. Volunteers assist the team during half term
and summer themed events.
All the regularly contributing volunteers
(minimum of 50 hours of service to Ness a
year) are given free entry to the Gardens – and
when issued with their volunteer card can bring a
friend along too!
Volunteers also receive 20% discount in our
shop, plant sales and cafe.
So if you are interested in volunteering
opportunities at Ness Gardens, keep a close
eye on our notice boards and the website as
vacancies crop up all the time - and come and
have a chat with one of our staff team who will
be happy to give you more details of our current
needs.
Coach Trips Programme
After 10 years, and arranging around 60
different outings, Lindsay Price has decided
to stand down from organising the Friends
Coach Trip programme at the end of this
season.
This is a popular element of the benefits of
being a Friend of Ness Gardens, with many
long standing and loyal ‘trippers’.
If there is any member who would be
interested in finding more about the
possibility of taking on the organisation
of the programme then please contact
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Back-breaking but well worthwhile - Fred Cullins at work
Want to lend a much-needed hand?
Currently, the Friends could use a few hours
of your time, even on a one-off basis. We
would love to hear from anyone who can
help with the following – please contact us at
[email protected]:
• Help attract and recruit new paying members
– at special days at the Gardens and at
external events such as Tatton Park Flower
Show where volunteers can enjoy several
hours of leisure time after their session.
• Liaise with advertisers for The Gentian and
encourage businesses to advertise with us.
•Packing The Gentian (three times a year) for
mail out to the membership - bring a Friend,
the more the merrier is certainly true in this
case!
• Help at the forthcoming Plant Sale on 6 May,
particularly from green-fingered people who
are able to grow seedlings and bring them
along for sale on the day. If you want to be
on a stall for a couple of hours, that is also
very helpful.
Spring 2013
9
Friends of Ness Gardens
Bring and Buy Plant Sale
Bank Holiday Monday 6 May 2013
10am - 2pm at Ness Gardens
We are looking forward to another successful Friends Plant Sales day on Monday 6 May, open to ALL!
As well as trees and shrubs there will be perennials to cheer your garden after the cold winter
months and it’s also the perfect time of year to come and choose plants for summer bedding.
Of course - and most importantly - all the money we raise goes to the Friends of Ness Gardens
to benefit the Gardens. If you are green-fingered and have plants to spare or have plants, or
vegetables of any size or shape to donate to the Friends table, we would be very grateful as it
certainly makes the day more interesting for plant lovers!
Dovecote Nurseries will bring a wide range of colourful summer planting ideas and advice to share
with you as will Peter Foley of Waddow Lodge Garden with his interesting plants and wealth of
gardening wisdom - such as where, when and how to plant in every type of soil and location. Sion from
Station House Nursery (www.eurodahlia.com) will bring his amazing collection of dahlias and expert
knowledge. Feel free to look at their website and order plants for delivery on the day of the sale.
If you have any ideas or would like to volunteer to help on a stall for an hour or more on the
day between 8am and 2pm please call Olwen (tel no below). Any help would be most gratefully
received and there will be refreshments throughout the day of course!
An encore is planned for
Kew’s crowd-pleasing Tony
Tony Kirkham is Head of Arboriculture and
Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
and he received the rapturous approval of a
packed lecture theatre when he visited Ness in
February to share his account of the making of
the TV series ‘The Trees that made Britain’ .
Feedback from the talk was so good Ness is
looking to book Tony in for another lecture next
season.
Said Curator Paul Cook: “As people were
leaving the lecture theatre I was repeatedly
asked ‘when is he coming back?’, and heard
many people say ‘my friend will be sorry she
missed that talk!’ and more again saying ‘he
really brought trees to life!’. The talk was truly
excellent and Tony was such an interesting and
engaging speaker. It was a privilege to hear him,
and it is a priority to get him back to Ness just
as soon as we can.”
Trio embark on capturing memories of Ness...
Over the past six years Ness staff and volunteers have been working to gather
information for the Ness Gardens archive. Keenly sought are pictures of Bulley’s
Gardens, Bees Seeds and any first hand personal accounts from people who
have known or worked at the Gardens.
The day is free to Friends of Ness Gardens.There will be a £1 donation requested from non-Friends.
