The UK’s finest collection of rare and colourful lachenalias, known as ‘leopard lilies’, will go on display at Exbury Gardens in Hampshire when it reopens for the 2026 season.
Exbury is home to the country’s most comprehensive lachenalia collection, and along with an array of beautiful orchids, it will be on display in the Five Arrows Gallery within the gardens when they reopen on 7 March.
With their unusually long flowering season, lachenalias boast hues of bright orange, yellow and pinkish-red, and originate from South Africa and Namibia. They are relatives of the hyacinth and there are about 120 species and several hybrids.
The exhibition will also include Exbury’s extensive Cymbidium orchid collection, reflecting the de Rothschild family’s long tradition of championing rare and unusual plants. The gardens’ founder, Lionel de Rothschild, collected a substantial variety of orchids during the 1920s and 30s but the collection was lost after Exburywas requisitioned in WWII and Lionel’s death in 1942. Over recent years it has been rebuilt and goes on display each spring with the leopard lilies.
Outside in the gardens at Exbury visitors can explore Daffodil Meadow which sweeps down to the Beaulieu River in a blanket of naturalised blooms, while the River of Gold creates a ribbon of more than 100,000 yellow and blue bulbs. Magnolias, rhododendrons and other woodland highlights will add to the spring flower power
March marks peak bloom for Exbury’s exceptional camellias. With more than 600 different types and international recognition as a Camellia Garden of Excellence, Exbury offers one of the country’s finest collections. The original 1930s Camellia Walk is planted with historic Exbury hybrids including ‘Inchmery’ and ‘Charlotte de Rothschild’, while the New Camellia Walk boasts American selections such as ‘Extravaganza’, ‘Kickoff’, ‘Freedom Bell’ and ‘Bob Hope’. Camellias donated by renowned grower Jennifer Trehane provide further early-season colour in the Connoisseur’s Garden.
2026 also marks the 25th anniversary of Exbury’s famous steam railway, the Rhododendron Line. Celebrations will include a special rail-themed weekend in June, offering activities for families and enthusiasts alike
Head gardener Tom Clarke said: “Spring at Exbury is always a highlight, and the mix of leopard lilies, orchids and early outdoor colour promises a real treat for visitors. Our lachenalia collection is something really special and definitely worth a detour into the Five Arrows Gallery if you are visiting the gardens. It’s a wonderful way to welcome the new season.”
The lachenalia and orchid exhibition is free with gardens admission or membership. www.exbury.co.uk. Exbury Gardens is open daily from 7 March to end of November, 10am–5.30pm.
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For further information or images, contact PR Emma Mason on 07762 117433 emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk
Notes for editors:
www.exbury.co.uk Thanks to its unrivalled collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias, Exbury Gardens is famed for its riot of spring colour, as well as a vast array of beautiful, mature rare trees. Over recent years the Hampshire garden has been expanded for all-season interest with areas designed to show off summer and autumn ‘flower power’, as well as an extension of its 1 ½-mile Rhododendron Line steam railway.
2025 has been dubbed the‘YearoftheAphid’ as new data from Garden Organic and the grow-your-own app Fryd reveals that climate extremes are making it harder for UK gardeners to grow the traditional vegetables their grandparents relied on.
Findings from the sustainable gardening charity’s recent annual citizen science survey, run with popular veg growing app Fryd, show while 2024 was dubbed the ‘Yearofthe Slug’, 2025 seems to have been the‘YearoftheAphid’. Hot, dry conditions fuelled a surge in pest outbreaks, crop bolting and poor harvests for some of our most familiar home-grown favourites. However, sun-loving veggies such as tomatoes and amaranth flourished.
According to the Met Office, 2025 was the UK’s warmest and sunniest year on record, with the second driest spring ever recorded. While slugs were largely absent, dry soils and high temperatures created ideal conditions for black bean aphids on broad beans and cabbage aphids on brassicas, and caused early bolting in crops like lettuce.
Dr Anton Rosenfeld, who leads Garden Organic’s citizen science programme, said: “Some of our traditional British crops are struggling to cope with theextremes of seasons: an onslaught of slugs in wet years, and a plague ofaphids or early bolting in dry years. Milder winters often mean that more slugs survive into the following year. Runner beans have faired consistently badly in hot seasons, with pods frequently failing to set.
“We will have to diversify our range of crops to cope, including more drought resistant leafy crops such as amaranth, and growing more perennial crops that have better ability to cope with drought and the challenges posed by pests.”
He added: “As 2024 was yearofthe slug, 2025 was yearoftheaphid, with brassica crops being plastered in cabbage aphids in the early part ofthe season. As is common, aphids departed in early July and many crops recovered surprisingly well when the rains arrived.”
Garden Organic’s best and worst performing crops of 2025
The survey shows a clear split between crops that struggled under drought stress and those that thrived with warmth and careful management:
Runner beans performed worst overall for the second time in recent dry years, with nearly half producing poor or no yields due to lack of water and poor pod set.
Lettuces bolted rapidly in summer heat, forcing gardeners to reply on rapid succession sowing.
Squashes avoided the slug damage seen in 2024 but performed unevenly. Well-established plants with reliable water did well but 40% produced poor or no yields with early powdery mildew, poor fruit set and stalled growth common in dry conditions.
