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Newsletter
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Happy Easter!
Easter is traditionally the start of the gardening season, although this year an early Easter and wet ground conditions may delay the start for some.
April will be a busy month at the nursery with the start of a series of How To Workshops, the first modules of the Design Your Own Garden Course, the first Open Day and a Plant Promotion Day. The nursery will be open every Wednesday when our amazing team of volunteers help to keep the nursery looking good.
I’ll be at the nursery on Easter Saturday, labelling and making new signage. Please do pop in if you’re passing by to say hello.
There are a couple of places left on both the Getting Started and Plants and Planting workshops on Saturday 6th April. These are specifically designed for new gardeners or for anyone who would like to know more about the basics. Full course details at www.thecoastalgardener.co.uk Getting Started will be repeated on the morning of Thursday 25th April and Plants and Planting on Friday 26th.
The Get Into Gardening Open Day on Sunday 7th April from 10.00 to 16.00 (free entry) is an opportunity for you to meet some of my favourite Island garden related businesses. I’m really looking forward to this event and hope you’ll be able to visit and meet artists and artisans, growers and gardeners and leave with new ideas, sharpened tools and maybe a pot, plant support or a new plant for your garden! Joining me on the day will be:
Blade Runner IOW Tool Sharpening Services - bring your tools and get them sharpened on the day for £5.00/item
G.I.V.E (Green Island Veg Initiative) - meet the team behind this amazing online gardening community
Wight Willow Landscaping - Richard Bolwell will be on hand to talk to you about coppicing and woodland management and will show his beautiful hazel and willow products made from local and sustainably sourced wood
Victoriana Lanes - Gardenalia & Decorative Salvage for the very best selection of beautiful functional and decorative objects for your garden
Lucia Para Art & Illustration - Lucia will exhibit her nature inspired cards, paintings and sketchbooks to show how she creates her art from life with her imagination
Wilder Wight Communities Project (Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust) will be there to talk to you about garden wildlife and offer ideas and suggestions on ways you can give local nature a helping hand in your garden or greenspace. They’ll also be running a making activity where you’ll be able to take home your own Action for Nature.
The Coastal Gardener Volunteers will be there to talk with you about volunteering and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about courses and events.
Sunday 21st April will be the first Plant Promotion Day with 20% off my top 10 Plants for Spring
(full list on the Plants Promotion page at www.thecoastalgardener.co,uk)
Wishing you a happy and peaceful Easter and much fun and enjoyment in your garden.
Hope to see you soon.
FEBRUARY 2024
The wet and windy weather continues but Mimosa blossom, daffodils and new shoots appearing reassure me that spring is just around the corner.
I’ve been making the most of rainy days by writing course outlines and preparing handouts for the series of ‘How To” workshops that will be running at the nursery from April to September. The first two, “Getting Started” and “Plants & Planting”, are already nearly fully booked (reassuring as I had no idea how popular these workshops would be!) There’s also been interest in the propagation workshops later in the year and to days devoted to sustainable gardening, designing a border and creating coastal/gravel gardens. The Design Your Own Garden course looks like it will be as popular this year as last. For details please visit www.thecoastalgardener.co.uk
The response from potential participants for the Open Days has been incredible. I’m delighted with the lineup for each of the six events. The first Open Day, Get into Gardening, is on Sunday 7th April. It’s an opportunity for you to meet some of my favourite Isle of Wight garden related businesses and people. Victorian Lanes (gardenalia and decorative salvage), Wight Willow Landscaping (woodland management and hazel/willow products) and Blade Runner IOW Tool Sharpening Services (bring tools along to be sharpened) will all be there. The Wilder Wight Communities Project will be running a hands-on making activity, Holly Maslen and the team behind G.I.V.E (Green Island Veg Initiative) will explain how this online community works and artist Lucia Para will exhibit her nature inspired cards, paintings and sketchbooks. The Coastal Gardener volunteers will be on hand to talk to you about what its like to volunteer and maybe inspire you to join the team?
The first Plant Promotion Day of 2024 will be on Sunday 21st April. They’ll be 20% off a range of my favourite spring plants - check out the list at www.thecoastalgardener.co.uk
The Garden Design practice that runs alongside the nursery has gardens to plant this spring in East Cowes, West Cowes, Bembridge and Seaview. Planting plans are being drawn, plants ordered, landscapers booked and fingers firmly crossed for some good weather in late March and April!
For regular updates please follow on Instagram thecoastalgardener or Facebook thecoastalgardeneriow
Very much looking forward to welcoming you to nursery in 2024.
JANUARY 2024
At this time of year most people, including gardeners, find themselves reflecting on the past 12 months and planning for the next. As I reflect on what grew strongly, what I enjoyed nurturing and on what provided me with the most bountiful harvest, I am drawn towards the community that has grown around the nursery, to the relationships formed and to the sharing of knowledge
So, this year at the nursery I'll be focusing on developing the nursery as a hub for learning, inspiration and advice as well as showcasing our sustainably grown plants.
There will be workshops for beginners as well as days to inspire more experienced gardeners, including our very popular Design Your Own Garden course, and a series of “How To” workshops including Propagation, Coastal and Sustainable gardening. For course details please visit www.thecoastalgardener.co.uk
Building on the success of previous events, this year the nursery will be the venue for six themed Open Days. On the third Sunday of each month, from April to September, local artists and craftspeople, gardeners and small businesses will be at the nursery to answer your questions, demonstrate what they do and be part of The Coastal Gardener community. Open Days include “Mind Body & Soul”, “ Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside” and a “Forget-Me-Not” fundraising day for Admiral Nurses/Dementia UK. (If you're interested in taking participating in these events and promoting your business, please contact me at thecoastalgardener@icloud.com)
On the first Sunday of each month (from April to September) Plant Promotion Days will be an opportunity for you to find out more about a specially curated group of plants, those looking good for the time of year or themed to a particular style of gardening. The selected plants will be available for one day only at 20% less than our usual retail price. Visit “Plant Promotion” at www.thecoastalgardener.co.uk for the full list of plants
On Wednesdays a small and dedicated group of volunteers help to keep the nursery looking good. In return for their hard work they learn new skills and spend time with other people interested in gardening. If you’d like to be a volunteer please visit the web site to find out more and get in touch with me at thecoastalgardener@icloud.com
The garden design practice that runs alongside the nursery continued to prosper in 2023. The spring was particularly challenging but with a lot of help from colleagues and friends we succeeded in creating some amazing gardens. The coming spring looks like another busy one but we do have some availability for later in the year. If you’d like to discuss your garden project, please contact me at thecoastalgardener@icloud.com
Keep in touch via Instagram thecoastalgardener or Facebook thecoastalgardeneriow for regular updates and reminders.
Looking forward to welcoming you to nursery in 2024
Gerry