Welcome Sunlight

It is good to see people coming through the gates at Eggleston Hall Gardens again. The first bit of reasonable sunshine brings folk in, though it’s always worrying if we're going ‘out of fashion’ with the plant buying public. Hopefully not for another 5 years at least! Though our plants have had to increase a little in price for this coming season, we are not profiteering, just the opposite, our margin has been cut somewhat, it is simply the cost of compost having almost doubled and plastics gone through the roof.....this impacts heavily on our costs for trays, labels, and most of all pots, these items being our core sundries. Fortunately we use no heating, our plants are raised hard and strong, and while this may mean we are behind the garden centers in having certain plants ready for early spring sales, it also means they are adequately hardened off and will withstand a cold snap or cool period. Often the public are their own worst enemy in buying and planting out half hardy stock too early, though I do understand the desire to ‘get gardening’ after the long winter, however Prudence never kept her knickers in her handbag and as such never got caught out. The impatient gardener should follow Pru’s example with bedding (plants) and hold fire till all danger of frost is past.....I should of course be encouraging you to buy earlier, then when it’s killed off you return and spend another fortune......Thankfully it has never been our way and never shall be. Todays image is of a Brunnera called 'Mr Morse'.

PLANTSMANS CORNER will be opening on the 1st and 3rd sundays April to October;

2010 OPENING DAYS;
April 4th & 18th;
May 2nd & 16th;
June 6th & 20th;
July 4th & 18th;
August 1st & 15th
September 5th & 19th
October 3rd & 17th

You can also visit by appointment on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and to collect plants.