

Garden visits 2026
Plaw Hatch Farm
In April, we were invited to Plaw Hatch Farm.
The garden at Plaw Hatch produces forty-five different types of vegetables, fruits and herbs from seed. Ninety-five percent of our garden produce is sold through the Farm Shop. We have eleven polytunnels and twelve acres of rotational land used for field crops, with a focus on seasonal and heritage produce. In the summer tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, beans and salad crops can be found growing in the tunnels along with leafy vegetables which are grown all year round. The field crops supply our customers with autumn and winter staple vegetables such as onions, potatoes, root crops, squash, leeks, kale to name a few. Outside the polytunnels there is a flower garden which supports the diverse insect species found on the farm including many bees and butterflies, as well as flower pollinator strips in the field. These also serve to provide the shop with seasonally available bunches of biodynamic cut flowers on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.



Gardens to visit:
Beth Chatto's Plants and Gardens
Some members of our club went on a wonderful trip to visit Beth Chatto's Plants and Gardens in Essex this month. The trip was organised by Dormansland Horticultural Society and was a great success!
Beth Chatto OBE was an award-winning plantswoman, author and lecturer. Her work at the gardens began in 1960. She took some overgrown wasteland and transformed it using plants adapted by nature to thrive in different conditions: right plant, right place. There are five gardens within the 7.5 acre site: Gravel garden, water garden, reservoir garden, scree garden and woodland garden.
Beth Chatto Gardens Ltd
Elmstead Market
Colchester
Essex
CO7 7DB
TELEPHONE 01206 822 007
One of our members took the lovely pictures below. This is a 'must visit' garden!
Sussex Prairies Wild

Sussex Prairies Wild is Britain’s largest “Prairie,” or “Naturalistic,” garden, with eight acres of garden to roam around.
There are very exciting developments underway at Sussex Prairies that will be taking shape over the coming months and years, all for the benefit of our natural environment.
Our 32 acre farm will be transitioning into a wonderful rewilding project over time . Sussex Prairies came from Nature and so over time it will return !
The whole landscape will be rewilded – it will embrace all our native flora and fauna – restoring, protecting and sustaining biodiversity to support our planet.
Morlands Farm, Wheatsheaf Road (B2116),
near Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9AT
-
01273 495902


Great gardens to visit
Here are some of the gardens that our members have visited and enjoyed:
Standen (National Trust) East Grinstead, West Sussex
Sheffield Park (National Trust) Uckfield, East Sussex
Borde Hill Garden - Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Great Dixter - East Sussex
Sussex Prairie Garden - Henfield West Sussex
Beth Chatto's Plants and Gardens
Garden details
Sheffield Park
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/sheffield-park-and-garden
A horticultural work of art, formed through centuries of landscape design, with influences of ‘Capability’ Brown and Humphry Repton.
Sheffield Park, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3QX
sheffieldpark@nationaltrust.org.uk







