Blackthorn Nursery in Spring – Jon Evans, 25 Jan 2017
Blackthorn Nursery in Hampshire was a popular specialist nursery until the owners retired a few years ago, and turned it into their own private garden. Jon Evans had special access, and visited numerous times over several years to photograph the magical atmosphere of the place in spring. Gardening on clay overlaying chalk, Robin and Sue have planted bulbs in the woodland area to create a tapestry of colour from February to May, with swathes of snowdrops, cyclamen, anemone, trillium, narcissus, crocus, erythronium, and fritillary. Rare alpines and daphnes also feature strongly in other parts of the garden, alongside once-common plants which are now rarely offered for sale.
Jon Evans’ relaxed style, horticultural knowledge, and pin-sharp photos combined to give us a fascinating glimpse of a hidden acre of land, tended with great devotion and expertise. The garden is not open to the public, but this talk gave us a privileged view.
A list of the plants mentioned in the talk is available by email on request from alexsidd@hotmail.com – just ask for “the Blackthorn Spring List”