Olwen McLaughlin
Tony Kirkham - making trees an unmissable treat
0151 639 7199
Ed Hilditch, Peter
Cunnington and Keith
Vincent
With the help of volunteers - particularly Ed Hilditch of Burton and Neston
History Society - an audio archive has been started to capture the memories.
Peter Cunnington, former Curator of Ness, and Keith Vincent who, with
his father Henry, worked at Ness, have been recounting their memories of
the Gardens to be added to the archive. When the Potting Shed project is
completed their stories will help bring life to the history of the Gardens.
The first batch of plants bought with funds from the Friends of Ness
Gardens from Glendoick Gardens, Scotland have arrived and been
planted. The Friends allocated money to help the regeneration of the
Pine Wood and the old ‘Specimen Lawn’ area surrounding the Pieris
Formosa var. forrestii. Tim Baxter and a group of volunteers have been
working through the area, verifying names, pruning overgrown plants
and selecting suitable replacements to reflect the Gardens’ history
of introducing plants via the famous plant collectors such as George
Forrest and Frank Kingdon Ward. Visit www.glendoick.com
10 The Gentian
Spring 2013 11
The Ness Rhododendrons Tim Baxter, Botanist at Ness
If you are looking for plants
of interest, with vibrancy and
variability of flower colour,
few can better the genus
Rhododendron...
responsible for introducing over 240 new species
of Rhododendron into cultivation in the West.
Ward collected further afield and is still one of
the relatively few plantsmen to have collected
in Tibet. Several plants found in the Gardens
are thought to originate from collections by
Forrest and Kingdon Ward. One of the best
rhododendrons is a large R. decipiens (x hodconeri)
in the Pine Wood that is thought to have been
collected by Forrest himself. This species is a
natural hybrid between two species found in
Yunnan, R. hogsonii and R. falconeri.
T
his large genus of around 1,000 species has
an amazing range of growth form and flower
size, shape and colour. They flower through
much of the year including in Winter (Rhododendron
davuricum ‘Midwinter’ flowers over Christmas), but
their main flowering season is Spring.
Rhododendrons naturally grow in an amazing
range of climates from the frozen north of
Canada and Siberia, to the tropics of Papua New
Guinea and Borneo. Rhododendrons vary in
size from diminutive plants 30cm in height (e.g.
R. forrestii) to dominant canopy trees 30m in
height (e.g. R. arboreum, Pine Wood) and include
both evergreen and deciduous species. Most of
the tropical species (section Vireya) grow in the
canopies of trees (epiphytes) and make beautiful
house plants. Many new species
have been discovered in
recent years as areas
such as Northern
Vietnam and
Indonesia continue
to be explored by
botanists.
An
unknown
Rhododendron
in the Pine
Wood
8 The Gentian Anniversary Edition
12
Historically Ness had around 800 different
rhododendrons in the Gardens. Much of this
diversity was due to Ken Hulme’s passion for the
genus and more recent wild origin introductions
by Dr Hugh McAllister.
Rhododendron davidsonianum
Getting to know the fabulous
Ness Rhododendrons
Several species previously only known from historic
collections (e.g. R. elegantulum) are also now being
re-discovered by modern day plant collectors.
with mixed success! Auditing and identifying the
plants is a time-consuming process, but we have
several local experts we call on regularly for help.
Rhododendrons are generally difficult to identify
due to the huge range of natural variability within
the genus and also within each species. Many
species readily hybridise with one another, leading
to great uncertainty in the naming of many plants.
In addition, they have been the subject of many
intentional crosses by plant breeders. There are
currently an estimated 50,000 named cultivars in
existence.
Ness has a rather special place in the history
of rhododendrons in western horticulture. The
founder of Ness, Arthur Kilpin Bulley, sponsored
George Forrest and
Frank Kingdon Ward
to collect plants from
western China. Forrest
collected plants from
western Yunnan and is
Identification of unknown plants is often very
difficult, especially if it is a cultivar. At Ness we have
been trying to identify the plants in the Gardens
The beautiful R. keysii, tucked
away in the Specimen Lawn
Rhododendrons grow best in sheltered positions
in light shade or full sun with plenty of moisture
throughout the year. This is particularly true of
the large-leaved species which originate from subtropical areas. The climate at Ness is somewhat
challenging for many rhododendrons - our dry
and windy weather has led to a decline in the
number of plants which are able to grow in the
gardens. Despite this, many small-leaved species
and hybrids are able to cope with the conditions
and continue to grow well.
