On 9 September, Emma Lainchbury gave Grayshott Gardeners an engaging talk on how Hadspen Estate became The Newt in Somerset. Emma has had a lifelong interest in gardening and ecology and after studying at Exeter University and Cambridge University Botanic Garden, she went on to work at Tresco, where she developed an interest in propagating rare plants. She then progressed through gardens in Cornwall before becoming Nursery Manager at The Newt in 2025, where she now propagates plants for the whole estate.

Emma traced Hadspen’s history from the 1690 house built by London lawyer William Player as a ‘Gentleman’s House’. Completed by 1695, old photographs suggest the layout has changed little. It is now owned by Koos Bekker and Karen Roos who purchased Hadspen in 2013 and have transformed it into what is now known as ‘The Newt’.

The estate includes several gardens. The Cottage Garden has a tiny former staff cottage, now used for drying flowers and at Christmas, visitors can view a decorated tree through its door window. Designed in Gertrude Jekyll’s style by Penelope Hobhouse, who worked with Eric Smith, it includes plants named after him, such as Hosta ‘Hadspen Blue’ and Helleborus × Ericsmithii.

The renovated Victoria Terrace and Pond have seasonal bedding. The Winter Glass House, once used for succulents and Mediterranean plants from travels, still houses such plants, now including succulents from South America, South Africa and Peru.

The Colour Gardens were originally planted and maintained by Canadians Nori and Sandra Pope, who made colour the guiding principle for planting. The gardens are now divided by colour, including White, Blue, Red and Green Gardens, the latter featuring green roses, zinnias and other green plants.

The Parabola is a semi-circular, egg-shaped garden celebrating apples, with 330 varieties and 689 apple trees forming a National Collection. Its inner walls display trained trees, including espalier and stepover forms, while the outer walls hold other fruit trees such as plum, cherry and pear.

The Market Garden supplies produce for The Newt’s cafés, restaurant and hotel, while the kitchen garden uses companion planting and contains only edible plants, including tulips.

There is an area where there are four are different gardens for every season which are aptly named the Four-Season Gardens.

Ash dominates the woodland but is dying off, so Emma said drought-tolerant trees and some native species are being considered. The ancient tree known as The Druid is thought to be 260 years old.  Its layered branch is now a 40-year-old tree.

Marl is dug from the pit and spread over the fields. Once emptied, the pit fills with water.

Emma manages the Nursery, where propagation takes place alongside a tropical tunnel for palms and humidity-loving plants, bedding plants, and a succulent collection.

During The Newt’s renovation, a Roman villa was discovered and excavated. A replica building now houses a museum above the site, with a garden outside planted with Roman herbs and flowers.

The farm keeps British White cattle, sheep and buffalo, whose milk is used to make ice cream and mozzarella. The estate also has a deer park with red and fallow deer.

Emma explained that the estate was named after the Great Crested Newt discovered during renovation. Work paused while it was relocated, then resumed; the newt later returned, and many now live on the estate, breeding in water in spring and summer and spending the rest of the year on land.

The evening concluded with questions.

On 12 August, Grayshott Gardeners heard an informative talk from Tim Ingram, owner of Copton Ash Garden, a family-run garden and specialist nursery in Faversham, Kent. Open for the National Garden Scheme, the garden and nursery specialise mainly in alpines and drought-tolerant plants—a particularly relevant subject because of this long, dry summer.

Tim is also a long-standing member of the Alpine Garden Society and Copton Ash belongs to Plant Fairs Roadshow, a co-operative of small, independent specialist nurseries that organise plant fairs across the Southeast.

Tim began by discussing the changing climate, with wetter winters and springs and increasingly dry summers. He showed a chart noting that Faversham recorded a temperature of 38.5°C in August 2023, when the area had even less rainfall than this year.

Tim presented a slideshow featuring a wide range of plants suited to dry climates, including succulents, Mediterranean plants, bulbs, alpines, silvers and umbellifers.

Cyclamens – especially the hederifolium are valuable plants for dry over rooted shaded areas as they can flower in completely parched soil.  They are also suited to woodland areas.

