National Garden Scheme Open gardens weekend- Herstmonceux Parish Trail

We are still counting the pennies, along with Cowbeech House and The Allotments at Stunts Green. Final figure tbc. More photos to follow. Big thank you to everyone who came, and took part. Joseph Ford and Matthew Pottage (RHS), Hector the shire horse, Warbleton Brass Band, Graham with his gramophone & Trevor with his Rustic furniture!

Warbleton Brass Band

Warbleton Brass Band

Dutch Trolly Pimms bar

Graham & his gramophone

Hector the Shire Horse

Joseph Ford the orchid expert

Vicky & Matthew Pottage from the RHS (conifer expert)

Pimms o'clock

Wills the BBQ pro

‘Conifer Crusader’ Pinus Montezuma Sheffield Park

There stands at Sheffield Park Gardens in East Sussex a 100 year old specimen of Pinus Montezuma Sheffield Park, with a trunk girth of at least 80 cm and height of 15m. 

 Pinus Montezuma Sheffield Park

Back in the 1990s this magnificent conifer was an unexpected source of concern for the National Trust (owners of the gardens), because it was the very last of its kind left on the planet. Like panicked zoo keepers trying to entice reproductively incompetent giant pandas, the horticulture team were struggling to create propagation through seed or grafting. Following several failed attempts they contacted Lime Cross Nursery. Co-founder of the nursery, Jonathan Tate,  who had years of conifer grafting experience, was determined to safeguard this variety’s future. Sure enough through precision, intuition and experimental rootstock selection the problem was cracked. 

Jonathan Tate grafting

Pinus Montezuma Sheffield Park- taken by Marie Stone

Today Lime Cross Nursery are now the proud producers and suppliers of this beautiful specimen, which is almost exclusively available through them. 

Pinus Montezuma Sheffield Park at Lime Cross Nursery

This is written with a heavy heart, as Jonathan Tate sadly passed away just over three months ago, following a 7 year battle with cancer. His natural empathy for plants was unquestionable, and his knowledge was so extensive that potentially we won’t ever be able to appreciate its depth. 

Jonathan Tate watering newly grafted conifers

We live in a world that sometimes feels ubiquitously contaminated with meaninglessness, such as the loss of young life to disease. These paradoxes of human existence leave us feeling perplexed and hollow. The nursery is an explosion of life; colour, scents, and texture, which is mostly due to Jonathan who spent his life cultivating and creating. This, along with this resuscitation of a species to some extent cushions the blow of our loss here at Lime Cross Nursery.

National Garden Scheme Herstmonceux Parish Trail- dates & times

Lime Cross Nursery joins the NGS ‘HERSTMONCEUX PARISH TRAIL’ Saturday 21st-Sunday 22nd June 10-5

 

The trail includes: ‘Lime Cross Nursery’, ‘The Allotments at Stunts Green’, and ‘Cowbeech House- in Cowbeech. REF no.64 in the yellow book. You can join the trail at any of the destinations - combined adm £4.00. Follow the link to read more about what the NGS do http://www.ngs.org.uk/what-we-do/who-we-support.aspx

This is is a Celebration and Commemoration for Lime Cross Nursery- a glorious weekend in honour of Jonathan Tate and in aid of the charities that the NGS support. The lakes, Two Acres, the woods, the Pinetum and the growing area will all be open.

 

Lime Cross Nursery Sponsor Shire Horse Racing

Last years race

We are excited to announce that we are sponsoring a shire horse race at Lingfield Park on the 28th June.
As proud sponsors we will back our own horse and rider who will be adorned with the Lime Cross Nursery colours. Follow the link to book a ticket.
This race proves the versatility of these sometimes overlooked magnificent horses, who can travel at a surprising pace. Despite their size they make wonderful hacking horses, and can even be used for dressage. They are also extremely intelligent and affectionate, real gentle giants.
Our friends at Hurst Green Shires will be providing most of the horses for the race. Visit their website to find out more about Shire Horses, and their vision for the horses future.  Look out for Hector from Hurst Green Shires at our NGS Open Gardens Weekend on the 22nd June. 

Lime Cross Nursery in Magnet Magazine

Click photo to view article on the Magnet website.