A few choice plants at Ness include
members of the Triflora series such
as the variable R. yunnanense
and R. augustinii, and the
vivid-pink flowers of R.
davidsonianum. Ness
has some lovely large
specimens of R.
rubiginosum which
is one of the
most drought
tolerant species
with a spectacular
display of purplepink flowers in
April. There are
also some good
R. hunnewellianum in
the Specimen Lawn
Spring 2013 139
A garden to suit every taste
The Ness Rhododendrons
Once again, the
National Gardens
Scheme is offering
an unusual and
eclectic mix of
gardens, old and
new, to suit every
taste.
The variable R. yunnanense occurs in western China and Burma. Many fine examples can be found in the Pine Wood...
examples of larger hybrids such as ‘Polar Bear’
(Pine Wood) which has highly scented white
flowers in June, and the magnificent R. ‘Loderi
King George’ (Specimen Lawn). Two excellent
and very similar plants are ‘W.F.H.’ and ‘Mayday’
(Pine Wood and Specimen Lawn). Both have
gorgeous foliage and brilliant red flowers.
Some of the most special plants are the Ness
Holt azaleas, named after villages in Wirral. Ness
is continuing a long-term project to help restore
and propagate these fantastic late-flowering
plants. If anyone has one of the Ness Holt
azaleas in their gardens please get in touch!
If you are interested in finding out more about
rhododendrons, the North West and North
Wales branch of the Rhododendron, Camellia
and Magnolia Group of the RHS holds regular
meetings at Ness - contact Ted Brabin (angela.
[email protected]) for details. This year’s branch
show will be held in the Bulley Room at Ness on
11-12th May.
For information on any plant growing at Ness,
email Tim Baxter ([email protected]).
Below: R. griersonianum in the Pine Wood - a lateflowering plant introduced by Forrest
During 2012, despite
the dreadful summer,
our visitors helped us to
raise about £100,000 to
donate to our charities,
including MacMillan, Marie
Curie, Help the Hospices
and the Carers Trust.
Barrel Well Hill
Ness Gardens opened in
March under the scheme. During the next few
months, there are some exciting new additions,
as well as some old friends
opening for the public.
Full details of all local NGS
gardens are in the yellow
booklet, available from
Poulton Hall
garden centres, nurseries,
libraries and tourist information centres, or from
the www.ngs.org.uk, which will also have pictures
of many of the gardens opening.
For further information, or if you are interested
in having your garden considered for opening
under the scheme, please contact John Hinde,
County Organiser at [email protected],
or any county team member in the booklet.
Local NGS diary dates
Sun 7 April & Sun 16 June - Poulton Hall
Sun 14 April - Saighton Grange
Sat 27 April & Sat 15 June - Hatton House
New this year.
Sun 28 April & Sun 21 July - Abbeywood
Gardens, Delamere
Sun 5 May - Haughton Hall
Sun 5 May, Mon 6 May & Sun 1
September - Mount Pleasant
Sun 5 May - Willaston Village Gardens
Sun 12, 19 May & 2 June - Tirley Garth
Sat 8 June & Sun 9 June - Medlicot New
this year.
Sun 9 June - 28 Christchurch Road
Sat 22 June & Sun 23 June - 150 Barrel
Well Hill
Sun 23 June - Tattenhall Hall
Sun 30 June - Burton Village Gardens
Sat 13 & Sun 14 July - Inglewood
Sat 31 August - Chester Cathedral
Gardens
Hatton House
10
Spring 2013 15
Get the best from
your garden
choking hazard to fledglings). If you don’t have
water in your garden add some! A pond with
sloping sides is ideal, but at least provide - and
keep filled - a bird bath.
Follow gardening tutor Andy Lambie’s advice!
Be confident with pruning
Use sharp secateurs and cut back to an
outward facing bud. Spring and early summer
flowering plants should be pruned after
flowering. Any mid-summer and autumn
flowering plants can be pruned now.
