Fairlight Hall does its first plant fair

Come to the fair!

Fairlight Hall is always worth a visit by the keen gardener, if only to see how the expert gardening staff under head gardener, Peter Godwin, succeed in producing a new display for each season of the year. Coming up now is the chance to meet  and talk to gardening experts of all kinds as they display their often unique wares, writes HOT’s Chris Cormack.

On 18-19 September, Fairlight Hall will host its first Plant Fair. Nurseries from the UK holding national collections along with specialist nurseries from the continent will take part in a weekend of gardening activities with talks and demonstrations.  The talks take place on both days in the Talk Tent and include a range of very relevant topics such as Natural Wildflower Meadow, Spring Colour Using Bulbs, Plants For Shade, Hypertufa Troughs and How To Choose The Best Plants For Your Garden. Refreshments will be on sale at the fair, care of Penbuckles Delicatessen.

Fairlight Hall , stunning plants and colours

There is free entry to the Plant Fair – and  you can then choose to pay £5 to tour the gardens, visit the estate shop and estate tea room for lunch. The gardens will be open to the public throughout the weekend, while homemade food will be served in the recital room and courtyard.

There is an impressive list of  participating exhibitors, including: Bodiam Nursery, Golden Hill Plants, Chris Cooke Plants, Rotherview Nursery, The Garden House Brighton, Blooming Good Nursery, Sussex Fruit Trees, Herbal Haven, Harborough Nurseries, Tamar Organics, Potash Farm, Jennie Maillard Plants, Brilliant Adventures, Rapkyns Nursery, Tom Critchley, Little Omenden Farm and Nursery, River Mead Nursery, Meadowgate Nursery, Charleshurst Farm Nursery – and of course Fairlight Hall Estate.

And don’t forget the lecture visits, next one on seaside gardens coming up on 13 October

Fairlight Hall are still offering a lunch and A lecture series of garden talks in the  recital room, which – for £35 per person – includes a light lunch, a lecture and private garden tour with the estate’s very knowledgeable head gardener, Peter Godwin. The next in the series is called  Seaside Garden and takes place on Tuesday 13 October 10.30am- 2pm. Peter Godwin will give advice on preparing the ground, assessing the local conditions, coping with wind and salt, creating shelter, making the appropriate seaside design, ground cover, seaside proof plants and choosing the right plant for the right place. This would make the perfect birthday present for a budding gardener – Buy tickets

Plant Fair 18-19 September at Fairlight Hall, Martineau Lane, Fairlight Nr Hastings TN35 5DR Invitation to volunteers

Also in: Shops & Things