Latest News

BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time (GQT) Summer Garden Party: Saturday, 7th September 2013

Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Keen green-fingered followers of the BBC Radio 4 programme - Gardeners' Question Time (GQT) - will this afternoon discover that following the outstanding success of last year's event, the BBC has decided to once again stage the annual Gardeners' Question Time Summer Garden Party at Ness Botanic Gardens in south Wirral on Saturday 7^th September 2013 from 10am until 6pm.

Last year's party was Radio 4's biggest outdoor audience event and brought 2,000 guests flocking to our Gardens in radiant sunshine and leaving with big smiles on their faces. One of the many happy visitors said: "What a brilliant day it was! So much going on - all the GQT team were brilliant but so also were the Ness staff. And didn't the gardens look good!"

Kevin Reid, Director of Ness Botanic Gardens says: "It's great news that the BBC wish to return and we welcome them wholeheartedly. Last year's GQT event at Ness was a real coup for the North West and we were delighted as were the BBC at the response of garden enthusiasts and the public to attend. We hope that everyone will return to enjoy a fabulous day out and we'll try to make the 2013 event bigger and even better than before!"

The GQT team includes a great line up including Eric Robson, Peter Gibbs, Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood, Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson, Christine Walkden, Matthew Biggs, Anne Swithinbank, Carol Baxter and James Wong. As well as the recorded shows for the programme (broadcast later in September), you can expect gardening demonstrations and personal advice on your plants and gardening dilemmas from those BBC gardening presenters so familiar by voice on the radio.

Howard Shannon, Producer of GQTfor the BBC looks forward to this year's event: "I was very happy with the result last year and producing the garden party with Ness Botanic Gardens could not have gone any better. The team assembled did an outstanding job, not only taking on board our initial back-of-a-cigarette-packet idea but then seeing them through to eventual realisation."

On the day you will also be able to take tours on topical aspects of the Gardens and find out more green-fingered advice from the Ness team as well as enjoy a specialist plant hunters' fair. Other treats include cookery demonstrations by Claire Lara, BBC Masterchef 2010 winner and head chef at The RiverHill in Oxton, who returns for a second year and also a few surprises to be announced soon.

Tickets are priced at £8.50 each (no concessions) and are available from early June via the Ness Botanic Gardens website (www.nessgardens.org.uk) so keep watching to find out the latest news on content for this year's event and to
make sure you secure your tickets early!

Young Horticulturalist of the Year 2013

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Jez Stamp, currently working with the BBC Gardeners' World production team, has won the much sought after and nationally acclaimed Institute of Horticulture 2013 Young Horticulturist of the Year competition (YHoY)
at the Grand Final, held at the Liverpool University Ness Botanic Gardens on Saturday 13 April. He wins the £2000 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary, provided by the Shropshire Horticultural Society.

After the competition, Jez said 'It was an excellent competition that highlights all the exciting opportunities that horticulture has to offer as a career. Plants are my passion. I have thrown myself in 100% and am proud to have won this competition. My travel bursary will give me a chance to continue my studies of woody plants and I will be looking at Western China and Taiwan as possible locations.'

The contestants from the Institute's eight branches battled it out in front of an audience of 100 supporters from across the industry, including the national competition sponsors; Bryony Cooper representing the Shropshire Horticultural Society, Peter Hunt from MorePeople and Ruth Ashfield from the Horticultural Development Company. All contestants won cash prizes, a year's free membership of the Institute of Horticulture and a copy of a new book entitled: The Genus Betula, a Taxonomic Revision of Birches by Kenneth Ashburner & Hugh A McAllister.

The competition, now in its 24th year, has seen nearly 2000 students from across Britain and Ireland taking part in local heats and regional finals over recent months. For the lucky eight contestants it was a hard slog to reach the Grand Final, having answered 45 questions in the heats, as well as upwards of 40 questions across every aspect of horticulture in their regional finals. They also had to cope with tough equipment, plant and pest and disease identification rounds to secure their places in Saturday's Grand Final.

Leigh Morris FI Hort, President, Institute of Horticulture said "The Young Horticulturist of the Year competition (YHoY) is, in my view, one of the most important things the Institute of Horticulture (IoH) does. I've been involved with YHoY since the late 1980's as a competitor, finalist, heat organizer, Quiz Master and now as President supporting the event and smiling in the presentation photos! It was wonderful for me to be at the Grand Final to support and encourage these young horticulturists and huge thanks from the Institute go to all our sponsors, both regional and national. As I said to Jez at the end of the Grand Final "with a £2000 travel bursary, the world is definitely his oyster" and I am certain he'll be a fantastic ambassador for the YHoY competition and the IoH. Well done Jez!"