Campanulas, together with primula marginata, daphne, aubrietia and many other plants, grow well in dry conditions. Silver-leaved plants are also well suited to dry gardens. Tim recommended two books on the subject: Mrs Desmond Underwood’s Grey and Silver Plants and Robert Nold’s High and Dry.

Various bulbs, such as crocus, fritillaria, muscari, tulips and muscari grow well in dry soils.  Iris reticulata and gladiolus communis are good as meadow plants but can suffer if it is very dry.

Mediterranean plants, including lavender and other herbs, euphorbia, yucca and salvia, grow well in dry soils. Tim also recommended Olivier Filippi’s book Planting Design for Dry Gardens, which covers a wide range of plants suitable for Mediterranean-style gardens.

Tim touched on the Umbellifers which grow well in dry gardens, his favourite being Ligusticum lucidum, a tall short-lived herbaceous perennial which has fine airy green foliage and white flowers in the summer. 

Tim then went on the describe some of the many cacti and succulents you can grow in the garden.  Cacti can be grown in very shallow containers and in various wonderful constructions (as shown on the slide show).

Tim said that Britain’s Hottest Garden in Ventnor, Isle of Wight was worth a visit as was Tom Stuart-Smith’s The Surge Hill Project which is near Watford. A video of the talk, including the full list of recommended plants, will be available on the website soon.

On 8 July, Grayshott Gardeners enjoyed an informative and entertaining talk by Timothy Walker, who began his career as a trainee at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and later became its director. He now lectures in plant biology at Somerville College, Oxford, and at Pembroke, Hereford and Worcester Colleges. Between 1992 and 2000, Oxford Botanic Garden won four gold medals at Chelsea. Timothy has also published books and travelled worldwide as a lecturer.

He focused on the “back border” in his Oxford garden, explaining that creating a border is a personal process shaped by the plants and colours you enjoy. While the soil should be hidden by planting, he recommended adding stepping stones so plants can be tended without being damaged. He also warned that it is easy to underestimate how tall plants will grow, making staking essential to prevent a domino effect.

He said it was a good idea to cut down spring plants (Wimbledon Chop) to make way for the autumn plants, and you can (contrary to some) move dormant plants if you feel if they are in the wrong place.  He stated that the same went for spring bulbs which can be planted after Christmas. 

Stressing the importance of caring for the soil, he said that weeds should be ‘double dug’ to remove them completely. He also recommended making your own compost and adding nitrogen, such as sulphate of ammonia.

He said it is helpful to have a plan when planting a border, considering the view from the house and how sunlight moves across it during the day. He also advised considering the spirit of the place, such as a beautiful building near the garden.

Timothy concluded his talk saying that although the colours were up to you, you needed harmony, contrast, layers and colour.  Making a border was about making pictures. 

 The evening ended with questions from the audience.

On 10 June, Grayshott Gardeners were treated to an educational and entertaining evening with Guy Deakins. 

Guy is a garden designer, plantsman, and author of Gardener’s Guide to Protected Growing. Trained in design history and design psychology, he is particularly interested in neuroaesthetics—the study of how people respond to beauty. Since founding his business in 1999, he has worked on a wide range of projects, including small courtyards, city roof gardens, Norfolk fen gardens, windswept coastal formal gardens, and country estates.

Guy explained how to murder your garden and which minerals, mulch and manures nourish soil and feed it.  He also showed the audience a realistic skull and prop hands to illustrate that hoof and horn, fingernails, hair, and bonemeal are high in nitrogen. He added that dandelions, chicory, and beets improve drainage because their roots can reach 15 feet. Seaweed, he noted, is a conditioner rather than a feed.

Guy highlighted that laurel should never be chipped, crushed, or ingested because it contains cyanide, as do apple pips. He also noted that the possible link between glyphosate, a weedkiller used by farmers, and coeliac disease remains inconclusive.

The evening concluded with a question-and-answer session led by Guy.

We were delighted to welcome Stephen Anderton to talk to us this month.  Stephen is a renowned Sunday Times journalist, broadcaster, photographer and author.  Tonight he told us the story of Christopher Lloyd – whose biography he wrote in 2010.

