Getting 2024 off to a positive start, Emma Bridgewater and David Austin Roses have announced their collaboration in support of the National Garden Scheme.
The iconic British pottery brand Emma Bridgewater has joined hands with famous rose grower David Austin to design a mug honouring their joyful Bring Me Sunshine® (Ausernie) English rose – named after the heart-warming tune made famous by comedy duo Morecambe and Wise.
“As huge admirers of Emma Bridgewater’s work, we’re thrilled to not only see one of our most popular roses adorned onto the mugs but also dovetail our efforts to support the National Garden Scheme, a charity we each value greatly,” said David Austin.
Chosen because of its mood-boosting apricot and golden yellow colouring that translates beautifully onto pottery, the Bring Me Sunshine Half Pint Mug is an exclusive creation that celebrates great British craftsmanship and the country’s many glorious gardens.
It is available from the National Garden Scheme online shop here. It can also be purchased directly from Emma Bridgewater, David Austin Roses or as part of David Austin’s new gift box that comes with the mug, one of our National Garden Scheme A5 illustrated notebooks and a voucher for any David Austin rose, with Emma Bridgewater directly donating £5 to the National Garden Scheme for every mug sold.
Commenting, Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme, George Plumptre said: “We are thrilled to have the support of this power duo of iconic British brands in helping us to raise funds and awareness of our work in 2024. The Bring Me Sunshine mug and rose exemplify the joy that gardens and a great mug of tea can bring, and the exclusive access to Mr Austin Senior’s garden in June is something extraordinarily special which we know garden visitors will love.”
More about the June event to follow in the next post!
All photos kindly supplied by David Austin.
Do you have a special mug you always use? Mine is a China cup my grandmother used to have. I also have the Emma Bridgewater Christmas mugs and some with birds. I’ll definitely be ordering the new rose mug as it’s a delight to look at and use, and also raising funds for the NGS which last year donated £3.4 million to cancer care and other health and well-being causes. Macmillan cancer care being one that we have needed several times in our family and amongst friends.
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A morning of inspiring photos of gardens due to open for the NGS really warmed my heart and set me up for getting out and about visiting special places again. Here’s some photos of gardens due to open over the winter. These were highlighted as part of the NGS’s 2024 launch event yesterday. I must say, thinking of all these lovely garden views and beautiful flowers really cheered me up. I hope they do the same for you too!
Photos: Liz Mitchell
Bucklow Farm in Cheshire opens on 25th Feb. This special, country garden has been created over 30 years. There’s a herb garden,veg plot, meadow and wildlife pond, and is especially well known for its winter flowering displays.
Thousands of snowdrops underplant the special trees, shrubs and roses.
Hellebores especially do well at Bucklow Farm. The address is Pinfold Lane, Plumley, Cheshire, WA16 9RP. Check all dates, times and details before travelling.
Higher Cherubeer, Dolton, Devon. One and three quarter acres of gardens with 400 varieties of snowdrop and the national collection of cyclamen species.
There are around 100 snowdrop and spring-flowering gardens opening for the National Garden Scheme this year.
Over the whole year, 3,372 are scheduled to open. 575 are new to the NGS. 333 gardens are returning to the charity after a break. Nearly 1,000 gardens open ‘by arrangement’ where groups and individuals can arrange a visit at a mutually-agreed time for an exclusive tour of the garden. 2,681 offer refreshments, and 1,682 welcome dogs (very much appreciated by our spaniel Meg- who doesn’t like being left at home).
It was absolutely heartening to hear that 2023 was a record-breaking year for the NGS enabling them to give away £3.4 million to cancer care and other health and well-being charities. The NGS has been helping Macmillan cancer support for 40 years and has donated almost £20 million to them during this time. Personally, our friends and relatives have benefited from this care and we are truly grateful to the wonderful nurses at Macmillan. Many of you will also know that my youngest daughter is a nurse and my eldest daughter also worked for a children’s hospice. So I’m fully behind the NGS as they are a powerful and staunch supporter of nurses.
On a cold January day, there’s nothing more exciting than sitting in on a zoom launch event highlighting all the fabulous places set to open for the National Garden Scheme this year. I want to visit them all! In particular, I’m looking forward to visiting Sarah Price’s plot which is opening for the first time for the NGS. Sarah’s garden, The Chain, opens as part of the Chapel Gardens Group in Gwent on 14 and 15th June.