Get on top of the weeding
You don’t have to weed your entire garden in
one go. Start at one end of a bed, do a section
until you have had enough then start in the
same place next time. Mulch weeded areas
with 5cm of shredded bark.
Be nice to your lawns
Don’t cut your grass too short. Never remove
more than one third of its height in the weekly
mow or you will weaken it. Over time that
means a struggling lawn. Mow on the highest
setting until the end of April then
reduce the mowing height to
around 1.5 inches for the summer.
and raise the cut in dry weather.
After April take the grass box off
and leave the clippings on the
lawn to rot - helps retain moisture
and provides a free nitrogen feed.
Encourage more wildlife
Keep feeding birds through spring
(not whole peanuts - they are a
Add some seasonal colour
Summer flowering containers can be planted
up from April (protect from frost till mid May).
Any peat-free multipurpose compost is fine.
Don’t worry about watering
Only plants in containers, hanging baskets or
those recently planted or sown will definitely
need watering Anything in open ground
probably won’t. If in doubt, dig
down three inches- if the soil is
damp, don’t worry.
And finally...
If you want to change the
planting in a border or two, do
your planning now and during
the summer. Autumn and the
winter are the best time to
actually make the changes.
Sad to see you leave...
Steve Miller joined Ness back in 2000 following
a previous career in the banking industry. He
spent his early days tending the herbaceous
borders and in area garden maintenance.
A Living Legacy
Help secure the future of Ness Botanic
Gardens...
However, it is perhaps his work with the
trees at Ness for which he has become best
associated in recent years, opening up many
of the former vistas within the Gardens and
reinstating the commanding views over the
River Dee for which Ness is famed.
When you are thinking about making a
will, please conside leaving a legacy to the
Friends of Ness Gardens, to help secure
the long-term future of this lovely place
with a gift which will continue to grow...
We wish Steve well on his second retirement.
If you would like to
learn more about
Ness Gardens, and
how a legacy may
be used, please call
0845 030 4063 and
ask to speak to Kevin Reid.
Jan Scarffe joined the cleaning team at Ness
back in 2008, making sure that our buildings and
facilities are clean ready for visitors, staff and
volunteers.
A real animal lover, Jan will be missed not least
by ‘Rocky’ the rooster and our hens, for whom
she would bring food and kitchen scraps on a
daily basis.
All discussions will be totally
confidential.
We wish Jan well on her first retirement!
Specialist Plant Fairs
"Every Plant Lover's Perfect Day Out"
We love our
new shop
(And we think you will too)
• Now open following a complete re-design
• Wonderful new ranges of quality stock at
affordable prices
• Unusual gifts, quirky knick-knacks & delicious
treats
• Books, Gardening, Children’s & Food sections
• Stock sourced from local and national
suppliers of quality, heritage products
• The perfect place to find an original gift for
even the trickiest recipient!
B OTA N I C G A R D E N S
Ness Botanic Gardens, Ness, Neston,
South Wirral CH64 4AY
Tel: 0845 030 4063
www.nessgardens.org.uk
Mar 31-Apr 1 Dorothy Clive Garden, nr Bridgemere TF9 4EU 10am - 5pm 12 acre Garden & fair £3.00
Apr 14 Cholmondeley Castle Gardens Malpas SY14 8AH 11am - 5pm Gardens & fair £3.00
Apr 21 Bramall Hall near Stockport SK7 3NX 11am - 4.30pm 70 acre parkland free. Fair £1.00
Apr 27 Sugnall Hall Walled Garden nr Eccleshall ST21 6NF 10am - 4pm Garden & fair £1.00
Apr 28 Norton Priory, Runcorn WA7 1SX 10.30am - 3pm Free entry to fair
May 5-6 Weston Park, Shifnal TF11 8LE 10am - 5pm Gardens, parkland & fair £2.50
May 19 Adlington Hall, Macclesfield SK10 4LF 10.30am - 4pm Historic gardens & fair £3.00
May 26 Consall Hall, Wetley Rocks, Staffs ST9 0AG 10am - 4pm 70 acre gardens & fair £2.00
May 27 Stonyford Cottage Gardens, Cuddington CW8 2TF 10am - 3pm Free entry to fair
Jun 1-2 Hodnet Hall, Market Drayton TF9 3NN 10am - 5pm 60 acre garden & fair £3.00
Jun 23 Whittington Castle, Oswestry SY11 4DF 10am - 4pm £1 per car
Jul 14 Ness Botanic Gardens, Neston, CH64 4AY, 10am-4pm Fair £1.