“Christopher Lloyd (Christo) was one of the greatest English gardeners of the twentieth century, perhaps the finest plantsman of them all”.  So begins the biography that Christo himself requested Stephen to write, some four weeks before he died.  His story is a captivating one, that divides into two very distinct parts – life with his mother Daisy, and life after her death.

Christo’s parents, Nathanial and Daisy, bought the Dixter estate in 1910.  They rebuilt and extended the wreck of a house, and started creating the garden that is now famous worldwide.  Nathanial planted hedges, Daisy and her six children, of which Christo was the youngest, coloured in the spaces with flowers.

Daisy was an indomitable woman and a formidable mother, with strong opinions that she frequently voiced, about her children, and later their partners.  She kept young Christo very close to her, in a way that some would see as stifling, and they ran the garden together until her death in 1972.

That was the point when Christo made a resolution – he would make Great Dixter sing.  Freed from the restraints of his mother, he turned the grass in the topiary lawn into meadow, ripped out the rose garden to create an exotic garden, and started using his famously flamboyent colour combinations.  His extraordinary attention to detail set him apart from others at that time.  He also nurtured young gardeners, launching the careers of the “Dutch Monty” (Romke van de Kaa) and Fergus Garrett, who still runs Great Dixter today.

His legacy, one of England’s finest gardens, is one that most gardeners are familiar with. The story behind the man is less familiar, but endlessly fascinating.

On 8 April, Grayshott Gardeners were treated to a very informative and interesting evening talk on plants for shade by Rosy Hardy.

Rosy has 35 years’ experience of commercial horticulture and is the owner of Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants in Hampshire which is known for its high-quality herbaceous perennials and other plant varieties.  The nursery has won 24 RHS Gold Medals and two Tudor Rose Awards at Hampton Court.  In 2020 she was made Honorary Vice President of the RHS.   

Rosy started her talk on what shade is.  Shade can be from trees, buildings, no direct light, all time north facing and morning or evening shade. 

She emphasized that understanding the soil type in your garden was key whether it be heavy, light, alkaline or acid.    Some plants like dry soil and some damp, but observation was the key.

The audience were shown lots of different shade loving plants and she passed samples of Semi Aquilegia Australian Form, Epimedium and a viola (to name just a few) around for the audience to have a close look at.  

The evening ended with questions and the sale of some of Rosy’s shade loving plants.

On 11 March, the Grayshott Gardeners attended a very informative presentation by Barry Newman who gave lots of advice on how to grow great vegetables.    

Barry is a highly accomplished horticulturist, RHS judge and lecturer specialising in growing vegetables for exhibiting.  He was Chairman of the National Vegetable Society and renowned for his expertise in producing high-quality potatoes, carrots and onions.  In 2022, he was awarded the Kew Guild Medal for distinguished service to horticulture.

He told the audience that the secret to successful vegetables was choosing the right seeds, compost and time.  Large seeds (such as runner beans, broad beans and squash seeds) should be sown on their edge (so as to stop rot) in root trainers as the roots are longer and better to put in the ground.  He uses polystyrene boxes in the winter months as they are clean and can be put in the airing cupboard!  He likes raised beds as they bring the garden up to you instead of your having to bend or kneel,

Seed strips (carrots, parsnips etc) are becoming popular as they are in a straight line.  Leeks can be bought in strips and when ready to plant out he cuts the roots and leaves and puts them into the ground.   This ensures they are lovely and white. Another tip was to cut the tops off or pinch out seedlings instead of pulling so as not to disturb the plant you want to keep.

Ground preparation and a good, timely start will always pay dividends.   He suggests that manure is put on top of the soil, gently raked over and then covered for the winter.  The worms and soil will work for you, but an additive will be needed.  He uses woodchips/bark as this keeps the moisture in and the slugs at bay.

