Newby Hall Spring Plant Fair

If you're thinking about gardening, plants and lovely things for the garden The Newby Hall & Gardens  annual Spring Plant Fair is a real gardener's treat early in the year.   It is a small Plant Fair, in a big and beautiful setting - with lovely relaxed character and really knowledgable growers. 

I've been invited to show my latest sculpture and garden ornaments, so please visit my little stand, (prettily!) laid out on the lawns in front of the impressive Newby Hall, one of England’s renowned Adam houses and an exceptional example of 18th century  architecture and interior decoration. 

William Weddell, an ancestor the Comptons who own the house, was a prominent member of the Dilettanti society and had made the “Grand Tour” in 1765-6. Amongst the treasures he brought back from Europe were magnificent classical sculptures and a superb set of Gobelins Tapestries. In order to house all these treasures, Weddell commissioned the Architect Robert Adam to create the splendid domed Sculpture Gallery and Tapestry Room.

The Plant Fair is on  Sunday 13^th May and will bring together some of the top garden professionals in the north of England and in 2012 for the first time, Harrogate Flower Show Director, Martin Fish will be the guest speaker, supported by Newby’s Head Gardener, Mark Jackson and will conclude with a Gardeners’ Question Time-style session.

Specialist independent nurseries will be selling plants as diverse as Bonsai trees and rare tomatoes, with a good sprinkling of the more familiar garden favourites.  A handpicked selection of quality gardening accessories will also be available.

Young gardeners will have a chance to get their little fingers dirty, with a ‘plant your own’ table, a sunflower growing competition and the day will be rounded off with tea and scones and music from a local jazz band.

Newby Hall is famous for its 25 acres of award winning gardens. Dominated by one of the longest double herbaceous borders in Europe, they consist of numerous formal compartmented gardens full of many rare and beautiful plants.  The gardens are designed to be at their best throughout the year making this truly a “garden for all seasons” and visitors to the plant fairs can  explore the gardens at their leisure.

Gates open at 10am and close at 4pm.