Brassicas struggled early due to aphids, cabbage white butterflies and bolting but crops that survived recovered later in the season to deliver good autumn harvests.
Onions delivered mixed results. Growers using mulch or no-dig beds achieved good yields but many saw poor growth or undersized bulbs, often thanks to dry, compacted soil and limited watering.
Carrots also had a mixed year. Germination often failed in hot, dry soil but crops that established well, produced good harvests once rain returned, helped by low slug damage and a dearth of carrot fly.
Potatoes struggled in hot, dry soil with many gardeners reporting undersized spuds and scab, despite lower levels of blight and slug damage.
Tomatoes were the strongest performer, benefitting from the warmth and easier irrigation in pots and greenhouses.
Chard and amaranth showed resilience, with amaranth described by one grower as a ‘star crop’ during the heat. Amaranth is mostly grown in the UK for its tasty leaves which are a bit like spinach.
Some ofthe growers stressed even if they achieved good results, this was thanks to an array of adaptation measures such as mulching, good soil preparation through no-dig, using shade cloth and successional sowing.
For 65 years, Garden Organic has brought gardeners together to share what works on their organic plots via its citizen science projects. The 2025 survey marked a step change in how Garden Organic collects data. By teaming up with Fryd, gardeners can now record crop performance directly on their phones as they grow, turning everyday observations into useful citizen science insights.
Florian Hassler, co-founder of Fryd said: “What gardeners experienced in 2025 is exactly why we need better, real-world data. Yet much ofthe advice gardeners are given hasn’t changed for decades.
“With Fryd, gardeners can record what’s actually happening in their own plots, in real time. When thousands of people do that together, we can start to build growing advice that reflects today’s climate not the one our grandparents gardened in.”
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In its annual survey Garden Organic asks gardeners to rate the performance of ten common crops on a scale from 1-5. The aim is to gather information that can be used to provide a helpful summary of how each crop responded to the climatic conditions around the UK.
The survey, now in its fourth year, gathered responses from over 300 gardeners with the help of digital gardening app Fryd.
Fryd (pronounced Frood) is one of Europe’s most popular garden planning apps, helping over 300,000 gardeners plan, grow and share their veg patches. Thedigital garden companion allows users to create bespoke planting plans for their gardens or allotments, discover companion planting combinations, and get personalised sowing advice based on local climate and frost dates.
Fryd is steward-owned, purpose-driven and promotes eco-friendly, sustainable gardening.
Fryd Lab, available in the free version ofthe app, offers access to community-led citizen science experiments. Fryd is available to download in the UK on both iOS and Android platforms. Joining the Fryd community is free or subscribe to Super Fryd (£9.99 p/month, £44.99 p/year or £179.99 lifetime subscription) which boasts lots of enhanced features.
About Garden Organic
Garden Organic promotes organic growing and composting, citizen science and research, and seed conservation through its Heritage Seed Library. Its aim is to help people grow ‘the organic way’, using natural methods to promote healthy, biodiverse, sustainable gardens.
Founded in the 1950s as the Henry Doubleday Research Association, it has been leading the way in researching and demonstrating best practice organic growing for more than 65 years and brings together a movement of thousands of growers keen to have a positive impact on the green space they nurture.
If you’re struggling to find the perfect gardening gift this Christmas, British independent brand Genus is sowing the seeds of inspiration with these top 10 picks that green-fingered friends and family will love.
Known for designing high-performance, gardener-tested clothing, accessories and tools that combine innovation and functionality with classic British style, Genus ensures everything is built to last. Products are guaranteed to make light work of any gardening task and ensure your time spent in the garden is more productive, comfortable and enjoyable.
From award-winning trousers packed with key horti’ features to beautifully designed accessories that slip neatly into a stocking, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re buying for a seasoned horticulturist or balcony gardener beginner. The company’s clothing and hats have become a hit with dog walkers and outdoor enthusiasts too and many lines are endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Prices start from £15 and everything can be ordered online for delivery throughout the UK and overseas from https://www.genus.gs.
Clockwise from top left: Twine Pouch, Waterproof Gardening Gloves, Cable Knit Merino Hat, Merino Neck Warmer, Gardening Kneeler, 3-Season Gardening Trousers, Japanese Secateurs, Gardening Caddy Bag, Gardening Tool Holster, Japanese Gardening Knife.
IDEAL STOCKING FILLERTwine Pouch : Part of the Genus Carry-On Collection and endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society. A drawstring pouch that holds and dispenses twine, or use with the pouch open for carrying a water bottle. Includes a carabiner to clip to your belt. An innovative, versatile and affordable present for a keen gardener.
IDEAL STOCKING FILLERWaterproof Gardening Gloves : A totally waterproof glove that’s also flexible and light enough for fine work in the garden. The deep cuff to fully cover wrists is also elasticated, so no Velcro to get clogged up with soil and dust, and the upper side of the index finger and fingertips are all reinforced with synthetic leather reducing the risk of abrasion injuries. Available in seven sizes from XS to 3XL.
Cable Knit Merino Hat : Made from 100% felted Merino wool, this unisex hat is designed to keep your head warm in the coolest of weathers, whilst feeling luxuriously soft and comfortable. Available in five colours – Dark Earth, Alchemilla Green, Pacific Blue, Tayberry Red and Rust.
