Our "Artists In The Garden" event is fast approaching! I've had a fantastic response already from artists who would like to join me for a day of creativity inspired by the plants at the nursery. If you're a visual artist, writer, musician, poet or engage with any creative activity then please do come along on the day. As well as meeting other artists you'll be able to talk about what you do to visitors to the nursery. If you'd like to know more please get in touch thecoastalgardener@icloud.com

Looking forward to Wolverton Manor Garden Fair on 2nd & 3rd September. This weekend I'll be selecting which plants to take with me and preparing my talk about Coastal Gardening. If you'd like to hear the talk it will take place in the Manor House on Sunday afternoon at 1pm, and if you'd like to buy a plant I'll be in the Arts & Crafts marquee!

I love this time of year! The temperature is rising, the days are getting longer and every day a seed germinates, a flower opens or a bud appears. Finally, the plans made during the winter for the nursery and the designs drawn up for gardens can be realised.

At the nursery the display beds have survived the winter largely unscathed. We’ve been busy developing the site, increasing the space for displaying plants and improving both signage and information resources.

This year we’ll be facilitating a range of courses and fundraising events. Kate Stevens will be visiting the Island in May (20th & 21st) to run two Willow Plant Support making workshops. In April our popular Coastal Gardening course will be featured in Coast Magazine and we’ll be running the course again on 24th June. Further details of all our 2017 activities and events can be found at www.thecoastalgardener.co.uk/events

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I do hope that you will be able to join me on Sunday 2nd July for Forget-Me-Not, a day to raise funds for and awareness of Dementia UK and the IOW Admiral Nurse Appeal. The event will celebrate plants associated with memory and will include the chance to sample teas & tisanes made from herbs that apparently aid memory. We will also have a preloved cookery and gardening book stall. If you have any books looking for a new home please do drop them off at the nursery.

Last year my dream of running a nursery came true. The reality has been better than the dream. I love being there and hope that you will call in to say hello during the weeks and months ahead. As last year, we will be open from 10am – 4pm, Thursday to Sunday. This year we will have an even wider range of plants on offer with plenty of inspiration and advice too.

I almost forgot to mention that every Thursday afternoon at 2pm, starting on 6th April, I’ll be giving a short topical talk/demonstration at the nursery. These free talks are about sharing information and making gardening accessible to everyone. I’ll publicise the theme of week on Facebook (thecoastalgardeneriow) and on our website.

Hope to see you soon.

Oh what fun we’ve had!

It’s been a wonderful summer. The sun has shone, temperatures have soared and our plants have loved it. We’ve been delighted to welcome so many visitors to the nursery and have been overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and kind words. The display beds have been a big hit and customers appreciate the quality of our plants and our labelling. We’ve been thrilled that so many of them appreciate the fact that we grow almost all the plants we sell from our own seed and cuttings. Propagation is our passion and we’re proud that our plants really are Isle of Wight plants.

As well as selling plants we’ve handed out lots of free advice and welcomed gardening groups, celebrities, journalists, photographers, garden designers and Beavers (small Scouts, not the animals!) We’ve written articles, given talks and judged garden competitions.

We’ve designed gardens for private and public clients, including a garden at St Mary’s Hospital in Newport. We’ve been delighted with the results, and most importantly, so have our clients. During the autumn we’ll be creating gardens in Bembridge and East Cowes as well as planting a dune with native coastal plants in Sandown. We’re also looking forward to working with pupils from St Helens Primary School as part of their Arts week, helping them to design their own coastal garden.

The nursery will close at the end of October, but until then we’ll be there Thursday to Sunday from 10am until 4pm. Now is a great time to visit, the display beds are looking wonderful and perennials planted now, whilst the soil is still warm and temperatures mild, will establish quickly.

If you feel a bit out of your comfort zone when it comes to gardening then perhaps you’d like to join us for our Gardening Made Easy course on Saturday 17th September? You’re bound to leave feeling more knowledgeable and more confident. In October we’re running a Paper Making course, during which participants will explore the creative potential of making their own paper. In November we’ll be running our popular Make It Christmas course. Details of all the courses can be found at www.thecoastalgardener.co.uk/events.

As the gardening year comes to an end it’s time to reflect on what has happened this year and to plan for the next. Thanks to everyone who has helped make it such a special and successful year. Special thanks to Jenni Minns for all her help at the nursery. During the winter we’ll be improving our signage, making sculptures for the display beds, expanding the sales area, planting containers, improving the web site and devising new events and courses for next year. If you use social media please do keep in touch via Facebook (thecoastalgardeneriow) and Twitter (thecoastalgardener@GerryPrice3).

What a year it’s been! I’m already looking forward to reopening in March 2017!

Wishing you a mellow and fruitful autumn,