GARDENING enthusiasts can look forward to hearing from some of Teesdale’s top horticulturists ahead of the spring planting season.
A Gardeners’ Question Time is being arranged at Whorlton Village Hall on Saturday, March 18, featuring Raby Estate head gardener Tim Marshall, retired head of Eggleston Hall Gardens Malcolm Hockham and his successor,Thomas Wilson.
It is the second time a gardeners’ question time has been held in the village.
Organiser Mary Stastny said: “2003 was when we did it last time and Malcolm was on the panel.
The other person was Sarah Hopps from York – Radio Yorks used to do a garden programme. We filled the hall last time – there was a lot of people.”
She added that this time it was being held early in the year because people would be thinking about what to do in their gardens in spring.
Mrs Stastny said: “I think people will come up with a whole range of questions, such as planting in awkward areas like shade, or companion planting, or under-planting and then there’s wild meadows, and pruning.
“I am hoping people will be asking about plants for bees and keeping bees fed through the year because they still fly in winter.”
Of the current panel, she said: “Tim Marshall is at Raby Castle. There he is the new head gardener at Raby and he is the one responsible for executing the design. Malcolm is very amusing – he has a funny sense of humour.
“Malcolm was a true nurseryman – he has bred plants and multiplied them and a lot of them are very unusual, and a lot of them are exclusive to Eggleston. The wonderful thing about breeding them there is you know they are going to work because most of us live lower down than Eggleston.”
Before taking over from Mr Hockham at Eggleston Hall Gardens, Mr Wilson gained experience at the likes of Kew Gardens and Edinburgh’s botanical gardens.
Whorlton has gained a reputation for its own botanical beauty with the village hosting an open gardens event each year.
Mrs Stastny said: “It is on June 25 this year. We usually have between 15 and 20 gardens taking part. There is a lovely variety of gardens, some very big gardens and some tiny, really exquisite ones. Some people take their gardening very seriously.”
The event gets underway at 7pm and the £5 entry fee includes a glass of wine.
People can book tickets by ringing Mrs Stastny on 01833 637419.