Merino Neck Warmer : A supremely soft and cosy neck warmer that’s perfect for keeping out the cold on chilly days in the garden or frosty winter walks. Made from fine Merino wool blended with super soft TencelTM, it combines warmth, softness and moisture management for ultimate comfort.
Gardening Kneeler : So much more than just a bit of foam! This superior kneeler is perfect for when you need that extra level of knee protection. A unique design stamped with the Genus hallmark of quality and performance excellence. Width 30cm, depth 7cm.
Japanese Gardening Knife : Traditional Japanese blade design – super sharp, ultimate simplicity, perfectly balanced. This folding knife, made from hi-carbon steel with a brass handle stays open when you need it and closed when you don’t, without any locking device, just a flick of the finger.
Gardening Tool Holster (endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society) : Designed for hands-free work around the garden, this durable, practical and comfortable-to-wear holster can be slung around the hips or over the shoulder or slotted onto a belt. With six handy pockets, it was inspired by a loyal Genus customer who cried out for a holster to keep their gloves, trowel, snips, seed packets, pen and keys in one handy place and close to hand.
Gardening Caddy Bag (endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society) : This incredible load-carrying caddy has become a hit with gardeners up and down the country. Extremely handy and practical for keeping gardening essentials in one place and ready for use. Made in sturdy and stylish waxed canvas with padded shoulder strap, its robust design features 14 different pockets to safely stash everything from secateurs to string, forks, trowels to gloves.
Japanese Secateurs : Expertly crafted secateurs from Sokan, Japan’s oldest brand dating back to 1870. Renowned for their workmanship and durability, they’re uniquely hot forged from just two pieces of high carbon steel, with the blade and handle forming one piece to give a stronger tool and better balance, and their unique tapered bolt and positive spring action have been honed over centuries to give the highest level of performance and comfort. Packed in a beautifully distinct box.
3-Season Gardening Trousers (endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society) : These extraordinary trousers are brimming with unique gardening functionality and clever horti’ features for unparalleled performance, style and comfort for a hard day in the garden. Great for hiking and dog walking too. Women’s trousers available in four colours – Indigo, Midnight, Rich Grape and Dusky Green – sizes 8 to 22 and short, medium or long leg lengths. Men’s trousers available in four colours – Indigo, Midnight, Dusky Green, Deep Tan – waist size 30 – 44 and short, medium or long leg lengths.
Got a veg patch? Help shape the future of UK organic gardening in just a few taps
Sustainable gardening charity Garden Organic is linking with popular veg growing app Fryd to revolutionise how it collects data from gardeners for its much-loved annual survey – marking a new era for citizen science in UK horticulture.
Fryd Lab
For 65 years Garden Organic has been running citizen science projects to help gardeners embrace organic techniques or grow better.
In this latest survey, gardeners are asked to rate the performance of ten common crops on a scale from 1–5. The results provide a valuable snapshot of how each crop has fared under that year’s growing conditions, insights that help track trends, evaluate crop resilience and highlight how the UK’s changing climate is affecting home-grown food production.
This year, for the first time, the widely respected survey will be available throughout November via the Fryd app, the digital garden companion, so people can log their findings via their mobile phone as they garden. The aim is to make it easier than ever for gardeners to take part, reach new growers and scale up participation in Garden Organic’s citizen science efforts.
The partnership forms the first of many citizen science experiments hosted in Fryd Lab, a new feature within the Fryd app designed to make local, at-scale data collection simple and engaging. Fryd Lab’s mission is to crowdsource real-life insights to help fix outdated gardening advice, particularly as shifting weather patterns mean traditional seed packet sowing dates no longer match local realities.
“Gardeners are on the front line of climate change, they see and feel the seasons shift, but advice hasn’t kept pace,” said Florian Hassler, co-founder at Fryd. “With Fryd Lab, one five-minute contribution could help your whole area get better local sowing and planting guidance next season. You can even do it on your phone whilst you garden!”
For 65 years, Garden Organic has brought gardeners together to share what works on their organic plots via its citizen science projects. Thanks to the new link-up with Fryd, everyday allotment growing notes and individual garden observations over time will be converted easily into useful local advice for everyone.
“I look forward to this collaboration taking organic gardening citizen science to a whole new audience using Fryd’s modern accessible platform to reach thousands more growers across the UK,” said Dr Anton Rosenfeld, who heads up Garden Organic’s citizen science work.
The 2024 growing season, dubbed by many as the ‘Year of the Slug’, saw relentless rain, snails and slugs challenge gardeners nationwide. With 2025’s heatwaves, drought and hosepipe bans, this year’s findings will be especially valuable for understanding the impact of extreme weather on crop success.
The Garden Organic survey will run for the whole of November and is free for anyone in the UK to complete via the Fryd app. Fryd is available as a free download, at no charge at all, in the UK on both iOS and Android platforms. Results will be published in the new year on the Garden Organic website and via the Fryd app.
