Bunny’s Diary

Welcome

I’m sure I’m not the only one impatient

CONTRIBUTORS

IMAGES NEIL HEPWORTH; LYNN KEDDIE; VANESSA FINNEMORE Bunny

This Month

Our guide to plants, people, gardens and events, tasks and shopping in April

People to Meet

Introducing the gardeners and public figures we most admire in British horticulture

Out & About

Unmissable events, news and the very best gardens to visit this month

Beautiful & Useful

New plants, books, tools and creative designs, plus shopping inspiration

Easter Chic

Set the table in a palette of zingy greens

Think Pink

A froth of cherry blossom against a clear blue sky is one of the great delights of spring, and Non Morris suggests cherry trees to suit different garden situations

Trooping the COLOUR

Pashley Manor Gardens in East Sussex host a dazzling tulip display that peaks from mid-April with star varieties marching through the colour-themed rooms of its 11 acres

Tulip Varieties at PASHLEY MANOR

The festival’s star performers are selected for shape, form, colour and height

Knowledge BASE

In the fertile farmland of Herefordshire, Stockton Bury, 40 years in the making, has been filled with choice plants and fascinating design touches by its expert owners, making it a place of pilgrimage for gardeners of all levels

Let There BE LIGHT

The neglected gardens of Wemyss Castle on the coast of Fife revealed a big surprise when trees were thinned and the woodland canopy opened –a breathtaking carpet of dazzling spring flowers

SPECIAL EDITION

Editing is key to Tessa and Mike Crowe’s dramatic displays of tulips at The Oast in East Sussex, as they work with 4,000 bulbs and 30 varieties to create a spring masterpiece

Keeping SECRETS

Hidden away on an Exmoor hillside and merging with its surrounding woodland, Greencombe is a garden of tantalising promise, its wooded paths leading to hidden areas and massed plantings of delicate erythroniums

Green in Every Sense

Monocultural lawns have been in the firing line recently as our interest in biodiverse,, sustainable gardens increases. We talk to leading garden designers about how they apply an environmentally friendly approach to using grass in their designs

Herald of Spring

Blossom is a sign of brighter times to come, and David Bouch, head gardener at the Cotehele and Antony estates, has suggestions to banish winter blues

Bold & Beautiful

Jane Gifford visits Caerhays Castle in Cornwall to marvel at the opulent blooms of the estate’s National Collection of magnolias

On the Ball

Kathy Brown explains how to go about making Japanese kokedama using dainty spring bulbs and other early flowers

A New Leaf

A greenhouse gives you valuable extra growing space, while its warmth and shelter will offer you a chance to try something just a little bit different

Thyme in Bloom

Spring blossom lights up the pathways, gardens and orchard at Thyme in Southrop, promising an abundant harvest of fruits as the season matures. Meanwhile, the gardening team are hard at work planning a successional sowing of crops to provide the chefs with a year of home-grown produce

Wild Garlic Butter

Tender wild garlic is a woodland treasure at Thyme. Head chef Charlie Hibbert suggests this melting accompaniment to a wide range of tempting dishes

DISCOVER The Cotswolds

On the launch of her new illustrated map and guide, A Cotswold Garden Companion, we talk to Natasha Goodfellow about why the area offers such rich bounty for garden lovers

GARDENS & NURSERIES FOR SPRING INSPIRATION

ASHWOOD NURSERIES A plantsman’s paradise and an independent