West Country Garden Festival Blooms In June

April 30, 2012 - PRLog -- Set within the beautiful Edwardian estate, near the Devon and Cornwall border, the Festival will be headlined by Alys Fowler, who will be speaking on ‘growing unusual veg.’ Alys will be joined by other illustrious speakers such as plantsman Noel Kingsbury, in ‘an audience with’, and renowned Garden Photographer; Jason Ingram.

Visitors to the 2012 Festival will also discover a host of respected plant nurseries and designer-makers, personally invited to exhibit their skills and to collectively celebrate the Coombe Trenchard 'Arts & Crafts' resurgence. Plant Heritage will also be showcasing ten remarkable specimens from its National Plant Collections; a ‘Living Library’ of the nation’s rich heritage of cultivated plants.  

Devon Charity, Dame Hannah Rogers Trust, will introduce ‘Hannahs Food’, a new horticultural garden project that is being developed at its base at Seale Hayne, Newton Abbot. The garden project will provide employment, training and volunteering opportunities for adults with a range of disabilities. Proceeds from sales at the British rules Croquet, sponsored by Luscombe drinks, will go to the Trust.

Hannah Simmons, Fundraising Manager at Dame Hannah Rogers Trust says: “We are delighted to have been asked to be a part of the Coombe Trenchard Garden Festival, especially in 2012 when we are keen to ensure that everyone knows about our innovative new horticulture project, ‘Hannahs Food’. To illustrate the project to the festival go-ers we will be bringing a pop-up Hannahs Food garden to the Festival. It is such a wonderful opportunity for us to tell people all about our exciting new plans at Seale Hayne. We would also like to thank Luscombe drinks for their generous support of the Trust.”

In addition, the Festival will host an array of new features including restoration & history tours and an ‘Art in the Garden’ exhibition, headlined by internationally prominent artist, Peter Randall-Page.  For the first time, the Festival will welcome four of the region’s leading garden designers to create and present one of four small show gardens. The display is to take centre stage in the middle of the exhibition area.
With so much on offer, guests can also relax and enjoy the surroundings whilst the Festival will play host to sumptuous home-cooked fair, from traditional Devonshire cream teas through to the giant paella pans of the theatrical Food Groove Café. Croquet and an eclectic mix of summer garden music will make for a magical Jubilee garden party for all visitors.

Alys Fowler, TV gardener and columnist says: “Having heard so much about the Coombe Trenchard Garden Festival, I was inspired to be involved. I am a great admirer of the Arts & Crafts era and I am very much looking forward to experiencing the Walter Sarel designed Gardens whilst seeing the restoration work that the Marsh family have been doing on the Estate.  With the Jubilee celebrations, coupled with a fantastic ‘Best of British’ theme, I’m sure we will all have a brilliant time in the beautiful Devon countryside.”

Garden Talks schedule:

Friday 1st June
11am –Jason Ingram, Garden Photographer: ‘Photographing plants and gardens’
12 noon –Angela Linforth, Editor of Homes & Antiques magazine: ‘Upcycling’
2 pm –Alys Fowler, TV Gardener/Columnist: ‘Growing unusual veg and how to eat it’
3 pm –Ken Basterfield, Commercial Beekeeper: ‘40 years among the bees’

Saturday 2nd June
11am –Hannah McVicar, Illustration Artist: ‘Floral and Botanical Print’
12 noon –Juliet Roberts, Editor of Gardens Illustrated magazine: ‘Pots of Style’
2 pm –Lia Leendertz, Journalist and Author: ‘How to create the perfect Night-time Garden’
3 pm –Plantsman Noel Kingsbury and John Carter: An audience with

Visitor Information:
Opening Times: 10am - 5pm on Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd June
Admission Prices: Adults £7.00, Under 14 free, Advanced tickets £6.00 Online Booking: For advanced ticket sales please visit http://www.coombetrenchard.co.uk

2012 Festival features include:
New for 2012:
   Gardens Illustrated magazine hosted garden talks - headlined by Alys Fowler
   National plant collections arranged by Plant Heritage
   Garden restoration & history tours provided by the Marsh family
   Art in the garden in association with the William Benington gallery
   Schools deckchair upcycling competition (Best of British themed) sponsored by rocket gardens
   Show gardens (Best of British themed)
   Best in show awards

Back by popular demand:
   British designed & made garden products
   British grown specialist plants
   Ask the experts - plant identification & advice provided by Plant Heritage
   Freshly prepared fantastic food
   British rules Croquet – sponsored by Luscombe, in association with Dame Hannah Rodgers Trust
   Music in the garden
   Makers at work
   Plant Crèche
   Plant swap

Issued on behalf of the Gardens Illustrated Arts & Crafts Garden Festival at Coombe Trenchard by Excess Energy.  For further information, supporting images or interviews please contact:
Tom Cowle – tom@excess-energy.co.uk / 07815 122950
Rhona Gardiner – rhona@excess-energy.co.uk / 07740 410052.

Notes for Editors:

About the Gardens Illustrated Arts & Crafts Garden Festival at Coombe Trenchard
The Festival is a unique and ‘Simply English’ celebration of the gardening tradition, set within the captivating, historic surrounds of Coombe Trenchard Estate on the Cornwall and Devon border.  The Coombe Trenchard Gardens were designed by Walter Sarel who, like Edwin Lutyens, was an architect who saw the garden as an extension of the house. They both worked closely with Gertrude Jekyll during the Arts & Crafts era. Sarel’s plans for Coombe Trenchard’s gardens came to fruition in 1906, at the height of the Edwardian enthusiasm for gardening and when many clients had the money, land and staff to garden on a grand scale. Sarel and Jekyll worked in collaboration to create the gardens at the neighbouring Lewtrenchard Manor, a few years after Sarel’s solo plans for Coombe Trenchard were completed.

About Gardens Illustrated Magazine
GARDENS ILLUSTRATED magazine is widely regarded as the most stylish and influential magazine for gardeners. Each issue brings together an exciting mix of articles about exceptional places, plants and interesting people.

About Jackson-Stops & Staff
Jackson-Stops & Staff are National Estate Agents who specialise in farmhouses, cottages, flats, houses, equestrian and coastal property for sale throughout the UK. For more information visit: www.jackson-stops.co.uk.

About Alys Fowler
Alys started gardening in her early teens and after leaving school trained at the Royal Horticultural Society, the New York Botanical Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. She started working at BBC Gardeners' World as a horticultural researcher, and soon progressed to the role of Head Gardener. Alys has published work in The Guardian, The Garden, Gardeners' World magazine, Gardens Illustrated and Horticulture Week. She writes a monthly blog for Gardeners' World and her first book called The Thrifty Gardener: How to Create a Stylish Garden for Next to Nothing, was published in 2008 by Kyle Cathie.