To coincide with the survey’s launch, Fryd will host an online Citizen Science Week 1-7 November, featuring discussions with scientific partners, garden experts and growers about why we need better, localised gardening data and how gardeners themselves can help provide it. It will also announce a new Fryd Lab experiment on soil health with Hort2The Future, and run a soil health quiz, testing growers’ knowledge about soil
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About Fryd
Fryd (pronounced Frood) is one of Europe’s most popular garden planning apps, helping over 300,000 gardeners plan, grow and share their veg patches. The digital garden companion allows users to create bespoke planting plans for their gardens or allotments, discover companion planting combinations, and get personalised sowing advice based on local climate and frost dates.
Fryd is steward-owned, purpose-driven and promotes eco-friendly, sustainable gardening.
Fryd Lab, available in the free version of the app, offers access to community-led citizen science experiments. Fryd is available to download in the UK on both iOS and Android platforms. Joining the Fryd community is free or subscribe to Super Fryd (£9.99 p/month, £44.99 p/year or £179.99 lifetime subscription) which boasts lots of enhanced features.
About Garden Organic
Garden Organic promotes organic growing and composting, citizen science and research, and seed conservation through its Heritage Seed Library. Its aim is to help people grow ‘the organic way’, using natural methods to promote healthy, biodiverse, sustainable gardens.
Founded in the 1950s as the Henry Doubleday Research Association, it has been leading the way in researching and demonstrating best practice organic growing for more than 65 years and brings together a movement of thousands of growers keen to have a positive impact on the green space they nurture.
One of the world’s most spectacular collections ofNerine sarniensis, also known asJewel Lilies, will sparkle into bloom at Exbury Gardens in Hampshire this autumn, offering visitors a rare botanical treat.
From1 October to 2 November 2025, theFive Arrows Galleryat Exbury will be transformed by a glittering showcase of these autumn-flowering bulbs. Part of a historic collection begun over a century ago by banker and horticulturalistLionel de Rothschild, the display now features over900 varietiesin a dazzling array of colours, from fiery orange, scarlet and white to more recent additions in pinks, purples, mauves, bronzes and copper. Their petals are flecked with gold or silver crystalline ‘dust’, making them glisten in the autumn light.
Originally discovered onTable Mountainin South Africa, Jewel Lilies have become a much-loved feature of Exbury’s seasonal highlights and a testament to the Rothschild family’s enduring horticultural legacy.Many of these rare and delicate plants will also be available to purchaseduring the exhibition.
Admission to the Nerine Exhibition is included with entrance to Exbury Gardens, the renowned 200-acre woodland garden in the New Forest. Alongside the nerinecollection, visitors can enjoy theNational Collections of Nyssa and Oxydendrum plus more than450 varieties of Acers, ensuring displays of gorgeous autumn colour throughout the grounds, as well as the Rhododendron Line steam railway
Opening times: Daily from 10am to 5.30pm Exhibition open: 1 October – 2 November 2025, 10am – 5pm Location: Five Arrows Gallery, Exbury Gardens, Hampshire Website: www.exbury.co.uk
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For further information or images, contact PR Emma Mason on 07762 117433 emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk
Notes for editors:
Exbury Gardens, located in the New Forest near Southampton, is open daily from 10am – 5.30pm. www.exbury.co.uk Thanks to its unrivalled collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias, Exbury Gardens is famed for its riot of spring colour, as well as a vast array of beautiful, mature rare trees. Over recent years the Hampshire garden has been expanded for all-season interest with areas designed to show off summer and autumn ‘flower power’, as well as an extension of its 1 ½-mile Rhododendron Line steam railway.
Admission prices – to season close, £14 standard adult and £6 child. Under 3s Free. Family tickets (2 adults + 2 children) £38 (July-November).
The human connection to plants, and our deeper need for them beyond food and beauty, is enchantingly explored by designers Emily Grayshaw and Jude Yeo in their Feature Garden, RHS Healer’s Hollow, at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.
Rooted in the rich traditions of herbal medicine dating back hundreds of years, the garden blends folklore, healing and horticultural beauty. It also highlights the growing modern trend to reconnect with nature and recognise the vital role plants continue to play in supporting and protecting our health.
Set in a British woodland glade, a shepherd’s hut is nestled amongst native trees and verdant planting. Beautiful linens with hand-printed botanical drawings give an artistic nod to the cultivated herbaceous beds containing plants carefully selected for aiding skin, digestion, wellbeing and women’s health. Parsley helps with collagen production and skin elasticity, fennel relieves bloating and stomach pain, and peppermint serves as an natural analgesic for painful periods.
A boulder sits amongst the planting and is a simple mortar for preparing herbs to use in tinctures, oils and poultices, with a nearby waterfall and babbling brook adding to the calming ambience. As well as celebrating plants for purpose, the garden encourages visitors to reconnect with the British countryside and its native woodland species.
Designers Emily and Jude, who run Inspired Earth Design, were approached by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to design this garden after winning two gold medals at previous shows, and a best in show award.
Jude said: “We are honoured to be commissioned for such a prestigious project at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival this year. We’ve loved the opportunity to be creative with our plant palette to explore the connection between plant folklore, and plants for medicinal and health purposes. We can’t wait for our visitors to explore the myriad of health benefits that plants can offer.”
Emily added: “It has been an absolute joy exploring the topic of medicinal plants through the eyes of Gaia, a healing woman who lives in a beautiful shepherd hut in a glade in the woods. The off grid feel of the garden emphasises that plants are the origin for so many of our modern medicines and that sharing of ancient knowledge is key to our development of the garden.”
