Plants & Gardens

Sneak a free peek at some glorious gardens

Discover the local gardens opening their doors for free as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days

This year the Heritage Open Days scheme is expanding its list of historic buildings and gardens that the public can visit for free in September. The project includes numerous sites across England, with Cadw running a similar scheme in Wales, although as Shire went print the Welsh wonders were still being kept under wraps. Here are some of the great gardens you can see for free this autumn in Shropshire and Cheshire.

Ness Botanic Gardens, Neston, Cheshire

Liverpool cotton merchant Arthur Kilpin Bulley began work on the garden in 1898, creating one of the leading botanic gardens in the country. In 1948 his daughter presented the gardens to the University of Liverpool, with an endowment of £75,000. Today Ness displays plants from all over the world.

15th September, 10am to 4pm; nessgdns@liverpool.ac.uk

National Trust Lyme Park, Stockport, Cheshire

Lyme’s 1,400-acre estate offers fantastic walks and stunning views. Visitors can enjoy the tranquil gardens or marvel at the beautiful interiors of the house. Lyme was once home to the Legh family and in its heyday was a great sporting estate. For a more tranquil walk explore the elegant Rose Garden, Ravine Garden or the luxurious herbaceous borders next to the reflecting lake where Mr Darcy met Miss Lizzie Bennet in the BBC’s 1996 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice.

10th September, 9am to 4.30pm; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme

Lyme Park in Cheshire (left) offers many fantastic walks for all the family

St Martin’s Church, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Scrump Shropshire apples and explore the medieval churchyard of St Martin’s in Preston Gubbals. The churchyard is part of a flora and fauna project developed by the Churches Conservation Trust, which included the planting of different varieties of Shropshire apple trees. The churchyard is cared for and scythed by members of God’s Acre to encourage the growth of its grasses and flowers, as well as the abundance of insects that support local wildlife and its bat population. Visitors are welcome to harvest the apples, but only take what you need so others can enjoy the harvest as well.

For more venues, visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Adversity brings a renewed focus

Last year’s Heritage Open Days took place in the midst of a pandemic and lockdowns but organisers adapted and ploughed on. “We put on wellies, grabbed our coats and stepped into the outdoors for our theme, Hidden Nature,” say the organisers. “We turned our focus on to the natural world – and asked people to join with us in celebrating our natural heritage, from centuries-old trees to farmer’s fields steeped in history, from clifftop walks to urban oases and everything in between.”

While our ancient buildings are welcoming visitors indoors once more, the importance of the outdoors remains for this year’s event. “Now more than ever in the face of climate change, modern development and other threats, nature needs to be cherished and championed. That’s why we want to encourage organisers, volunteers and visitors to celebrate nature in its myriad forms as part of the wider festival – an aspect we hope will continue in future.”

It’s not over yet…

We can still enjoy some late summer sun and extend the garden days a bit longer yet, according to the experts from Reaseheath College in Nantwich

As the year draws on, the hectic schedule of planting, watering and weeding is replaced with something more serene. Now is often the best time to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. You can also extend the beauty of your borders and the bounty from your vegetable patch by continuing with some simple maintenance. Here Lis Morris, lecturer in horticulture and sustainable technologies at University Centre Reaseheath in Cheshire, suggests jobs for warm autumn days.

• Encourage plants to keep flowering by regularly deadheading. Keep plants well watered in dry periods.

• Divide herbaceous perennials such as agapanthus, aster, delphinium and geranium.

Doing this every couple of years maintains health and vigour, and is best done when the soil is dry.

• Clear your greenhouse and cold frames of late crops and give them a thorough clean.

• Remove overgrowth from pond margins and over-vigorous water plants from the pond itself. Net the surface before leaf fall begins.

• Order and plant spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips to brighten up borders or snowdrops for your lawn. Ideally plant daffodils, crocus and hyacinths by the end of September, and plant tulips in November.

• If you’re planning changes for next year, now is a good time to prepare. Visit local gardens to see trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials in their autumn glory.

The best time for planting trees and shrubs is November to March, when they are dormant.

Deadhead to prolong fl owering

TOP TIP

Leave spent sunflower heads and teasels to provide food for birds

For more on Reaseheath’s horticulture courses visit www.reaseheath.ac.uk/horticulture (diplomas and RHS courses) and www.ucreaseheath.ac.uk/ courses (for degrees)

TOP TIP Dig up late potatoes and other root vegetables and store somewhere dry and cool

Make the most of root vegetables

Remove overgrowth from ponds

Plant spring-fl owering bulbs

Best bulbs for early blooms

Now is the time to get your bulbs in before winter and guarantee a burst of colour in early spring. Here are Shire’s top fi ve fl owering favourites

Crocus

One of the earliest, smallest but brightest signs of spring is the crocus. This hardy little plant comes back year after year in February and can survive the harshest of winters deep underground.

Daffodil

Quick on the heels of the crocus is the daffodil. Providing a classic flash of bright yellow to brighten up any border or basket, daffodils come back annually and bring a smile in spring with their pretty features and cheery tone. Tulip

The tulip is another favourite for early colour, although it’s less inclined to return without some care. Available in a range of colours, these elegant flowers look great in large numbers and cut well.

Iris

Whereas the tulip is popular for its smooth, classy domed shape, the dramatic structure of the iris in flower appeals for its delicate appearance and showy display.

Bluebell

A classic feature of the British countryside, the small but stunning bluebell is happy to brighten your garden’s darker, damper corners. The hardy little flowers spread at ground level annually and are easy to nurture.