Respecting the past, embracing the future

In the 231 years since we were established, The Abbey Pharmacy has seen many changes in our society. We continue to evolve and are now, more than ever, committed to meeting the changing needs of our customers.

Our vision for the transformation of The Abbey Pharmacy invests not only in the health of our community but also our high street – we need your support in making this a reality.

To find out more about our exciting plans and to register your support, please visit www.theabbeypharmacytransformation.com

Down To Earth

Being asked to bring the impressive garden design plans to life at The Sherborne is something I’m honoured to have been asked to do. I’m originally from Canada but moved to England years ago, having met my husband, Neil. Together we set up Albion Plants in North Devon back in 1994 and have enjoyed being part of the Southwest Growers family ever since. We’re a family-run wholesale nursery that specialises in the production of hardy plants, including an extensive range of larger specimen shrubs, climbers and trees, and supply garden designers and landscapers from Penzance to Bristol.

We worked with the Cannons previously and were delighted to be asked by Michael Cannon to provide over 200 plants for what will be a remarkable garden at

I’m so excited about this project because I can already visualise what it is going to look like in my mind’s eye. The designers have put a lot of thought into designing something that will be colourful all year round, with delightful spring and summer scents mixed in. I’ve seen similar mixes used to really good effect before and a lot of effort has gone into making sure that this is going to be something really special.

A very specific and intricate design has been crafted. To meet the brief, we’ve selected a spectacular combination of our homegrown plants that will not only look fantastic immediately but will have room to evolve and alter the landscape like a living piece of art. Due to the extent of the design, we have had to hand- pick plants from some carefully-selected suppliers, but the majority have been grown by us in the South West – which is something I think the visitors will enjoy. When you locally source materials on projects like these it truly does make all the difference. Right from the outset, this is going to look great in situ, because the plants have been given a chance to mature and visitors won’t have to wait for months to get the full effect.

We’re able to bring the trees, all of which have been grown in the UK, to the site in what’s called a root ball. This basically means that the roots have been carefully wrapped up in wire and surrounded with protective rubber straps. It’s like a giant anchor that will secure the tree in place and because it’s all underground, there will be no aesthetic or health and safety impact. It sounds like quite a bizarre thing to do but it’s really common with big trees going into this kind of site. It’s a clever way to make sure that the trees settle in quickly and easily – it’s all about keeping the trees happy and grounded.

There’s going to be an absolutely gorgeous mix of Himalayan birch, with bright white trunks and green leaves that turn yellow in autumn, combined with Liquidambar, providing splashes of bright orange, red and yellow in autumn, and magnolia with beautiful pink and white flowers in spring. These will be accompanied by hydrangea which will turn from a glorious creamy white to a rich pink shade as they age through the year as well as Photina Carre Rouge, providing red leaves in spring that turn a dark green as the months pass and Pyracantha Saphyr Red with gorgeous little flowers that turn into bright red berries. This colourful display is entirely appropriate for a vibrant art gallery and will hopefully inspire those who wander through the garden.

It’s not just going to be a haven for humans, all these plants (and others that are going in too) will provide a wonderful home for all sorts of insects, particularly bees, so will give a real boost to biodiversity. Also, the garden will be home to a glorious and very striking collection of sculptures. This was another aspect that we needed to consider when deciding on the plants – how would the natural elements and man-made art interplay with each other?

It truly is set to be quite something. As always, for us green-fingered types, I just can’t wait to see it in place, but for now there are still plenty of things to do to get my hands dirty. thesherborne.uk