After the show is over, elements from the garden will be relocated to Farncombe Community Garden near Godalming in Surrey, the brainchild of a determined group of local GPs who are keen to encourage social prescribing as part of a treatment plan.
To create the garden, Emily and Jude have assembled a talented team of artisans and fellow experts including:
Artist Georgia Lingwood has created the botanical artworks depicting key plants in the garden on signage and textiles.
Kayleigh Sinclair, Horticulture Team Coordinator at the RHS and founder of The Historical Herbologist, has advised on plants.
Hannam & Taylor has supplied a handcrafted shepherd’s hut.
Cobham Court Landscaping has built the garden, with support from Shade Landscapes, experts in creating naturalistic streams and waterfalls, and Aqua Design & Landscaping.
Boulders on the garden have been sourced from Caradon Stone, other stone and the bridge have been supplied by Allgreen, and materials for the water feature are from Aquascape. Paul Cheetham of Gecko Stonework has crafted the pathway using dry-stone walling offcuts.
Helping to plant the garden is Sarah Mayfield, a designer and lecturer who teaches horticulture to medicinal herbal students, as well as an incredible army of horticultural volunteers.
Plants are supplied by Hardy’s Plants and trees from Majestic Trees.
Notes for editors: Inspired Earth Design – Emily and Jude have been working together, in the horticulture industry, for over 20 years. They bring a wealth of practical knowledge and experience to the Inspired Earth Design studio having consolidated their design skills by gaining their professional garden design diplomas in 2021. Since then they have won two Gold medals at RHS Hampton Court and a best in show, and have completed a huge variety of private and commercial projects.inspiredearthdesign.co.uk | hello@inspiredearthdesign.co.uk |Instagram @inspiredearthdesign
Farncombe Community Garden – based near Godalming, thriving thanks to an expanding group of local volunteers. The idea came from GPs at the nearby practice who wanted to encourage patients and the community at large to interact with nature and each other to benefit their physical and mental health. Their vision is encompassed in the phrase ‘ growing community wellbeing’.
Hannam & Taylor – based near Windsor, its team of craftworkers build beautiful bespoke huts for clients. hannamtaylor.co.uk
Georgia Lingwood – an artist inspired by the natural world; its flora, fauna, and folktales. Working in pencil and watercolour she creates pieces depicting the plants, insects and animals that have captured her imagination, often selecting those with fascinating folkloric connections. georgialingwood.com
Cobham Court Landscaping – a Surrey-based business driven by a local, friendly team of talented professionals with award-winning skills. They’ve been transforming gardens in the local area for over 15 years. cobhamcourtlandscaping.co.uk
Sarah Mayfield – a garden designer, horticulturist, and lecturer with a focus on nature friendly gardens, Sarah teaches horticulture to medicinal herbal students, who learn how to grow and care for the plants they use in their practice. She was awarded The People’s Choice Award and Silver-Gilt medal at 2024 RHS Hampton Court for The Moonshadow Moths Garden, a resilient planting pocket inspired by moths and night pollinators. sarahmayfielddesigns.com
Allgreen – Masters in Stone providing natural stone surfaces and landscaping products to garden designers, architects and private clients worldwide. allgreen.uk
Caradon Stone – the only supplier of Caradon Cornish granite, a premier construction material prized for its durability and sustainable properties. caradonstone.co.uk
Shade Landscapes – a family business specialising in designing and building naturalistic ponds, streams, and water features that bring movement, wildlife, and tranquillity into your garden. shadelandscapes.com
Aqua Design & Landscaping – a Berkshire-based company specialising in bespoke water features. aquadesignlandscaping.co.uk
Aquascape – Aquascape connects people to water the way nature intended. From fire and water displays to Pondless® Waterfalls and ecosystem ponds, its products enhance landscapes and create inviting spaces for gatherings. With over 30 years of experience, Aquascape ensures reliable, high-quality products that bring beauty and nature to outdoor living spaces. aquascapeinc.com
Gecko Stonework – involved in construction and hard landscaping since 1988, having worked for and on behalf of many leading garden designers and architects. Working with natural stone and organic materials, producing bespoke garden features to enhance any outdoor space. geckostonework.co.uk
Verdigris – contemporary copper metal bird baths. Verdigris UK designs and makes large contemporary bird baths which add a decorative and elegant element to your outside space or garden. Not just ornamental pieces but they also provide a vital source of water for garden birds. The company tries to make all its bird baths from reclaimed copper and steel, so they are built to last. verdigris.uk
Gardening app Fryd helps people plan their veg patches, find the best crops and companion plants for their climate and location, remind them to water and mulch, and even get inspiration from other home-grown gardeners.
Already the most popular gardening app in Germany and launched in the UK last year, Fryd is an easy-to-use garden planning app that allows you to create your own bespoke planting plans for the allotment, back garden or outdoor space.
In just a few clicks you can get advice and prompts on best sowing times for crops, access a crowd-generated plant database and share tips with other gardeners via Fryd’s online gardening community. You can also copy planting plans from inspirational gardeners from around the world including Tanya Anderson @lovely.greens.
NEW for 2025 includes tailored ‘to do’ advice for your garden, precisely linked to its location and weather, such as when to water, fertilise, harvest and sow. Thanks to Fryd’s clever climate zone feature, the app automatically works out your last and first frost dates as well as other useful weather and climate data, both current and past. This helps you plan the growing seasons with much greater accuracy and success.