The Chain is a two acre walled garden which Sarah has created over the past nine years. Habitats include a pond, meadow, recycled sand and gravel planting areas, damp shade, and dry shade under mature oak trees. Anyone who saw last year’s Chelsea flower show couldn’t fail to be captivated by Sarah’s show garden which featured drifts of Benton End irises. I’m really excited to see what she’s growing in her own plot.
Sarah’s plot is just one of a series of designers’ gardens opening this year.
Photo copyright: Andrew Lawson
The Barn at Serge Hill, Hertfordshire, is Tom Stuart-Smith’s garden which is opening for its 30th year for the NGS on 2nd June. I visited last summer, and the courtyard garden, pictured above, is beautifully- planted with blue salvia ‘Amethyst’ and yellow euphorbia seguieriana subs. niciana. Unusual trees, yellow-flowering Genista aetnensis, add height to the courtyard and their reflections to the long, thin water trough features.
Photo copyright: Andrea Jones
The surrounding prairie meadows are full of bees and butterflies. Many ideas to glean for planting combinations. In the foreground there’s Echincea, Eryngium yuccifolium, and Silphium laciniatum (compass plant). Plants tower over you as you walk along the twisting paths.
Quite a unique idea is the Plant Library at Serge Hill. It’s a great way to see the height and spread of plants, as well as their growth habit.
Photos copyright: Val Corbett
Another garden I’m hoping to see is Grendon Court, Hereford, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith and opening 2nd June and 15th September. You can see Tom’s trademark herbaceous borders,including drifts of long-flowering plants, grasses and focal point topiary.
Teepees of climbing roses and deep pink peonies complement the barn walls.
Another view of the striking topiary at Grendon Court. Enticing glimpses of colour in the background.
Walk around the corner, and this is the colourful border, perfectly planted with salvia, euphorbia grasses and lupins. Note the repeated use of blue salvia which draws the eye along the border. A masterclass in planting techniques!
I was delighted to hear that 2023 was the NGS’s most successful year ever, with £4 million being raised for health and nursing charities. 3,372 gardens are opening this year. More than 500 new gardens are joining in. Nearly 1,000 gardens are opening ‘by arrangement’ where you can book a time to visit at mutual convenience and look around a garden at your leisure. I’m really hoping that 2024 proves to be another record-breaking year. So many cancer charities in particular benefit from the NGS support, and there are few of us who haven’t had a relative or friend needing cancer treatment of some kind. And personally, several of my relatives have benefited from the much-needed care of the Macmillan nurses. The NGS support a whole host of other nursing and health-related charities too. Check them out on the website:
Photo; Anna Omiotek-Tott . The Manor House, Ayot St Lawrence, Herts. 18th/ 19th May. Designed by Julie Toll.
Have you heard of the National Garden Scheme? I do still come across a few people when I give garden club talks who haven’t heard. Please spread the word. Are any of you planning to visit favourite open gardens- or planning to investigate new ones this year? Do get in touch and let me know!
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Dried flower heads on hydrangea paniculata hybrid.
Welcome! I garden on a one acre plot in north Leicestershire. Most of the garden is planted with native trees and shrubs. There’s a small pond, a mini water meadow full of marsh marigolds and lady’s smock, a small vegetable plot, greenhouse and poly tunnel. I grow as many flowers, fruit and veg as I can in containers and small divided beds. I aim to have something to pick from the garden every week of the year. This post is for my mum who can’t easily visit at the moment and the photos give her a flavour of what the garden looks like today. You are welcome to join me on a slow stroll around the plot as I seek out anything cheerful at this time of the year!
When there are plenty of flowers around, these cyclamen hederifolium barely get a second glance, but in January when everything is bare, the patterns on the leaves draw me in. I love moving from one plant to another comparing the intricate markings. No two plants are the same.
These grey-leaved cyclamen coum shine out in the shade under the ash trees. Soon they will have dainty white or bright pink flowers.
These are just starting to flower and there’s plenty of buds to open. They thrive under deciduous trees, flowering before the leaf canopy emerges.
I found some small brunnera plants. These have blue forget-me-not flowers in spring. They grow in deep shade alongside the cyclamen.
Arum italicum can be a thug, spreading all over the garden. But in deep shade, it is fairly well-behaved. It has bright orange berries and creamy white spathes. Good foliage for jam jar flowers.
