An article written by a visitor to our garden, on a busy open day.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Yes this was written by a visitor to the garden, and the words and pictures were published in Dorset Life Magazine in September of this year.
The article will gradually work it's way down the archive pages, so scroll down or even go to the next page.

When you arrive at the page linked below, look down the page till you find our garden "Lyn and Malcolms Ferndown Garden'

Here is the link
http://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/articles-archive/

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

That's a very well written article Malcolm. I was very impressed with how they had made notes of the magnificent plants in your garden, and pulled it all together.
Those writers were impressed, and rightly so! Like me, they wonder how on earth you ever find the time to keep that garden so splendid. What amazes me further is that you have to spend so much time preparing the garden for those visitors (AND bake all the goodies) then lose a day in the garden on the open days. How does the grass ever recover from all that activity!

Magnificent  Take yet another bow, Lyn & Malcolm.
Perhaps one fine day I will be lucky enough to visit your garden.

[NightHawk]

I agree with George,  Lyn and Malcolm.

You both have received the accolade you deserve from that published article, acknowledging your dedication and hard work in getting your gardens looking so beautiful.

Well done.

Laurie.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Thank you both.
We thought it had the best description of all the magazine articles we have had, no input from us either, as it wasn't till the end of the ladys visit that she introduced herself and said she would like to write the article amd send a photographer round.

The only down side was that the article didn't appear in the magazine till we had finished opening for the year, this despite them having our open dates. Not the ladys fault, it was the editor of the magazine. The previous 4 months magazines didn't have any time sensitive articles in them.
The visit to the garden was 14 months before the article was published.

Never mind it was a very nicely written article.

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

How long do they keep the article on their website Malcolm?

[Lyn and Malcolm]

All I can say is the oldest is Dec 04, but the link I gave is just for page one of 28 in the archive, the article will gradually slip down the pages as time goes on.

Malcolm

[ideasguy]

Wouldnt like to lose that. I'll have a look at saving the article.

[NightHawk]

I've been able to convert the whole article, graphics and text as shown on the web site, into a PDF if any member would like it.

Post your request here and I'll email it to you.

Laurie.

P.S.  George, a copy is already on its way to you 

[bossgard]

Malcolm:

It’s nice to have you and Lyn back on the Forum!

After reading your posting regarding the Brugsmania, I was curious about what kind of a plant you and George were describing.  My garden knowledge is quite lacking, particularly when it comes to the formal names as used elsewhere in the world. I’m afraid the US is ‘dummying down’ when it comes to using common plant names. (Which would make a very good separate topic for discussion on this Forum.)

Yesterday, I did a little searching on the internet, and discovered that ‘Brugs’ in the US are known as ‘Angel’s Trumpets’. To go further with this study of ‘Brugs’ I went into your website, via the IdeasGenie Website Link.

I pulled up ‘Brugsmansia’ on your plant list, and took a look at the several you have listed. Your photography is beautiful, and the quantity and quality of your plant list is amazing. What beautiful gardens you and Lyn have put together. I’m sure there must be a long and lengthy (and satisfying) story behind how they got started and why. I would be interested in hearing that story! Did it start with your respective parents; you said they were vegetable and flower gardeners in their own right. What else has influenced you and encourages you to continue?

You have a link on your website to the Dorset Life article. I read it yesterday, and here it is mentioned today. It was and is a very good read!

Please tell us the story behind yours and Lyn’s gardens, including the charity funds that you raise by selling your propagated plant stock. How are those monies spent?

- Toby

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Toby

Thank you for welcoming us back.

Yes Brugmansia  or Angels Trumpets used to be classified under Datura.
I did see yesterday 'someone' from Seattle had visited our website, and had been looking at our Brugmansia pages, but of course I didn't know it was you.

I think in America they grow the Brugmansias in Dustbins.

I don't think we have ever got together the story of how we first started out being interested in gardening, but indeed it was my parents that started me off.
Thinking about it all, we will have to get something down in writing, describing how it came about, for both of us. And of course how we both met when I was around 40 years old. (I am 63 Now).

So we will get something typed out, and get it on to our website. I am always trying to think of something to add to the site. It will be a little while before we get it on.

I know when I read the Dorset Life article, the description made it feel you were actually there in the garden.
I wish I could write like that.

Regarding where the money we raise goes, well we open under the National Garden Scheme.
When we are open we are insured by them, as you well know you can't leave yourself open these days for someone to sue you because they had tripped over a step etc
All the Entrance fee to the garden, and a  percentage of the Tea / Cake and Plant Sales money is given to the National Garden Scheme.
They obviously have overheads to run the scheme, and they decide on which charities will be supported.
I think it was around two million pounds they gave to the charities last year,

Here are a couple of links to the National Garden Scheme

Where the money goes  http://www.ngs.org.uk/about-us/beneficiaries.aspx

The History of the National Garden Scheme http://www.ngs.org.uk/about-us/our-history.aspx

Malcolm

[Eric Hardy]

For reasons I have explained elsewhere I have only just seen this posting. How wonderful to have such an excellent unsolicited article written about your amazing garden. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and many congratulations Lyn and Malcolm.