Also NEW are month-by-month planning layouts to give you more control and maximise the growing year. Filter plants by suitability for a specific month, making it easier than ever to follow the seasonal rhythm of nature – a top request from existing Fryd users.
Fryd, pronounced ‘Frood’, means joy in Danish and Norwegian and is the most popular gardening app in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Since it was launched in 2019, over 300,000 gardeners have used the app to create more than 134,400 planting plans.
Fryd is available to download in the UK on both iOS and Android platforms. Joining the Frydcommunity is free or subscribe to Super Fryd (£9.99 p/month, £49.99 p/year or £179.99 lifetime subscription) which boasts lots of enhanced features.
Garden planning, season overview, access to the library, recipes, podcasts and the Frydcommunity are all available free of charge for users. A Super Fryd subscription gives users access to a magic wand tool that creates a planting plan in seconds, multiple plans per account, the ability to copy and modify planting plan templates, succession planting suggestions, automatic reminders, and personal support, crop rotation planning tools and even month-by-month planning.
Florian Hassler from Fryd said: “Our aim at Fryd is to make gardening accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their space or experience, and to take the guessworkout of veg growing. By joining the Fryd community you can connect, share experiences and enjoy learning from each other.”
Innovative plant database and customised planting plans –Fryd’s plant database is created and refined by its user community. Plants are registered by gardeners and verified by moderators, ensuring accurate and reliable information. Users can publish and share their own planting plans, fostering a collaborative and knowledge-sharing environment.
Tailored gardening experience for different climate zones – Fryd understands the complexities of different climate zones, tailoring the gardening experience to individual growing conditions. This feature ensures that gardeners receive personalised advice and suggestions, enhancing their gardening success.
Empowering urban and small-space gardeners – Fryd is particularly empowering for urban gardeners, offering tips to transform even the smallest spaces into lush, green areas. The app promotes the idea that every garden is beautiful, encouraging gardeners to utilise whatever space they have.
A purpose-driven gardening companion – At its core, Fryd is a mission-driven platform, dedicated to promoting sustainable and eco-friendly gardening practices. The app’s purpose is rooted in empowering individuals to positively impact their environment, championing sustainability in every aspect of gardening.
Family business Arthur Jack & Co has launched its latest classic gardening product – a beautifully hand-crafted round water butt developed in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Made from heavy-gauge galvanised steel, this durable yet elegant water butt is designed to be a striking focal point in any garden. Inspired by 18th-century lead cisterns found in historic estates, it combines heritage craftsmanship with modern functionality.
With a capacity of 225 litres, the water butt stands 80cm high and 60cm in diameter, held together by more than 80 coach bolts. Each butt is carefully hand-assembled in Bedfordshire by artisan craftworkers, featuring a hose-ready tap positioned at the perfect height for filling a watering can. To ensure durability, all joints are treated with waterproof mastic, while an etched finish gives the water butt a distinctive aged patina.
“Following the success of our square water butts, we’re excited to introduce a traditional round design for those who prefer a classic look,” said Arthur Jack founder Tim Dawson. “We are especially delighted to have designed a bespoke product with the RHS for the first time, and as a mark of this special partnership, we have incorporated the highly recognisable RHS shield on the front in place of our usual Arthur Jack flowers.”
The new RHS round water butt is priced at £895 (delivery extra) and available from www.arthurjack.co.uk. A galvanised grille to protect against rodents, birds and leaves is also available, priced at £85.
The rest of the Arthur Jack range: Arthur Jack’s steel garden range includes hand-crafted window boxes, garden planters, obelisks, water feature, trough, boot wash and scraper, as well as a small square water butt (185 litres) and large square water butt (335 litres).
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For further media information, please contact Emma Mason at emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk or 07762 117433
Notes for editors:
Arthur Jack’s products are the result of a great deal of research by a couple of keen gardeners who were unable to find exactly what they wanted for their own garden.
Made of heavy gauge galvanised steel, they are decorated in a traditional Georgian style, complete with Tudor roses and decorative balls. They are made in England by artisan metal craftworkers and then finished with a special treatment to give them an aged patina. Because they are hot dip galvanised, they will have a long life.
® The Royal Horticultural Society. Trademarks of The Royal Horticultural Society (Registered Charity No 222879/SC038262) used under license from RHS Enterprises Limited.
From lush cinematic landscapes to gardens supplying fresh produce to local food banks, urban hidden gems, and even a garden-turned-catwalk, a diverse range of special green spaces will open to the public this year through Scotland’s Gardens Scheme (SGS).
The long-established charity propagates a collection of over 370 unique garden listings, including 53 new gardens signed up this year. This brings the total number of participating gardens to over 400, with 244 charities and local good causes selected for support by garden owners.
The charity raised just under £400,000 through garden open days in 2024, with around £220,000 directly benefitting 240 charities and local good causes chosen by garden owners. A further £22,000 was donated to each of SGS’s core charities – Maggie’s, the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland and Perennial, and the charity also awarded bursaries totaling £7,500 to Scottish horticulturists, through its Cattanach Award, which will be launched again for 2025.
