S MAGAZINE ★ 28 JULY 2019 51
Reader of fers
Switch on to bulbs
RHS award-winning Tulip
Apricot Beauty produces
unusual, light flowers that
are ideal for floral displays.
The long-lasting, apricot-rose-
coloured tulips burst into
dramatic blossom in April. Buy
10 11-12cm (4½in) premium
bulbs for £8.99 or order 20 for
£17.98 and get 10 free. All
prices include p&p. Order online
at shop.express.co.uk/
EXP499, call 0871 664 1469,
or send a cheque, made payable
to Express Newspapers, to
Express Offer EXP499, 14
Hadfield Street, Old Trafford,
Manchester M16 9FG. Delivery
is within 28 days.Liquid asset
The Mighty Dripper gives all the
benefits of drip watering but
without the need for a mains
supply. It comes with a large
water bag, five metres of
irrigation tube that can be cut
to size and six adjustable
drippers. The water moistens
only the soil to reduce the risk
of insect and fungal problems.
To order one for £12.99, or two
for £19.99, plus £3.95 UK
mainland p&p
(£5.95,
Northern
Ireland), call
0871 664
2451 and
quote 94327.
Calls cost
12p per
minute plus
your network
access
charge.WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUBSTITUTE ANY VARIETIES FOR OTHERS OF EQUAL OR GREATER VALUEGARdENING
The coast also has stunning
garden visits to offer – the West
Country has masses of them. The
tiny terraced gardens tucked into
steep slopes round the castle at
St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall are
spectacular, as are the views and
the walk out to the island over the
causeway at low tide. Heligan,
near St Austell, is known for its
magnificent Victorian kitchen
garden complete with a bothy,
where apprentices used to live,
and its range of old greenhouses,
including a pineapple forcing pit.
Tresco Abbey is stunning, too. It
means making a special trip to the
Isles of Scilly, but there is so
much to see, you’ll need to spend
a full day there. In devon, Paignton
Zoo’s wildlife and botanical
gardens offer plenty for all the
family, while inland there are
masses of National Trust gardens
that deserve a visit.
If you are visiting Wales, head
to Portmeirion, the picturesque
Italianate garden village arranged
on a slope round a small harbour.
In East Sussex, Brighton’s RoyalPavilion has a rare surviving
Regency garden, created for
George IV, which is a revelation.
The private squares in the town
are also worth investigating. One
such square was the inspiration
for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s
Adventures In Wonderland – there’s
even a tunnel burrowing out on to
the beach. All very white rabbit.
Visitors to East Anglia can
combine gardens with wildlife
at Pensthorpe, near Fakenham,
and Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens,
Great Yarmouth. There’s also
Holkham Hall at Wells-next-the-
Sea, where you’ll find six acres
of nursery gardens packed full of
perennials and flowers.
But don’t go garden visiting only
on the days you feel like a change
from the beach. You’ll go past lots
of must-visits on your travels to
and from your destination, so
why not make a little detour to
one or two you would never have
seen otherwise?
It all adds to the general holiday
experience and gives better value
for money from your tankful.Ocean’s heaven
Making the most of
a trip to the seaside
Torquay’s
Abbey Park● Stock the car with reference
books. A good garden-visiting
guide, The Yellow Book, which
lists thousands of small private
gardens that only open
occasionally, and the RHS Plant
Finder for looking up nurseries
to visit. If you belong to the
National Trust, take the current
members’ handbook. These
are all handy for details of
location, facilities and opening
times. Much of the information
is also available online.
● Be sure to take your
membership cards for the
National Trust and/or the RHS,
since they will give you free
admission to their gardens.
● When garden visiting, buy
the guide book. Besides
showing you the best routes
round all you want to see, it will
also give a wealth of history,
plant names and other useful
information that enhances your
visit and acts as a reminder on
your return home.
● If you think you are likely
to buy plants, pack some
plastic bags, cardboard boxes,
old newspapers and a bottle
of water to help them survive
a long trip in the boot of a
hot car.Britain has an abundance of beautiful coastal gardens to explore, says Alan
Brighton’s RoyalGETTY IMAGES Pavilion garden●S