Aug 4 Adlington Hall, Macclesfield SK10 4LF 10.30am - 4pm Historic gardens & fair £3.00
Aug 25-26 Dorothy Clive Garden, nr Bridgemere TF9 4EU 10am - 5pm 12 acre Garden & fair £3.00
www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk
Don’t miss all the FREE Half Term fun at Ness! WOODLAND WONDER WEEK is running till Sunday 24 February!
16 The Gentian
Winter 2012 17
Friends News
Pat Crooks
It is with regret that we have to inform the
membership of the sad loss of a former
Chairman of the Friends, Pat Crooks (1983
– 1993 - elected to the Committee in
1981).
Many of our long standing Friends will have
known Pat who followed in the footsteps of
her father Ronnie, a founder member of the
Society when it was established in 1962 and
a previous Chairman.
Pat’s tenure as Chair was during a time
of significant changes and challenges for
the Gardens but she ensured the Friends
continued to develop and provide significant
financial support for an increasingly wide
range of projects.
Pat developed and, for many years, ran
the Friends May Plant Sale and was a keen
volunteer, in many different roles, at the
Gardens. Following her retirement from
the Committee in 1993 Pat continued her
support of the Friends through holding the
popular marmalade sales, helping to raise
valuable funds for the Society.
Pat was an Honorary Member of the
Society whose support of the Gardens did
not diminish despite significant ill-health
over recent years.
Out and about this Summer?
Don’t forget your Friends’ membership entitles
you to free entry at other botanic gardens!
Take the opportunity to visit The Royal
Botanic Gardens at Kew, Wakehurst Place and
Edinburgh (and its three satellite gardens) and
the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens and
the Birmingham Botanic Gardens.
Check their websites to find out what’s on.
18 The Gentian
Membership
news and
developments
New Membership System
As of 1 February the Society’s long-awaited
new administration system went live! Whilst
the new system gets up to speed there will be
the need to undertake a piggy back process;
essentially running the old and new systems
in tandem. This means a lot of additional work
to double entry incoming subscriptions and
we would very much appreciate your patience
over the forthcoming weeks whilst we sort any
niggles.
Part of the new system was the launch of the
new permanent membership cards which have
started to roll out - and you might also have
noticed the new look letterheads (we also have
new membership forms – the changes just keep
on coming!)
All-in-all much has been happening behind the
scenes over the past few months and we very
much appreciate that, on occasions, errors may
occur.
If you have any membership queries then please
contact [email protected] or call
the Gardens on 0845 030 4063.
Family Subscription
Yet another recent change has been the
reintroduction of a Family subscription.
Split into two options - Single: £35 (one adult)
and Double: £55 (two adults), each category
can bring up to three children aged five to 18
years (under fives are allowed free of charge)
into the Gardens.
Future plans will look at ways of encouraging
the interest of our future generation of Friends
– if you have any suggestions then please let us
know.
There’s still time to adopt a tree in our
50th Anniversary woodland
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Friends of Ness Gardens 50
trees were planted last November during National Tree Week.
There are still a number of trees needing sponsorship, so whether you want
to give a special birthday present or anniversary gift or mark your own special
occasion, here is a great opportunity.
AGM change
The Friends of Ness Gardens Annual
General Meeting has been re-scheduled
to take place on Saturday 21 April 2013 at
2pm in the Lecture Theatre of the Horsfall
Rushby Visitor Centre, Ness Botanic
Gardens. The meeting was previously
scheduled for 19 January but had to be
cancelled due to heavy snow.
Come along, hear what’s going on, have
your say, meet up with friends and enjoy a
cup of tea or coffee afterwards.
The minutes of last year’s AGM and the
Annual Report for 2011-12 are available on
the Ness website Friends’ pages.
