Arundel Castle’s first Spring Plant Fair is set to bloom
Calling all avid gardeners! Spring has sprung at Arundel Castle with an unmissable date to add to your diary. On 29 April, within the breath-taking grounds, more than 20 specialist nurseries will gather for the Castle’s first ever Spring Plant Fair.
Available to view and purchase on the day will be an incredible variety of plants, bulbs and shrubs. With an emphasis on locally grown, unusual and high-quality specimens, a visit to the fair is a must for all green-fingered folk.
Rachael from Swallowfields Nursery, which is not open to the public except at events such as this, says, “Arundel Castle is a stunning location with a long, rich history of plant collecting. It will be wonderful to bring our plants to such a beautiful setting and become a part of that continuum of gardening history.”
Fiona from Blueleaf Plants, a succulent specialist, says the fair at Arundel Castle will be an opportunity to access “a choice range of the more unusual plant varieties, many of which you won’t find in a garden centre.”
The experts are as passionate about passing on their knowledge as they are about growing the plants. “I want people to enjoy growing succulents and to know that it’s not an exclusive hobby,” says Fiona.
Arundel Castle’s head gardener Martin Duncan, whose impressive career spans gardens across the globe, commented: “It is extremely exciting to welcome so many horticultural experts to our beautiful gardens.
“Browsing the nursery stalls and the extensive grounds at Arundel Castle is certainly a picturesque way to spend the last Sunday in April. With a wealth of expert horticultural knowledge at visitors’ disposal and a vast array of plants for sale, we hope the fair will offer inspiration for all.”
Highlights at the Hardy’s Cottage Plants stall include the Geum Scarlet Tempest (Runner up at The Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2016) and Geum Totally Tangerine.
For versatile succulents, such as the Euphorbia trigona ‘Rubra’, Euphorbia tirucali, and Euphorbia obesa, make a beeline to Blueleaf Plants.
At the Swallowfields Nursery stall expect an array of Primula auricula displayed in traditional auricula theatres. “They are plants of intriguing beauty whose intricate markings never cease to beguile,” says Rachael.
The Spring Plant Fair coincides with Arundel Castle’s Annual Tulip Festival which will see over 60,000 tulips bursting into bloom. With gorgeous displays of colour throughout the scenic Castle gardens & grounds and a fantastic variety of plants available to buy from the nurseries, it is time to dust off the cobwebs of winter and welcome in spring 2018!
A season pass for the gardens is £35 and can be purchased from the Castle ticket office. Private guided tours of the gardens can also be arranged in advance by contacting the Castle on 01903 882 173 extension 230.
The Castle gardens, the design of which was conceived by the Duchess of Norfolk, will reopen on Good Friday (30 March) from 10am until 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday, Mondays in August and Bank Holiday Mondays.
Tickets to the Spring Plant Fair start from £8. For more information regarding the gardens and all the events taking place at the Castle please visit: www.arundelcastle.org