Wild primroses are starting to push up through the leaf litter all over the plot. They seed about freely and provide pollen for early-emerging bumble bees.
When there’s not much to see, grasses provide a ‘stop and stare’ moment by the pond. These are beautiful all year round, and especially on a windy day.
I’ve never seen eranthis hyemalis flowering so early. Temperatures have been well above average all winter, but it’s also been extremely wet and most of the flower borders are under water again today. 2023 saw the wettest July to December period on record for the UK. Records started in 1890. With the ground already waterlogged, the recent rain has caused massive flooding in our area. The River Trent in Nottinghamshire burst its banks. Homes and businesses have been flooded out. It’s heartbreaking to see so much damage. So I won’t complain about my garden. It will drain away naturally and all will be well. Luckily I’ve taken cuttings of all the salvias and penstemons that are currently waterlogged, so there’s a back up plan if they don’t survive.
Shrugging off the wet weather, hellebores are starting to flower. These came from John Massey’s Ashwood Nursery near Birmingham. Some of these have been under water this week, with just the flower buds bobbing about in the air.
Early flowering snowdrops looking slightly muddy. Mrs Macnamara is a reliable variety and bulks up fairly quickly. Luckily it’s a very tall snowdrop – and as you can see, survives a few days under water. I think we can say it’s definitely robust!
The wildflower patch- now a bog! Luckily the greenhouse and poly tunnel are on higher ground. We have had to check for stranded goldfish as this area is alongside our pond.
Anyway, today there was sunshine. And the top of the willow trees look golden against a bright blue sky. A moment of joy after all that rain. Tiny grey pussy willow buds are starting to show. And there’s catkins on hazel and alder trees.
Monty is a good barometer for the weather. He’s been hibernating indoors during the rain. But today he emerged and set upon the straddle stone as a watch-out post, keeping his paws perfectly dry. Now as I write this he’s back in front of the fire, and I’ve checked the weather reports. Snow is forecast!
Snow will look pretty atop these black rudbeckia seed heads. I leave them for natural bird food and structure over winter.
I’ve left the flat sedum heads too. I just can’t call them by their new name. Hylotelephinium sounds like a type of outdated phone rather than an ice plant!
Some feverfew seed heads remain. Nothing spectacular, but I feel like accepting any tiny glimmer of beauty at the moment. It’s a quiet time, and I’m not being too fussy. Just grateful.
Eryngium Miss Willmott’s Ghost, looking more ghostly than usual. Looking closely, I found a ladybird and a lacewing, headfirst, nestled between the seeds. Peacefully may they slumber until spring.
Well, even I admit these are ugly, but there’s a certain something in those dark brown seeds emerging from the peony lutea pods. They glisten like amber in sunshine. Mum grew some plants from these and they flowered for the first time last summer. Seven years after sowing!
Planted underneath, in deep shade, there’s plenty of Skimmia Kew Green. Such a gorgeous scent in spring. Much overlooked in modern planting plans.
A quick peek in the greenhouse. Always plenty of gorgeously-scented pelargoniums and citrus. Sadly, the big white patch at the end is polythene patching the glass due to storm damage just after Christmas. A big end panel will have to be replaced. And then a careful clear up as there are shards of glass in every plant pot.
However, still seeking joy – I found a ladybird in an aonium.
And some pretty fuchsia leaves looking healthy in amongst the lemon trees.
A hairy, peppermint-scented pelargonium. To rub these leaves is to be transported.
There’s new shoots. Daffodils for cut flowers soon.
And food. Herbs such as thyme, marjoram, parsley, and micro greens. These are pak choi, sown in October. They can be eaten as tiny leaves now, or left to grow on. I take the leaves from the outsides, and the centre continues to grow.
Hens enjoy the heat in the greenhouse over winter too. They are only bantams, so don’t cause any damage and search out pests most assiduously, particularly vine weevils.
A ceramic bird I couldn’t resist. Bought from The Green Man in Staunton Harold. See my post on a pre-Christmas visit to Calke Abbey and Staunton Harold. Recommended for a day trip.
Ballerina rosehips
Thank you for joining me on this ramble around my garden. How has your plot fared in the rain? I hope you didn’t suffer too much damage in the recent storms. I haven’t been able to keep up with the names of the storms, there’s been so many! Please do leave a comment in the box below and sign up for e-mail notifications for new posts. Have a lovely weekend!
Bramble Garden 