We are asking for a minimum donation of £50
and all the proceeds will go to the Friends of
Ness Gardens fund. Your contribution to the
creation of this lasting legacy will be recorded in
a commemorative book.
If you would like to play a part in the
celebrations by adopting a tree, please ask at
the desk in the Visitor Centre, call 0845 030
4063 or email us at friendsofnessgardens@liv.
ac.uk.
Among the trees you can choose from are:
• Bald Cypress, Birch, Chestnut, Chinese
Mahogany, Flowering Cherry, Giant Redwood,
Hornbeam, Japanese Snowbell, Keaki, Kentucky
Coffeetree, Lime, Maple, Oak, Sweetgum, Witch
Hazel, Yellowwood... and many more!
Lorna Harper (seated, centre), our
Membership and Accounts Administrator, is
known to many of the Friends as coordinator
of membership services - joining the team in
2011. She leaves us to take on a new role as
Finance and Business Performance Manager
at Jodrell Bank.
Lorna has been instrumental in aiding the
introduction of the Friends’ new membership
system and we owe her our gratitude for
undertaking this important and complex task.
We wish Lorna every success in her new
role. Interim arrangements are in place while
recruitment is underway for her replacement.
Spring 2013 19
What’s On at Ness
For booking courses, contact Ness on
0845 030 4063 unless otherwise stated.
Starting Thursday 18 April
Introduction to Garden Design
9.30am-12noon (morning course) OR
6.30pm-9pm (evening course). Both courses are
10 weekly sessions £60 (£55 Friends of Ness)
EASTER HOLIDAY EVENTS
Running Saturday 30 March - Sunday 12 April
Children’s Easter Egg
Hunt. 10am–5pm 50p to
follow the trail and win a
COURSES KEY
small gift.
Blue = Saturday Practical
Don’t Count Your
Chickens! 10am–5pm.
Back by popular demand,
our CSI-themed family trail
returns! Garden admission
applies.
Gardening Courses
Brown = ‘Gardeners’ Delights’
(half day courses (2.5 hours) on a
variety of topics)
Thursday 18 April 10.30am4.30pm
Allotment Gardening
Purple = One Day Courses
Learn about techniques
Red = Longer Courses
for producing home grown
vegetables. £45 per person
to include light lunch and
Garden entry. Contact Sue Parkinson Tel: 01270
613211 or email: [email protected]
Green = Reaseheath Courses
Tuesday 2 April 10am12.30pm
How Gardeners Can
Save the Planet
£10 (Friends of Ness £8)
Sunday 7 April 2-3pm
Improve your flower photography
Talk. Entry is FREE but places are limited and
must be booked in advance at:
http://improveyourflower photography.eventbrite.
co.uk
Saturday 13 April 10am-1pm
Pruning Made Easy
£12 (£10 Friends of Ness Gardens)
Saturday 13 April - Sunday 14 April 10am–4pm
Rhododendron Show
See the array of different Rhododendron blooms
on display in the Bulley Room.... Entry free
Wednesday 17 April 7–9am
‘Up with the Lark’ and Breakfast with
the RSPB.
£10.50 – adults, £8.50 Friends of Ness and
concessions. Limited numbers, so pre-booking is
essential.
20 The Gentian
Starting Thursday 18 April
1-3.30pm
Wildlife and the
Gardener
Thursday 6 weekly sessions
£50 (£45 Friends of Ness)
Saturday 20 April 10am-1pm
Plant Identification for Beginners
£12 (£10 Friends of Ness)
Sunday 21 April 10.30am-4.30pm
Lovely lawns
Expert tips and techniques for lawn care. £45
per person.
Thursday 25 April 10.30am-4.30pm
Pruning
Practical session. £45 per person to include light
lunch and Garden entry. Contact Sue Parkinson
Tel: 01270 613211
or email: [email protected]
Bank Holiday Monday 6 May 10am–2pm.
Friends of Ness Gardens Plant Sale
Entry to Fair £1 for non-Friends of Ness
Gardens. (Usual admission charges to the
Gardens apply).
WILDLIFE WEEK!
Saturday 25 May – Sunday
2 June
10am–5pm. A week of indoor and outdoor
activities all about wildlife. Usual admission
charges to the Gardens apply.
