Seasonal Gardener

Join Avery Gardens of Taunton, Somerset, as a Seasonal Gardener! Avery Gardens, with over 15 years of expertise in commercial and domestic gardening, is looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our team for the summer season from June to August. Whether you're an experienced gardener or just starting out, we value dedication to quality and excellent...

So the late spring has in fact had quite an amazing affect on the garden as everything seems to have come at once. It's an awesome time in terms of colour and it's rare to admire irises, paeonies, roses, wisteria and cistus at the same time - I love it! It is like 3 months condensed into one. Gertrude Jekyll was a great colourist, it was one of her many...

We are recruiting for a seasonal plant area assistant to work at Otter Garden Centre, Taunton. You will be working as part of our plant area team, maintaining our high standards of plant care, and helping with general customer enquiries. Please note this is a manual role and does include heavy lifting, and working in an outdoor environment. **Duties will...

When it's cold outside and the days are short, it can be all too tempting to hunker down, cosy up and stay indoors. But we're here to convince you to throw on a jacket, pull on your wellies and head outside. Visiting winter gardens is a great way to do this. And while there won't be quite so many blooms, the colder months bring their own unique treats. ...

Looking for a enthusiastic and positive person. Will need to be able to work as a team or on your own in private gardens or public area's. Doing maintenance ie border work, hedge trimming, mowing and (general garden jobs). You will have your own mowing round and portfolio of maintenance jobs for the growing season. The rest of the year more as a team on...

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...

"To me the sound of summer is the buzz of bees as they happily collect pollen from the plants. I have a real interest in pollinators and make sure that the plant centre stocks plants that encourage bees, butterflies and other insects. **Pollinators are important** Bees pollinate 3/4 of the world's most important crops. Sadly bee numbers have been...

The mowing season is upon us and it is a very exciting time of the year. Everything is starting to grow, especially the grass, so I thought that I would tell you about some of the different ways we mow in the Formal Gardens. **Rotary Mowing** The mower above is a Honda Izy, a four wheeled rotary pedestarian mower, but what does this mean? Rotary mowers...

**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...

**Welcome to the festive season!** We're now officially in the mood for Christmas after a very successful annual Christmas Market. Filled with beautiful stalls and friendly, local producers and craftspeople we were bursting at the seams with decorations, food and lots of lovely gift ideas. A great way to kick start the festive season. We’re now in a...

you are doing a cracking job! Just keep asking us all questions and learn as much as you can....... and keep baking!!!!**: **I think that it is about time we introduced two of our valuable team members.... the students.** Jessica Redhead (on the left) and Hannah Philips (on the right) Both started here in September 2012 and will be with us until the end of...

**Head Gardener Claire explains why buying British grown or sustainable flowers is the best way to show love this Valentine's Day**: In the run up to Valentine’s Day, all the supermarkets and petrol stations are full of bouquets of flowers for people to buy their loved ones. However, it’s a fairly recent tradition to buy red roses, as historically in the...

**Come and visit our new Gallery Shop in Hestercombe House, as well as our Gift Shop and Plant Centre on the Marquee Lawn**: - An overview of the new Gallery Shop**Gallery Shop**: Visit Hestercombe's new Gallery Shop for beautiful local handmade gifts. With a mix of high quality pieces, local artists showcase their work - a diverse selection of materials...

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...

...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...

**Philip White shares thoughts on the evolution of the members' newsletters found in the archive.**: **Today is a Red Letter day as the first time in nearly thirty years that our Hestercombe Newsletter has gone completely digital.**: I took the opportunity to delve into our archive where I was delighted to discover that we appear to have all, or nearly all,...

Looking after the new hives at Hestercombe **We’re welcoming bees into a new home at Hestercombe, with the delivery of six hives for these humble honey makers.** Ian Stiby and Rosie Ellis, who are beekeeping partners at Three Bridges Apriary, have brought the new colony to the orchards of Hestercombe so we can produce our own special Hestercombe Honey....

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...

To my worldly blog followers, sorry for my absence over the last few weeks, it’s been a busy time in the kitchens. A little belated I know but I wish Liz our old pastry chef good luck in her new venture. The weeks that passed after Liz left were busy ones but (would you believe I was making cakes?!) but were made easier by the support of a great team in...

Crunch through fallen leaves in the Landscape Garden, spot holly bushes and steal a kiss under the mistletoeHestercombe’s winter gardens are glimmering with the sleepy, frosty signs of the season. Paying us a visit is a wonderful way to get into the festive spirit, but in the meantime you can check out these ideas for a magical alternative Christmas...