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BLOOMING MARVELLOUS – SPRINGTIME ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

With the arrival of spring, thoughts turn to days out and weekends away. And for garden lovers, the Isle of Wight has a blooming marvellous selection of flora and fauna to tempt you out of hibernation. 

Spring is seen as a time of growth and renewal, and this is particularly noticeable on the Isle of Wight when you can see woodland floors carpeted in Bluebells, creamy-coloured Primroses poking out beneath hedgerows and beloved of the English poet, William Wordsworth, a ‘host of golden daffodils’.  

The Island has several gardens which are open to the public on a regular or commercial basis.  These include the English Heritage gardens at Carisbrooke Castle, the National Trust gardens at Mottistone Manor as well as the council-run, botanic gardens at Ventnor and the clifftop gardens at Shanklin with their tea rooms and bandstand.  

As winter turns to spring, there are also lots of great gardening events on the Isle of Wight for green-fingered visitors to enjoy.  During the two-week walking festival in May, you can choose from dozens of garden and woodland walks in the company of like-minded people, such at Spring at Osborne, a gentle stroll through the pleasure grounds and walled garden, highlighting the stunning spring bedding on the terraces.  Details of this as well as more garden walks can be found at www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk

With gold medal-winning mainland plant nurseries that you would normally see at Chelsea, local food, art and loads of arena events, the Spring Garden Show at Robin Hill Country Park (24/25 April) is one of the Island’s best gardening events of the year.   Great for garden enthusiasts and all the family too, watch the hilarious ‘It’s a knock-out’ competition as well as the incredible skills of the UK’s best chainsaw sculpture artists in the Isle of Wight Carve-off!  

See the gardens at their very best and visit during the Gardens in Bloom Fortnight (10 to 21 May) when the woodland gardens are bursting into colour. Beautiful Rhododendrons blaze the woodlands in dazzling pink, set against the fresh new green leaves of the springtime trees.  Chat with the gardeners as they work and discover one of the Island’s best kept secrets!  See www.robin-hill.com for full details.  

Surrounding an attractive Elizabethan manor house, Mottistone Manor Garden in the quintessential English village of the same name, is full of surprises.  Set in a sheltered valley, this garden is experimenting with a Mediterranean-style planting scheme to take advantage of its southerly location.  Other surprises include a young olive grove, a small organic kitchen garden and a traditional tea garden where visitors can relax.  Browse the National Trust gift shop and take home a plant you have admired from the plant stall. There are also delightful walks across the adjoining Mottistone Estate, plus a children’s quiz trail.  

On Sunday 21 March, the National Trust is giving free entry to Mottistone Manor Garden as well their other Isle of Wight properties:  Bembridge Windmill, Needles Old Battery and Newtown Old Town Hall (note some are also open free on Saturday 20 March).  Telephone 01983 741302, or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk for details.  

For an international vibe, visit Ventnor Botanic Garden which is one of Britain’s youngest gardens and has areas of planting from all over the world.  Evening primroses, rock roses, palms and echiums grow in shallow soil on bare stone that mimics the harsh landscape of the Mediterranean. 

In the Americas Garden, a totem pole stands among cosmos, bamboo and salvias.  The New Zealand Garden is a sunlit glade, with senecious, palms and phormiums.  At the garden’s edge there are clifftop walks.  Open daily from March, entrance to Ventnor Botanic is free (admission to greenhouse £1).  Tel. 01983 855397 or visit www.botanic.co.uk.

The Princess Beatrice Garden at Carisbrooke Castle has been designed by award-winning garden designer, Chris Beardshaw, who has created an Edwardian-style garden at the castle.  The new garden celebrates the time when Queen Victoria’s daughter stayed at Carisbrooke Castle in her role as Governor of the Isle of Wight – a position she held from 1896 until her death in 1944.  This is a modern interpretation of a stylish Edwardian garden based on the layout of the Princess’s original private garden at the castle and includes period plants, fruit trees and a fountain.   

Many privately-owned Island gardens open their gates as part of the National Garden Scheme. These include Haddon Garden in St Lawrence, a newly restored Victorian garden dating from 1820, and Northcourt in Shorwell, a 15-acre garden surrounding an imposing 17^th Century manor house, including a walled kitchen garden, chalk stream, terraces, magnolias and camellias. For opening dates and times visit www.ngs.org.uk.

For details on how to get to the Isle of Wight, where to stay and what to see and do,  visit www.islandbreaks.co.uk or telephone 01983 813813.