Give a plant Appeal

For For the first time in 12 years the garden at the Sussex Beacon will not be opening it's landscaped gardens for the Garden Gadabout.

"The gardens here at The Beacon were designed and originally planted by Nick Wride in the early 1990's" said Kat Williams, General Manager "and since then we have looked after them, but never really taken on any replanting."

So this year, 2008, The Sussex Beacon has started to replant and replace some of the plants. On it's 15th Anniversary Tea Party in June, a memorial shrub was donated and planted, we want to appeal for more plants.

Visitors to the The Sussex Beacon are in awe of the view the building commands over the South Downs, and the 'front' garden is mostly laid to shrubs, hedging and bulb planting with a wild planting area under the shade of trees in the lower car park. The 'back' garden is used all the time by the clients and their friends and families - and it has a feeling of how a back garden at home would feel, lived in and loved, if not perfect!"

The layout of the gardens have stood the test of time, but what we really need are plants to replace some that have died, or have passed their sell by date. The setting and conditions for the plants can be challenging to say the least. Despite the surrounding Leylandi the gardens are exposed and windswept. The soil is is thinly spread over pure chalk, which means only lime-loving plants will thrive.

The list of plants we recommend are :

• Euphorbia
• Crocosmia
• Hellebore
• Acanthus
• Cordyline
• Hardy Fuchsias
• Choisya Ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom)
• Slow growing Conifers
• Abutilon Megapotanicum
• Datura

but if you have something that is more unusual, but could cope with these conditions, that would be fantastic.

Alternatively we have set up a wish list at www.crocus.co.uk where you can quickly and eaasily buy some of the plants we need. Just click on the button below to go there.

We would like to organise a self supporting team of gardening volunteers, to help replant and look after the gardens. This would involve getting down on your hands and knees and getting dirty, but, we would support you with grateful thanks and very opportune cups of tea/coffee and biscuits. To keep the gardens looking good over the next few years, our gardening volunteers might want to do a bit of fundraising to keep the plants looking great all year round, but especially for our open days in the Garden Gadabout.