Autumn Garden Events

There has definitely been a change in the weather recently and we are looking forward to our Autumn Events programme. Planting & gardening workshops a-plenty, with Bicton College setting up new courses and our own too with Head Gardener Claire Reid: Confident Gardener Class We will shortly be moving towards our Christmas activities, from skating to Father...

**Get outside this season, breathe in the fresh air and watch Hestercombe gardens come alive with the rich colours of autumn.**: - Autumn at HestercombeSeptember and October sees Hestercombe transformed by the rich shades of autumn; the cold-loving flowers and shrubs begin to bloom, bringing new colours and points of interest to the gardens. On your next...

**With autumn in full swing now we are certainly finding plenty to do in the gardens! Apart from the seemingly never ending task of leaf blowing and raking we have been chopping back all the Mexican daisies that grow in the walls. This reveals the beautiful stone work underneath and shows off the intricate structure of the Formal Garden. We also have some...

My apologies for the lack of blog posts lately, but the more observant among you may notice that I am now publishing under a different name! My time and focus over this last summer has been taken up with organising my wedding, but now I am free to concentrate on writing blogs again! Last week we began the autumn chop back, which is a job I love because you...

Just when we all though we could go on holiday... And not to forget the new Autumn Menu. Kevin and his team have once again exceeded expectation with some scrumptious warming dishes using seasonal and local ingredients including a wholesome beef stew with dumplings and the delicious apple and cider cake made with Hestercombe's very own apples! I'm sure...

**Visitors will notice a new feature as they take the main drive towards Hestercombe House.**: Visitors will notice a new feature as they take the main drive towards Hestercombe House. A body of water currently awaits restoration to be transformed into an original Water Garden that formerly graced the estate. The Water Garden is situated in the parkland...

The little daisy you see dotted around the stonework in the formal gardens is Erigeron karvinskianus. Once you get it to settle in it will easily self seed all over your garden. if flowers from early summer through to the first frosts. If left it can get a bit leggy and woody so every autumn (after it has started going to seed) it gets a big hair...

...and looking relaxed after a week's holiday with his young family including three very energetic little boys... Kevin is our Welsh Wizard Head Chef and even on his hols he has been thinking about the new Autumn menu. Always seasonal, I think we can look forward to pumpkins and butternut, sweet potatoes and casseroles but he does promise to keep the hand...

Looking for an enthusiastic self employed landscape gardener to join our team. Duties will include: Fencing Ground maintenance Arborist work Landscaping Pressure washing etc patios commercial site maintenance Working 3 days a week to start with but could lead to a full time role for the right person. potentially overtime available. Garden machinery...

**Today was the first of the Confident Gardener workshops at Hestercombe and we mastered apple pruning. Although very cold, we had dry weather and met a lovely bunch of people who had come to learn how to prune their trees at home. As with anything I am involved with, this also included a great deal of tea drinking and lots of general chat - about gardening...

Ben at Illumina_ Illumina is AMAZING!!!!!!! What a marvellous way to view a garden. It is completely entrancing and magical. The pathway takes you through the shrubbery to the cascade and back round and through the formal gardens. The change in perspective in the dark is phenomenal and having worked in the gardens for 6 years it is really...

How amazing was Illumina! So great to see the garden in such a different perspective and notice things that had previously been hidden. For example who knew that Erigeron had eyes!!! The whole plant looks really alive in this picture - truly the jewel of Hestercombe. I was amazed at how many people who came to Illumina had never visited the gardens in...

**Now that we’re getting stuck into February (where did the last month go?!) there are a few more events in the pipeline. Over the next month or so Claire is putting on her popular gardening workshops. From pruning to planting there’s something for all budding gardeners! But do make sure you book quickly as they fill up fast. Gardeners Workshops And if...

**About Us** Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre is an award-winning family run garden centre that serves as a destination for the local community in the heart of Somerset. We bring our passion for plants and gardening into your indoor and outdoor living spaces in a shopping environment centred on customer service and family values. We are proud to be home to...

There’s little better than a butterfly fluttering past, a bee buzzing by or a dragonfly darting through when you’re pottering in the garden. You can make those chance encounters more likely by embracing wildlife gardening. Luckily, finding the balance between a wildlife garden and beautiful planting is easier than you might think. Here, we suggest five...

**No Mow May ~ can you resist your mower for one month to help insect life in the UK?! Head Gardener Claire Greenslade sets you a challenge...**: **No Mow May** is an initiative set up by Plant Life, a charity that aims to promote the conservation of plants and habitat, and to increase awareness of the value of plants. They're asking for gardeners across...

The Column Room has been popular this summer with some very special afternoon teas and luxury light lunches served in a vintage setting overlooking the formal gardens. To see in the new autumn menu (think blackberries, smooth chocolate and caramel apple... ) we're running a competition on our facebook page! All you have to do to be in with a chance of...

**A 2004 project successfully replanted a unique variety of historic irises on the East Rill borders in Hestercombe's formal gardens ~ and many of them will be sold in the Plant Centre**: - Bruno- Flavescens- Honorabile- Ma mie- Madame Chereau- MonsignorIn 2004, an important project was undertaken at Hestercombe to replant irises on the East Rill, according...

**Happy new year! The new year has brought with it some beautiful flowers to brighten up the gloomy days. The following can all be found near the path as you walk through the Shrubbery: Above: Hamamelis commonly known as witch hazel has these spidery yellow flowers borne on bare stems. The flowers always remind me of curls of lemon rind! They prefer a sunny...

The gardens at Hestercombe are finally taking on their beautiful late spring mantle after some better weather! Don’t forget what fun the gardens are for children over half term, when butterfly experts will be in the garden giving free talks! And for some traditional style english summer enjoyment come and try our first ever Hestercombe Summer Fete on June...