The SGS open gardens 2025 programme includes gardens of all shapes, sizes, situations and interest such as:
2 Durnamuck in the north west of Scotland, recently featured on Monty Don’s British Gardens, a wonderful lochside croft garden
Carolside garden in the Scottish Borders with its glorious rose-filled elliptical walled garden, which featured on Netflix’s The Buccaneers
Drummond Castle gardens, one of Scotland’s most impressive formal gardens dating back to the 17th century, famous for its appearance in the ‘Outlander’ TV series and as the venue for Dior’s first Scottish fashion show in 2024
2 Durnamuck
Other highlights for 2025 include:
Gardens for community and educational benefit – Scotland’s Rural College joins SGS for the first time, with the staff and students of Oatridge College in Broxburn opening their garden on campus, and their colleagues at the Edinburgh campus now also planning to join in next year. Also welcomed back is The Biblical Garden in Elgin, which is used by the horticulture students of UHI Moray (University of Highlands & Islands).
A series of community gardens in the small town of Beith in Ayrshire will be opening for the first time, while the garden at Bannockburn House in Stirlingshire includes a kitchen garden which supplies fruit and vegetables to two local food banks and even includes an apiary.
Gardens for Wildlife & Environment – The inclusion of gardens with an environmental focus continues to be a growing trend and examples include: Archerfield Walled Garden in East Lothian with a new water-saving garden area featuring drought-tolerant species in shades of blue, rust and orange, while Lindisfarne garden in Moray includes a pond and rain garden fed by run-off from the roof and a wildflower meadow left to set seed for the birds, plus a shed featuring a green roof.
Also in East Lothian, Papple Steading features a meadow planted with Scottish native wildflowers, said to be one of the largest of its kind in Scotland, and sown with a wildflower and grass mix from Scottish wildflower seed specialist Scotia Seeds, including species such as yellow rattle, knapweed, ox-eye daisies, selfheal, yarrow, lady’s bedstraw, cowslip and quaking grass, among others. Laura’s Wood in Orkney has a half-acre sown with bird seed mix to feed the wild birds in Orkney’s inhospitable northern environment, demonstrating how garden owners are determined to support their local wildlife.
Ferneries – Ascog Fernery on Bute returns to SGS after a few years’ absence; this is a fascinating, enchanting and well-stocked subterranean Victorian fernery topped with an ornamental ‘terrarium-like’ roof, in the grounds of Victorian Ascog House, and including a 1000-year-old King Fern. Other ferneries can be seen at SGS regulars Hospitalfield House garden where there is a newly restored fernery and Benmore Botanic Garden, a beautiful Victorian structure set into the rocky cliffs above the garden.
Small but mighty gardens – welcoming our Instagram community – We’re welcoming three new small but mighty city gardens this year showing that small can also be beautiful, from gardeners with an Instagram following. Doctor Libby Webb’s small, terraced garden in Edinburgh has been re-designed from a lawned space used by a growing family into a stunningly beautiful haven for plants, people and pets with curved paths and generous planting. Follow her inspirational Instagram account @docleaves.
Writer and presenter Helen Cross will open her family-friendly garden in the southside of Glasgow; her garden includes raised beds for productive veg growing, feeding her passion for cooking and gardening with children, as seen in her book Grow, Cook, Inspire. Follow her @growcookinspire. Also in Edinburgh, garden coach Elisabeth Quinn, on Instagram @the_joyful_garden_ shares her tips on how to use a small city garden to create a garden that is at once family friendly and beautiful.
Post-industrial spaces – This year, SGS visitors can explore the New Lanark Roof Garden which returns after a break. Created on the 9,000 square feet of roof on one of the New Lanark mill buildings, the Roof Garden is the largest of its kind in Scotland. The garden’s patterns of gentle curves and swirls, reflect the turning arc of the great waterwheels which once powered the cotton-mills, and the flowing lines of the threads moving through the historic machinery as the yarn was spun, twisted, wound, and woven. The garden is the work of garden designer Douglas Coltart and is now maintained by New Lanark volunteers. In the heart of urban Glasgow, the SWG3 Community Garden sits behind SWG3, a high-profile events venue, on what was formerly derelict land between two railway lines. Now, it’s a delightful secret garden populated with trees, grasses, shrubs and perennials with wide paths curving through the beds. Apart from the interesting planting, this garden, designed by the horticulturist and garden designer Jeremy Needham, has beehives and two different heights of raised beds which are used by the local community as allotments.
Gardyne Castle
New gardens or returning after a break – Gardyne Castle garden in Angus opens on 21 June, a rare chance to see this enchanting and romantic garden created by the owners over the past 21 years. The garden includes a gorgeous and colourful long double border, herbaceous planting, roses, peonies and lavender, as well as a formal knot garden with yew topiaries and specimen trees complementing a castle that dates back to the 16th century in parts. Further south in the Scottish Borders in Berwickshire, The Walled Garden at the Hugo Burge Foundation opens for the first time with SGS on Fridays in July and August (booking essential). A recently redeveloped walled garden in the grounds of the Marchmont Estate, the garden is designed to inspire creativity as part of the Hugo Burge Foundation, a newly formed arts charity. The garden contains herbaceous borders, a kitchen garden, a colonnade, wildflower meadows, cut flower borders, a sculpture collection and newly restored Mackenzie and Moncur glasshouses.