The finalists, from across the eight Institute of Horticulture branches were:

1^st place - Jez Stamp - BBC Gardeners World, representing the South East Branch;

2^nd place - Chris Parsons - Gardener, Manfield, County Durham, representing the Northern Branch;

3^rd place - Lucy Baker - Wyken Hall, Suffolk, representing the Eastern Branch;

4^th place - Mark Flahive - Self-employed landscaper, representing the Ireland Branch;

5^th place - Sara Perzley - Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, representing the Scotland Branch;

6^th place - Matthew Hussey - Sparsholt College, representing the South West Branch;

7^th place - Owen Groves - Pershore College representing the West Midlands and South Wales Branch;

8^th place - Alex Tranmer - National Trust, representing the North West and North Wales Branch

Last year's winner, Douglas Mackay, is due to take up his £2000 Travel Bursary later this year. On his return he will produce a report about his trip which will be published in a future volume of the Institute's quarterly Journal, The Horticulturist.

Anyone interested in taking part in, or sponsoring, the 2014 competition should contact the Institute of Horticulture
Tel: 01992 707025 or Email: ioh@horticulture.org.uk

BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time (GQT) Summer Garden Party to Return

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Following the outstanding success of last year's event, the BBC has decided to once again stage the annual Gardeners' Question Time Summer GardenParty at Ness Gardens.

Expect demonstrations and personal advice on your plants and gardening dilemmas will be given by the BBC's pick of
their gardening presenter crop. Last year's event brought 2,000 guests to our Gardens so we hope that everyone will return and perhaps bring a friend along who may have missed out last year. It was the biggest audience attended event that BBC Radio 4 put on last year - anywhere in the UK.

As usual the shows will be recorded to be broadcast later in the month.

Kevin Reid, Director of Ness Gardens says "It's great news that the BBC wish to return and we welcome them wholeheartedly. Last year's GQT event at Ness was a real coup for the North West and we were delighted as were the BBC at the response of garden enthusiasts and the public to attend. We'll try to make the 2013 event bigger and even better than before!"

We are busy gathering the programme together but as soon as we have any news on content and presenters we will let you know here first so keep checking the website for details.

March Newsletter

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The March newsletter is available now.

For a pdf click here

February 2013 Newsletter

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The February newsletter is hot off the actual and virtual presses.

click here for a pdf version.

Free Snowdrop Walks

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Our feature plants for February are the fine collection of snowdrops contained within the Gardens, and to highlight these there are free* guided snowdrop walks on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 February from 10am-12 noon.

see our February Plants of Interest

and Whats On listing

*usual admission fee to gardens applies (Friends free)

New Years Day Plant Hunter Competition

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

See how many plants you can spot in flower at Ness Gardens. The mild weather has pushed the first snowdrops to flower but there are lots more winter flowering plants to find.

Facebook and Twitter (1)

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

and don't forget to 'like' us!

November Newsletter

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Ness Gardens November Newsletter is available to download here

To be emailed the monthly newsletter please fill in the details for our email club at the bottom of the page.

Pippa Greenwood Blog on Gardeners' Question Time

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

As one of the excellent BBC Radio 4 Gardener's Question Time panelists/experts Pippa Greenwood brought her invaluable knowledge to Ness Gardens for the Annual Summer Garden Party and has blogged her thoughts on the day here:

http://www.gardenersworld.com/blogs/gardeners-musings/pests-and-diseases-aplenty/3526.html

PRESS RELEASE: BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The sun shone, the crowds arrived - 2,000 in total - and for the first time ever in the North West, a great Summer Garden Party took place at Ness Gardens in South Wirral on Saturday. It was the biggest audience attended
event that BBC Radio 4 have put on so far this year - anywhere in the UK.

BBC Radio 4 gardening experts including Eric Robson, Peter Gibbs, Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood, Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson, Matthew Biggs, Anne Swithinbank, Paul Peacock, Christine Walkden and latest recruit Alison Pringle, took up residence in the Gardens for just one day, offering wise gardening advice on all sorts of subjects. Bunny was asked in one of the more intimate drop in sessions about soil retention and how best to bolster steep hill sides with planting. Bob Flowerdew gave forth about how to perfect your composting techniques to an enraptured audience. The resulting Radio 4 show recordings - a Ness Gardens show and the Summer Garden Party show will be broadcast during the next two weekends in September (14^th /16^th and 21^st /23^rd).

Kevin Reid, Director of Ness Gardens commented "The GQT event at Ness was a real coup for the North West and we were delighted as were the BBC at the response of garden enthusiasts and the public to attend. We have been overwhelmed by the amount of very positive comments given to staff and posted online via Facebook, Twitter and Tripadvisor and are already looking into the possibility of a garden festival style event for 2013!"

Some of the Ness Gardens team gave knowledgeable talks and demonstrations on a multitude of gardening topics such as container gardening and propagation techniques and a range of tours were conducted by a group of Ness volunteer guides to complement the day's programme of events.

BBC Masterchef 2010 winner Claire Lara, also head chef at The RiverHill in Oxton, Wirral gave the audience a taste of her culinary expertise and said of the event: "It was a pleasure to be at Ness on Saturday and was such an interesting day, especially meeting the gardeners and seeing the quality of their produce. I was amazed at how many people in the audience grow their own fruit and veg too." Local ice cream retailer - Nicholls - created special flavours just for us using ingredients such as white currants and lavender picked fresh from the Gardens which sold out very quickly!

Pippa Probert of Outer Spaces who designed this year's Silver Gilt winner at RHS Tatton Show 'A Taste of Ness', to celebrate the Friends of Ness Gardens' 50^th anniversary, showed visitors round its gorgeous larger sister garden 'Making Waves' based at the Gardens.

