A Gardener's Guide to Northumberland

Gardens to visit for inspiration, Plant Nurseries to peruse and general gardening related gossip. By Karen Phillips. Karen is a qualified lecturer in horticulture. She is passionate about all aspects of gardening and growing food within the constraints of the Northumberland climate. She runs many courses (including gardening, floristry and cookery demonstrations) at Widehaugh House, a two acre garden close to Hexham. You can also follow her on Twitter.

The Alnwick Garden

Now I’ll take any opportunity to visit The Alnwick Garden but with not one but two floral events planned for this month it’s time to head up the A1 to the garden that has single-handedly increased visitor numbers to all of our North East  gardens since its creation just over 10 years ago.

A daffodil festival starts on Fri 6^th until 15^th April to launch their rare daffodil: ‘Alnwick Magic’. The ‘de Jager’ Tulip festival is scheduled for 30^th April – 8^th May; but, based on what’s happening here in the gardens at Widehaugh House, I’ll take a hefty wager that the tulips are going to be out early and will combine with the daffodils to create a spectacular display. They say seeing is believing so, if you don’t want to be misinformed by over-sized photos and cheap colour printing, take your camera and notebook and enjoy a relaxing and inspiring day, selecting which bulbs you’ll be planting for next year.

Courses that are running at Widehaugh House this month:

Basic Veg: Fri 20th April 10-3.30pm
Never sown a seed in your life? Starting with how to set out a vegetable plot, this course will cover all aspects of basic vegetable growing and get you producing all manner of expensive to purchase veggies from rocket to sugar snap peas. Depart with seeds sown and the confidence to produce a successful first harvest.

Grow Your Own Cut Flowers: Thurs 26th April 10-3.30pm 
Tubs of tulips, goblets of gladioli and buckets full of blooms – this course provides all the info needed to start growing your own cut flowers at home or on an allotment. Starting from the basics of choosing a suitable site and setting out the patch, to the excitement of choosing suitable flowers to grow and their maintenance throughout the year. The course culminates in a demonstration by a local florist of practical ways to showcase your wonderful harvest.

The Virgin Gardener: Tues 1st May 10-3.30pm
First house / first garden – daunted? Don’t be. This intensive course will give you the confidence to start a garden from scratch or adapt an inherited one to suit your style. We’ll discover the delights of propagation and pruning, ’shake hands with your soil’ and identify plants that will flourish in your garden.