Glenkindie House in the Strathdon area of Aberdeenshire, is a 16th-century castle remodeled in the 1900s. The walled gardens are laid out in the Victorian Arts & Crafts style with herbaceous borders, a magnificent rhododendron shrubbery, specimen trees and rose beds. There is a fine collection of 19th-century yew topiary depicting teddy bears, chess pieces and characters from Alice in Wonderland. Visitors can also enjoy a stroll around the pond to view the 17th-century dovecot. Glenkindie House has open days in May and August and is famous for its sumptuous teas and strawberry tarts.
Gledenholm garden in Ae village, in Dumfriesshire, has been created by the owner over the past 20 years largely through his passion for propagating plants, which he also generously donates to many SGS plant sales, as well as contributing his top tips for propagation to the SGS blog, to inspire others.
2 Strathview in Conon Bridge near Inverness is a medium-sized garden with mature apple trees and a shady maze of paths through beds packed with perennials sloping down to sea level where there are plenty of birds on the estuary to view. Featuring a small greenhouse, and even a steam model railway which works if weather allows. There are a couple of water features fed by rainwater, leading to a small deep pond. Stunning panoramic views across the Cromarty Firth seen from a ‘food forest’, with fruit trees growing on a set of home designed arches, runner beans, strawberries and apple trees.
Groups & Villages – Visiting a group or village opening remains extremely popular with visitors with the opportunity to view a variety of different sizes and styles of gardens, all showcasing the passion of the garden owners, all on one day. This year there are 24 SGS group openings around Scotland this year, with highlights including:
Gifford, a traditional estate village a short distance from Edinburgh in East Lothian, which includes two stunning large-scale gardens at Broadwoodside (seen on Monty Don’s British Gardens in January 2025) and Gifford Bank, along with a variety of lovely village gardens – 22 June.
Lanark Town Gardens are new for 2025, opening on 13 July with six gardens in the Waterloo Road area of Lanark town. Highlights include a miniature orchard, an extensive rock garden with a collection of alpines, a colourful partially walled garden with a focus on wildlife and a remodeled garden full of interest and surprise. Homemade teas can be enjoyed in the colourful surrounds of Lanark Bowling Club where there will also be the opportunity for all visitors to enjoy a game.
Muckhart Open Gardens in Perthshire are opening on the weekend of 31 May and 1 June with a collection of gardens in and around the Pool o’Muckhart and Yetts o’Muckhart, some of which have not opened previously. A small and very charming village, Muckhart boasts an enchanting variety of cottage and informal gardens displaying some of the best and most thoughtfully considered aspects of amateur gardening in this part of Scotland. From wildlife-friendly gardens and magnificent trees, to beautiful and constantly evolving gardens where paths meander through terraced beds and ponds, and pocket-sized cottage gardens.
Special events – Dalswinton Mill in Dumfriesshire opens on 10 August. The garden of Colin Crosbie, a former Curator at RHS Wisley, the garden is set on both sides of the Pennyland Burn which flows through the middle and the garden includes the owner’s growing collection of specimen plants, and the opening will include a mini plant fair, with music, stalls, talks and horticultural demonstrations. Teasses Garden in Fife will host two special events for SGS this year; an enchanting candlelit snowdrop walk on 21 February and a Summer Solstice evening guided tour of the garden accompanied by the Estate Manager and former Head Gardener, on 18 June.
Music in the garden – A number of garden openings include music in the garden as part of their open day, including the No Strings Attached wind band at Redcroft in Edinburgh, The South West Scotland Piping & Drumming Academy Cowhill Tower, Dumfriesshire, pipe bands at Douneside House in Aberdeenshire and at Norton House on Deeside.
And finally, a new District Organiser in Orkney who has come all the way from the US, has got to know people on the islands by persuading them to open their gardens, resulting in a collection of new and returning Orkney gardens.
“It’s wonderful to be able to present yet another exciting programme of open days to the public and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to our 2025 season. Our garden owners and volunteers are truly inspiring people, and we are so grateful to them for their generosity in sharing their passion for plants and gardening knowledge to inspire many others. We have a passionate following of regular visitors, and we hope to welcome many, many more people new to Scotland’s Gardens Scheme this year, to enjoy the delights of open gardens. Visiting open gardens is a wonderful way to do your bit for charity, the chance to learn something new about gardening and be inspired, to meet other garden lovers and to reap the benefits of being outside in a beautiful environment. Please join us in 2025 and help us raise funds for charities and local good causes again this year.” said Liz Stewart, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme Chief Executive.
For full details of gardens open for charity, explore the SGS website or buy the 2025 guidebook, available on the website at scotlandsgardens.org.
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme supports the opening of gardens throughout Scotland to the public, raising funds for charity through garden gate tickets, plant sales and teas. Most are privately owned and are normally inaccessible to the public at other times. 60% of funds raised at each garden opening may go to garden owner’s charity of choice with the remainder being donated to Scotland’s Gardens Scheme and its beneficiary charities, Maggie’s, the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland and Perennial. Scotland’s Gardens Scheme is powered by volunteers and has been raising funds for charity through garden openings since 1931.
Full garden details can be found at scotlandsgardens.org. Garden and charity highlights can also be found on:
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