Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District (BID) is launching a Spring ‘Gardens’ campaign with the aim of attracting people who enjoy visiting gardens to take a short break in Bournemouth this spring.
The town, which has long enjoyed a very rich horticultural tradition, aims to become a base and springboard for tourists visiting the amazing, unique and diverse variety of well- known and privately owned gardens in the local area and region. The Spring Gardens package offers a range of discounts at participating gardens, combined with offers from hotels in Bournemouth.
Bournemouth is one of relatively few local authorities who have successfully exhibited and won top awards at The RHS Tatton Flower Show, Hampton Court Flower Show and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show; including a Gold Medal and the President’s Award at Chelsea in 2006 and a Silver Gilt Medal at The Hampton Court Flower Show in 2012. More recently the Town has been awarded a Gold medal in the 2014 European Entente Florale based on achieving a Gold Medal in the 2013 Britain in Bloom.
Passionate people and horticultural pioneers have lived and worked in the area since the mid- 1800s and that tradition continues to the present day. Within just a few miles of Bournemouth you will find the UK’s first-ever garden centre, the first commercial blueberry plantation, historic plantings, hidden gardens and specialist nurseries of international acclaim.
Bournemouth boasts its very own micro climate with a mild maritime influence and around 20% more sunshine over the summer months than the rest of the UK. Because of the sandy soil, drainage is excellent too. The Purbeck Hills help to keep the worst of the weather off Bournemouth and create a rain shadow which keeps rain to the prevailing side of the hills. These conditions help support a sub-tropical garden at Alum Chine, where it is possible to grow many exotic species of plant and tree that would normally be only found in a more southerly latitude.
One of the participating gardens in the Spring Campaign is the nationally acclaimed Knoll Gardens, home of internationally renowned author and RHS Council Member, Neil Lucas. Neil is the UK’s leading ornamental grass specialist and the holder of ten consecutive Chelsea Gold medals (2002 – 2011).
Neil enthused, “Knoll Gardens is just east of Wimborne in the Stapehill area which has long been known for its specialist horticultural nurseries. It too has its own micro climate and at only 60 feet above sea level sits in a local frost pocket. This means we are much more susceptible to frost. Our plants are able to thrive because of the well -drained dry soil.”
Neil continued, “We are able to grow all sorts of plants that you might not expect to see in colder areas. One example is the Crinodendron patagua which would normally only be seen growing in sheltered Cornish gardens but at Knoll Gardens we have our own magnificent specimen of this!”
Another participating Dorset garden is Abbotsbury Subtropical Garden which is celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2015. The Garden has been quoted by Alan Titchmarsh as “One of the finest Gardens I have ever visited.”
Abbotsbury Gardens are impacted by the mild marine climate too, protected by a large hill on one side and the sea on the other which act as a radiator to the plants. As part of their 250th Celebrations a spectacular 36 metre Burma Rope Bridge has been built which is very in keeping with the sub -tropical, junglish type planting and style of garden. The Gardens have also partnered with a local micro- brewery and will be using Drimys Lanceolata, (or mountain pepper), to make their own Abbotsbury Beer to mark their special anniversary. This will be launched on 10th May. Drimys is high in antioxidants and was widely used in the 1700’s by sailors to treat scurvy in sailors.
As part of the Spring Campaign, which runs from 7th April to 30th June (excluding bank holidays and the annual Wheels Festival) there will be a new, one-stop information hub on the Bournemouth Tourism website which will list specific information on featured gardens, offers available from the gardens when booking a featured hotel, a special events diary and details of regulars tours and talks.
Visitors will also be given information on the wide range of privately owned gardens across Dorset, not normally open to the public, which take part in the National Gardens Scheme. These provide an fascinating, interesting and enjoyable contrast to gardens normally open to the public.
Coastal BID Manager, Alun Williams enthused, “With so many delightful and interesting gardens in and around Bournemouth, the Coastal BID’s ‘Spring Gardens’ campaign is a natural theme for us to be promoting on a national platform. The Coastal BID is delivering this not only for our accommodation providers and other BID businesses, but by working with Bournemouth Tourism and the NCTA, helping to increase business generally during the off-season period.”
Kate Shaw