All week:
Wildlife Family Game Trail (with free trail
leaflet)
Monday 27 May
Running between 11am
– 3pm
Interactive Wildlife
Family Trek
with Rob Rhys Bond. 50p
charge for the trek.
Tuesday 28 May
A Bee in your Bonnet
11.30am & 2pm - Interactive Family Fun Show
about the importance of pollinators. Free!
Wednesday 29 May
A Bee in your Bonnet
11.30am & 2pm - Interactive Family Fun Show
about the importance of pollinators. Free!
11am – 3pm
Hi -Tec Wild Trek trailer van in the
Garden. Dr Richard Osmond,
an environmental teacher with
specialist IT skills, will
be parking his Hi-Tech
Wild Trek mobile field ecology
trailer in the Garden to help
visitors spy into the microscopic
world of pond creatures and other
mini-beasts. Using video equipment,
microscopes and computers you will get the
chance to capture images of your discoveries.
(Images can be printed for a small charge).
Thursday 30 May
12pm – 3pm
Wildlife drop-in craft
sessions – Free entry.
Friday 31 May
12pm – 3pm
Wildlife drop-in craft
sessions
in the Hulme Room – Free entry.
Running between 11am – 3pm
Interactive Wildlife Family Trek
with Rob Rhys Bond. 50p charge for the trek.
7.30pm – 10pm
Bat talk and walk with the Cheshire
Bat Group. Adults £8, Friends of Ness and
concessions £6.
For further details and updates on the HalfTerm programme, please check our website
- www.nessgardens.org.uk and Twitter @Ness_Gardens
Spring 2013 21
Thursday 2 May 10.30am-4.30pm
Organic veg growing
Learn about the fundamentals of organic
vegetable growing. £45 per person. Contact Sue
Parkinson Tel: 01270 613211 or email: suepa@
reaseheath.ac.uk
Tuesday 7 May 10am-12.30pm
Bee-friendly Gardens
£10 (£8 Friends of Ness)
Thursday 9th May 10.30am-4.30pm
Planting Summer baskets
£45 per person. Contact Sue Parkinson Tel:
01270 613211 or email: [email protected]
Friday 10 May 9.30am-4pm
Camera confidence
A fun, practical photography workshop for
beginners £65 no concessions. Contact Art In
The Garden to book: 07800 847729 or email :
[email protected]
Thursday 16 May 10.30am-4.30pm
Designing and planting a Summer
border
£45 per person to include light lunch and
Garden entry. Contact Sue Parkinson Tel: 01270
613211 or email: [email protected]
Tuesday 4 June 10am-4pm
Coloured pencil
£40 (no concessions). Ness School of Botanical
Artists. Contact Vickie Marsh on 01978 758243
or email: [email protected]
Sunday 2 June 9.30am-4.30pm
Herbal Medicine Day with Jesper
Launder
£45 per person
22 The Gentian
Saturday 20 July 10am-1pm
Identifying Trees
£12 (£10 Friends of Ness Gardens)
Tuesday 4 June 10am-12.30pm
Essential Gardening Jobs for the Summer
£10 (£8 Friends of Ness Gardens)
Saturday 8 June 1-3pm
World Environment Day (19th
anniversary)
Come and take part in our annual celebration of
this special day. Ceremony in the Bulley Room
and the stalls in the Bulley Courtyard - free
access to both. (Usual admission applies for
Gardens-based activities).
Saturday 8 June 10am-1pm
Gardening in Containers
£12 (£10 Friends of Ness Gardens)
Saturday 15 June 10am-1pm
Wildflowers & Meadows
£12 (£10 Friends of Ness Gardens)
Sunday 16 June 10am-5pm
Father’s Day. All dads get in free to the
Gardens. To book a table for lunch call the
Garden Kitchen cafe on 0151 353 1573.
Friday 21 June 9.30am–4.30pm
Garden Photography Workshop
£85. No concessions Contact Art In The Garden
to book: 07800 847729 or
email : [email protected]
Saturday 18 May 10am-1pm
Exploring the Plant Kingdom
An exciting look at plant diversity. £12 (£10
Friends of Ness)
Bring a picnic, low back seating and wear suitable
clothing and footwear... This event will only be
cancelled in the event of a hurricane! Tickets
£12.50 adults; £6.50 child.
