Two firm favourites in the St Michael’s Hospice events calendar are set to resume in the coming weeks.
The eagerly-anticipated return of the Plant Fair and Open Gardens programme will come as welcome news to Hospice supporters across Herefordshire and beyond.
The free entry Plant Fair will be held at the Hospice in Bartestree on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th June.
Just three weeks earlier, on Sunday, 16th May, St Michael’s launches its Open Gardens season at the beautiful Whitfield Estate near Wormbridge.
‘Spring is a beautiful time of year, and this season we’ve even more reason to celebrate its arrival,’ said Lynne Carter, the Hospice’s Income Generation, Marketing & Communications Director.
‘We’re really excited to welcome the ever-popular Plant Fair back to St Michael’s. Once again, this been made possible thanks to the support of sponsors Lyonshall Nurseries.
‘We have a wide range of trade stands and community-grown plant stalls to explore, and there’s also the chance to grow your plants beforehand for us to sell at the Fair.’
A Garden in a Container competition, open to all ages, has just been launched, with winners to be announced during the Fair. Full details are available on the St Michael’s Hospice website.
Meanwhile, visitors to the opening Open Gardens event at Whitfield Estate on 16th May can marvel at 15 acres of formal and informal gardens, packed with history.
In early summer, attention switches to Hellens Garden Festival in Much Marcle, which raises thousands of pounds for St Michael’s each year.
The two-day festival returns on 12th– 13th June, before the Old Rectory in Thruxton welcomes visitors to its four-acre garden on 23rd June. Those attending will be able to discover unusual perennials, a burgeoning arboretum, wildlife pond and a collection of heritage fruit trees.
The Open Gardens programme continues to be backed by Herefordshire-based suppliers of garden and landscaping materials, Radbournes, who have sponsored the season since 2014.
‘It’s a huge privilege for us to be associated with something that brings so much joy to so many people,’ said Radbournes Director, Chris Radbourne.
‘The partnership has proved very beneficial, and we’ve met some wonderful people along the way.
‘For us though, as a family, it’s our way of saying thank you to St Michael’s.
‘The Hospice cared for my father-in-law a few years ago, and the way they looked after us all left us in no doubt that should the opportunity arise, we would support St Michael’s in any way we could.
‘That support began seven years ago now, and there’s not a day of it that I regret.’
More gardens are set to be announced as part of the Open Gardens programme in due course.
All the information on both the Open Gardens and the Plant Fair, including how to enter the Garden in a Container competition, can be found at www.st-michaels-hospice.org.uk
- Supporters can also visit St Michael’s at the Hergest Spring Fair near Kington on Monday 3rd May where there will be a St Michael’s Hospice stall.