Good plants will provide good crops.  He recommended Sungold tomatoes, Perpetual Beet instead of Spinach and reminded the audience that beetroot was a swollen stem and needed to be earthed up to keep its lovely colour. He recommended Venus and Ambassador courgettes which he grows vertically which stops mildew.  He pushes one potato right to the bottom of a polypot and covers with multipurpose compost.  This way you can have a good yield, no pests and your crop is in one place.

He stressed that good support for crops was essential.  Road pins were good stakes.  Pea sticks and runner bean poles should be fixed slanted not straight.  He said that runner beans like wet feet and should run North to South to get good sun all day.

The video of his talk (which should not be missed) will be available to watch soon. Detailed notes on the above have been circulated and are also available at the links below:

Barry’s Top Ten Vegetables

Top Kitchen Garden Tips

Growing Potatoes in a Bag

And finally some photos from Barry’s very tidy allotment:

On 14^th January 2026 the Grayshott Gardeners were joined by Jonathan Newell who is the RHS Public Engagement Officer based at Wisley.   

Jonathan started work as a teenager on a dairy farm, since then has owned a snail farm, worked in different countries, including Greece looking after turtles, in South Africa where he met Winnie and Nelson Mandela and Kuwait.  He worked as a teacher for 25 years and is now the Public Engagement Officer at Wisley where he manages the digital screens and schedules, gives daily talks, demonstrations and interactive sessions in the Hilltop Building at Wisley.  In 2023, these talks attracted more than 16,000 attendees and often included seasonal props and content.

In his spare time, Jonathan runs a YouTube channel called EcoGeeko, the topic of which is trees.

Jonathan told the audience that there are 74,000 known species of trees of which 17,000 are threatened. He described how trees were a benefit, and how they can be a disservice as in allergies, the maintenance of them and falling leaves and making them safe (there are 4 ½ deaths per year by falling trees).

Jonathan gave a brief description of some of the many trees known to us.

Olive – Food, culture and more:  They are slow growing and can be over a thousand years old.  They bear fruit, beautiful little flowers as well as being felled for their wood.  Known as ‘Food of the Gods’.

Theobrama Cacao:  The Cocoa Beans from this tree are known for their bitter taste.  When ground and mixed with sugar and milk they turn into the tasty chocolate we eat.  The last Aztec emperor received taxes paid in cocoa beans.  3 beans would buy turkey eggs, 10 a rabbit and 100 a slave.

Rowan, Sorbus Aucuparia also known as Mountain Ash, Lady of the Mountain and Witch Wiggin Tree:  The old saying is that a Rowan should be planted high up in the border in the garden to ward off evil spirits.  The trees are good for birds and pollinators.

Catkins  – Ament also known as Lambs Tails:  These are wind pollinated and are popular with bees.

Douglas Fir – Pseudotsuga:  This is the world’s largest and the most important tree.  It was recorded as being 68.4m

Pinus Coulterii from North California also known as the Widowmaker as its cones can weigh 4.75kg should one fall on you it would kill you, hence its name.  (Pictured here with Jonathan and Graham).

Pinus x holfordiana: Himalayan Pine.  This tree has lovely scent.

Pinus Ayachuite first arose at the Westonbirt Arboretum owned and planted by the Holford Family in 1904. It has a sticky banana shaped cone.

King of the Forest is the Quercus known as the English Oak.  The Boscobel Royal gets its name as King Charles II hid in the Oak at Boscobel to escape from the Roundheads.  One of its descendants resides at Wisley.

Drimys Winterii : Bush Pepper, has a high level of vitamin C and was discovered by Drake in his travels in South America.  His second captain Winter’s boat was stuck in the ice, and the crew were suffering from scurvy, the indigenous people told him to treat them with this tree.   The peppers are very hot.  The bark and leaves have an aromatic herbal quality.

Thuja Plicata: Western Red Cedar.  This has a wonderful fruity smell and is high in vitamin C.  Jacque Cartier was the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of Canada and is credited with naming Canada.

Hamamelis. Witch Hazel.  Its name derives from the Greek hamas and melis.  It flowers, fruit and next year leaf buds at once.

Jonathan concluded the evening by announcing that he will be running in The London Marathon on 26 April for his charity MND.  He will donate the fee given to him this evening to the charity.   The audience wished him well on his run. 