Tuesday 2 July 10am-12.30pm
Herbaceous Borders
£10 (£8 Friends of Ness Gardens)
Plants that Bite Back!
£10 (£8 Friends of Ness Gardens)
Bring a picnic, low back seating and wear suitable
clothing and footwear... This event will only be
cancelled in the event of a hurricane! Tickets
£12.50 adults; £6.50 child.
Monday 15 July 10am-4pm
Plant Hunters’ Fair
Entry to the Fair is just £1 (redeemable against
entry into the Gardens).
Tuesday 30 July 10am-4pm
Children’s Fun Day
The children have been on holiday for a week and Ness comes to the rescue with fun-packed
treats including pony rides, falcon display, crèche,
crafts, painting and colouring, family trail, story
time, circus tricks. Most activities are free. Usual
admission charges to the Gardens apply.
Wednesday 17 July
Illyria Theatre’s The Mikado
Gates open 6pm, performance starts 7pm.
Saturday 10 August 10am-1pm
Summer Propagation
Saturday £12 (£10 Friends of Ness Gardens)
A SPECIAL INVITATION TO THE
FRIENDS OF NESS GARDENS...
“The Late Night Garden Kitchen”
We look forward to welcoming you to Ness Botanic Gardens
on the first Wednesday Evening of every month to enjoy this
exclusive dinner event.
You will have the opportunity to dine from a delicious threecourse choice menu, choose wines from our recommended list
and benefit from good company whilst sat at tables laid with crisp
white linen and tea lights.
Saturday 13 July 10am-1pm
Pests, Diseases & Weeds
£12 (£10 Friends of Ness Gardens)
Opening Night: WEDNESDAY 3 APRIL 2013
Sunday 14 July
Illyria Theatre’s Babe The Sheep-Pig
by Dick King-Smith (adapted by David Wood)
Gates open 5.30pm, performance starts 6.30pm.
Reservations necessary, to book call: 0161 273 3469 and
ask for Ella who will be delighted to assist you.
3 Courses with Coffee only £19.75 per person
Spring 2013 23
Caldy open gardens
On the afternoon of Sunday 23 June some
of Caldy’s gardening enthusiasts are again
opening their gardens to the public. About a
dozen gardens will be open and the afternoon
includes tea and cakes, Pimms and soft drinks
and a raffle. Some gardens are opening for the
first time. Ticket details are available at www.
opengardens.co.uk Proceeds are for North
West Cancer Research.
F. MORREY & SON
(Est. 1910)
SPECIALIST GROWERS
Ornamental and Amenity Trees
RHODOS • AZALEAS • MAPLES
Full Shrub Range
Garden Shop
8.30 am — 5.00 pm DAILY
CLOSED SUNDAY
Catalogue on Request
FOREST NURSERY, KELSALL
A54 near TARPORLEY, CHESHIRE CW6 0SW
Tel: Kelsall 01829 751342
the
Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinics,
Podiatry and Massage
Clinics in Bromborough,
Hoylake, Birkenhead,
Ellesmere Port and Liverpool
10%
discount for Friends
of Ness.
No waiting list.
0844 415 4895
www.jointsandpoints.co.uk
Sunday 12th May 2013 10 am - 5pm
Discover around 20 gardens of every size and type in
OxtonVillage,Wirral. Plant sales and advice, art and
crafts, live music, poetry, shops, restaurants, pubs,
children’s activities and much more. Bring your friends
and family for a great day out.
Tickets £6 in advance or £8 on the day.
Under-18s free.
free
Free car parking and programme.
Tickets in advance (from 5th April)
 online at www.oxtonsociety.org.uk (no booking fee)
 Ness Botanic Gardens (0845 0304063)
 Linghams bookshop, Heswall (0151 342 7290)
 Dobbies GardenWorld Liverpool (0151 728 3070)
 shops in OxtonVillage
Tickets on the day
Tic
 free car park (Storeton Road, Oxton, CH43 5TW)
 ticket sales points in OxtonVillage
For further details see www.oxtonsociety.org.uk
or ring 07963 248 268.
Shortlisted forWirral Tourism Event of theYear 2012 and 2013
24 The Gentian