PUBLISHED: 13:55 03 January 2019 | UPDATED: 13:55 03 January 2019 Rhodedendroms at Sheringham Park Credit: Antony Kelly Archant Make sure you have a blooming marvellous 2019 by exploring one of these beautiful gardens across Norfolk. The Plantation Gardens, Norwich Credit: Denise BradleyFrom Norwich’s secret Plantation Garden to Sheringham Park, there are plenty of places to visit with the whole family. The Plantation Garden Where: 4 Earlham Road, Norwich, NR2 3DBWhen: 9am to 6pm dailyCost: Adults £2, accompanied under 16s free A hidden haven located next to The Cathedral of St John the Baptist, look for the brown sign, with a towering water feature and woodland paths scaling the gardens.You are welcome to bring our own refreshments into the garden and there are also events throughout the year including outdoor cinema, live music and afternoon teas. Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens Credit: James BassThrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens Where: Filby Road, Thrigby, NR29 3DRWhen: … [Read more...] about 10 stunning gardens to visit in Norfolk in 2019
Meadow acres garden centre
Sidmouth businessman excited for opening of Honiton garden centre
PUBLISHED: 12:25 16 November 2018 Clarissa Place James Trevett at Combe Garden Centre. Ref mhh 44 18TI 3960. Picture: Terry Ife Archant A Sidmouth businessman is looking to bring his gardening experience to the masses as opening day approaches for his new garden centre. Combe Garden Centre. Ref mhh 44 18TI 3949. Picture: Terry IfeJames Trevett will open Combe Garden Centre near Honiton on December 1, nearly three years after leaving his job as manager of Sidmouth Garden Centre. The dad-of-one has been working with Combe Estate to bring the store to the town, which is estimated to have cost approximately £1.4million to build.Now in the final stages of completion, James hopes the business will be an asset to Honiton and generating jobs in the local community. Sidmothian James, who worked at Sidmouth Garden Centre for 15 years, said: “It feels very real. It has been in the distant future for a couple of years, all these pretty drawings of things … [Read more...] about Sidmouth businessman excited for opening of Honiton garden centre
How bees are being saved by visitors to National Botanic Garden
Is it true if bees die out, our planet has only four years left? There’s no better person to ask than Dr Natasha de Vere, head of science at the National Botanic Garden of Wales , where up to 1.5 million bees are currently buzzing around the 568 acres of flowers and greenery. What she and her team of scientists don’t know about bees and other pollinators (animals that move pollen around so fruit and seeds grow) probably isn’t worth considering. Their world-leading expertise isn’t necessarily what you’d expect if you’re dropping into the garden on the Carmarthenshire tourist trail, with work which not only benefits the environment but could also bring relief to hayfever sufferers as well as discoveries about the superbug MRSA. The scientific accolades are impressive. Natasha joined the garden 11 years ago, leading research which made Wales the first nation in the world to create a DNA barcode library of our native flowering plants and conifers, a … [Read more...] about How bees are being saved by visitors to National Botanic Garden
6 of the most scenic Sheffield locations for a summer picnic
With summer now in full swing and more glorious sunshine on the way, there's every excuse to head outdoors and make the most of it while it lasts. And since July marks National Picnic month, it's the perfect time to pack up some snacks and enjoy a spot of al fresco dining at one of these scenic locations around Sheffield.The Peace GardensPerfect if you're looking for a relaxed place to kick back with a bite to eat close to the city centre, The Peace Gardens sit near the Winter Garden and within easy walking distance of Sheffield's popular Millennium Galleries - offering plenty to do after your picnic feast.Visit: 50 Pinstone Street, S1 2HH - sheffield.gov.uk Rother Valley Country ParkIf you want to combine a bit of adventure with your picnic, Rother Valley Country Park isn't short of things to keep you entertained during your visit.From canoeing and paddle boarding, to mountain biking and family boating, you're sure to work up an appetite after taking on the array of activities.Visit: … [Read more...] about 6 of the most scenic Sheffield locations for a summer picnic
How a couple turned farmland into one of Yorkshire’s finest flower gardens
Breezy Knees garden in pictures 0 Have your say A couple with no formal horticultural training have turned 20 acres of farmland in to one of Yorkshire’s finest flower gardens. Mid-life crises take many forms, some of them destructive, but Colin and Marylen Parker put theirs to good use.They shunned affairs, fast cars and fruitless quests to look younger for 20 acres of farmland.Their plan was to turn the former potato and barley fields into a flower garden and plant nursery, which was wildly ambitious for a couple with no formal horticultural training. Fired by the thought of a life-change, and by a love of gardening, they were prepared for hard work and happy to get their hands dirty.“Our friends and family thought we had gone ga-ga but we had always enjoyed visiting gardens and we loved plants and it’s what we wanted to do,” says Colin, a former pharmacist who, with Marylen’s help, ran two pharmacies in York.The first eight years were … [Read more...] about How a couple turned farmland into one of Yorkshire’s finest flower gardens