The evening ended with Jonathan answering questions and the video of this evening will be online soon.

On 14 January, Helier Bowling gave Grayshott Gardeners a very informative talk with many tips on growing a cutting garden.   Helier previously practiced as a lawyer for British Gas but found a new life as a garden designer based in Hampshire as well as running online courses which helps people to sow and grow their own flower gardens.  She has won medals at Chelsea and Hampton Court.  She also has Instagram followers (@garden_goddess_uk). In 2022 she won a 5 Star Award at Hampton Court Flower Show, in 2024 she won the Wooden Garden at The Royal Windsor Show.  First place at Hampton Court Flower Show in 2025 and a Silver Medal for her Balcony Garden at Chelsea, where she had the privilege to meet King Charles and discuss her award.

Helier told the audience that, for her, sowing seeds for flowers was addictive, the flowers encouraged pollinators and described annuals as cut and come again flowers.

Her top ten pick of flower seeds are:

1. Cornflowers (Blue Boy/Black Ball)
2. Nigella (Love in the Mist) – will grow anywhere even in gravel.
3. Salvia Viridis (Blue Monday/Oxford Blue)
4. Calendula
5. Ammi Majus/Visnaga – good as seed heads in arrangements for texture
6. Scabious (Black Cat/Black Knight
7. Antirrhinums can grow tall and will come back when in the ground
8. Cerinthe – can pop up all over the garden and are good planted in tubs with tulips
9. Cosmos – half hardy and should be sown in March/April and put out after the frosts
10. Sweet Peas – thirsty and hungry plants

Helier grows Narcissi and Tulips in pots.  She also grows tulips and Dahlias together.  When the tulips have finished, the Dahlias take over.

 A Cutting Garden should be situated in a sunny spot and can be any size.  The soil should be prepared well.  Weed free, rake stones, mulch and water with nematodes (which helps to keep the slugs away).  The garden should be neat and tidy, plants in rows which will be easier to maintain and to cut the flowers.  When planting out seedlings, think about when they will flower and the flowering height.  Staking is very important so that the flowers will not be damaged in windy weather.  For this, Helier recommended metal panels which can be bought from builders’ merchants or jute netting. 

When cutting flowers, Helier recommended that they are cut first thing in the morning or last thing at night, put straight into a bucket of cold water and put somewhere like the garage and arranged hours later.

The evening ended with questions from the audience and Helier was thanked for her many tips. 

THE SECRETS OF GARDEN DESIGN

Grayshott Gardeners were treated to a very interesting talk by Nick Turrell who is an award-winning freelance gardening journalist. His writing appears in The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The RHS magazine and Daily Telegraph.

He also designs gardens all over the country having studied with the late John Brookes MBE. His design work includes Bowden Park Estate in Wiltshire.   He has also worked with Monty Don, Alan Titchmarsh and Carol Klien, presented gardening programmes on TV with Jane Asher, on radio with Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2 and is a regular garden expert on BBC Radio Leicester.

Nick started his talk by telling the audience that it was the bone structure of a garden as to why we liked some gardens more than others. Gardens need a strong design, colour is only a small part of the jigsaw, and he set out ideas for a bone structure.

1. Repetition – to use fewer plant varieties and repeat them
2. Symmetry – to engage you.  Pots either side of a bench, a path either side with lavender.
3. Framing – a window cut into a hedge focusing attention to the other side.
4. Optical illusions –mirrors can create interest by reflections in the garden and vanishing points and texture
5. Accessories – large pots do not need to have plants in them; they can be in a flower bed. Use as an exclamation mark.  Consider the outlines and shapes which can add maturity to an immature garden. 
6. Height – Uninteresting gardens lack height.  Obelisks are a great way to create height and for plants to grow up.
7. Lighting – uplighting is great for highlighting interesting plants and creating mood.
8. Water – interesting for any garden, whether you have running water or still.  Encourages wildlife and tranquillity.

Nick ended his talk by saying that impatience is the enemy of good garden design and that you should enjoy your garden, have fun with them as they are so good for our wellbeing.