Other activities included bee-keeping tips, looking after chickens, creative floristry from Reaseheath College, learning about the local wildlife from Cheshire Wildlife Trust and having a go at botanical art. Anyone interested in horticultural, botanical art, floristry and other related courses at Ness Gardens starting in September can go to our website at www.nessgardens.org.uk or call 0845 030 4063 (local rate charges apply) for details.

We promised something for everyone and we delivered with a little help from the BBC and Radio 4!

Visitor Centre now a Wi-Fi Hot Spot

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Ness Gardens Visitor Centre is now a Wi-Fi hot spot.

Phase one is complete and all areas within the Visitor Centre are covered, phase two covering areas outside the visitor centre should be complete soon.

To use the Wi-Fi you will need to request a user name and password from the reception desk.

Dr Hugh McAllister awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Dr Hugh McAllister has been awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for "outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture".

Hugh was the Gardens resident botanist from 1972 to 1997 and continued to work at Ness until his retirement in 2010. He is responsible for the seed lists used by many botanic gardens and he is also a leading authority on Sorbus trees, a subject on which he has literally written the book!

Congratulations Hugh.

"Taste of Ness" wins Silver Gilt at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

We are delighted to announce the "Taste of Ness" garden created for the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2012 by Pip Probert has been awarded a 'Silver Gilt'.

The "Taste of Ness", and its much larger companion garden 'Making Waves' which can been seen at Ness Gardens, have been created to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Friends of Ness Gardens.

Both gardens employ changes in level, water, local sandstone and lush planting.

Gardeners' Question Time At Ness Gardens

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Ness Gardens Press Release

BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Garden Party 10am - 6pm Saturday, 8^th September 2012

Ness Botanic Gardens is delightedto announce that we will be hosting the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time annual Summer Garden Party in September which is a fabulous opportunity for us to showcase the delights of the Gardens.

Ness Gardens will be the first ever BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Garden Party hosted in the North West and a wide ranging audience from across the region is expected to attend.

This year's bumper crop of celebrity TV and radio gardener presenters includes: Eric Robson, Peter Gibbs, Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood, Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson, Matthew Biggs, Anne Swithinbank and Christine Walkden.

A selection of these well-known gardeners will be delivering a series of gardening demonstrations and drop-in clinics around the Gardens to the audience at Ness on the day. So if you are one of those keen home gardeners who fancy meeting some of these experts up close, this is your big chance!

Two recording sessions for the popular show will take place where the audience will be able to ask their questions and get some sound gardening solutions and advice from the panel of expert gardeners. The resulting two programmes will be broadcast on 14^th and 21^st September (repeated Sunday 16^th and Sunday 23^rd September) so the audience may be able to hear themselves on the radio!

Kevin Reid, Director of Ness Gardens comments, 'We are delighted to be able to showcase Ness Gardens in all its glory this September and I would urge garden enthusiasts from across the North West to come along for what will be a very special event. Apart from the splendid turnout of experts, we are planning our own home-grown activities including a variety of interesting Garden tours and demonstrations which will provide a fantastic and memorable show for everyone.'

The request to host the programme was originally put together in recognition of the support of the 200 or so volunteer team who over the years, come rain or shine, are so generous with their time and energy. These volunteers have supplemented the work of Ness staff to help build the Garden into what it is today whether working in horticulture, botany or other support functions. The timing also coincides with the celebrations of the 50^th anniversary of the Friends of Ness Gardens taking place this year and is one of many events this year put on for the public to enjoy.

Tickets priced at£6.50 (no concessions) may be purchased online, by phone and at the Visitor Centre desk at the Gardens from 20^th July so don't delay as there is limited availability! For more details please visit our brand new website at www.nessgardens.org.uk or call 0845 030 4063 (local rate charges apply).

Contact details: Ness Gardens, Ness, Neston, South Wirral CH64 4AY Tel: 0845 0304063 Facebook: Ness Botanic Gardens Twitter: @Ness_Gardens

Notes to editors

Photos of presenters from Gardeners' Question Time are attached with this release
Photos of Ness Botanic gardens are available on request from Ness Gardens

About the Gardens

The Gardens were created in 1898 by Arthur Kilpin Bulley, a wealthy cotton broker from Liverpool. Passionate about plants, he funded various plant hunting expeditions to the Far East for hunters such as George Forrest whose huge Pieris formosa 'Forrestii' from China, can still be seen today. Bulley created a garden of the unusual and the rare and shared it freely with his village neighbours. He also established the renowned Bees Seeds company.

The Gardens were donated to the University of Liverpool in 1948 by Bulley's daughter. They now attract 100,000 visitors a year; there are in excess of 7,000 Friends of Ness Gardens who have provided financial support for fifty years and more than 200 volunteers work across the Gardens.

Sunday Fundays for 2012

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Sunday Fundays for all the family

To celebrate our 50th anniversary, the Friends are planning a series of fun family focused events throughout the summer period. These Sunday Fundays will take place between 11am and 3pm every Sunday between 10^th June and 26^th August this year and are open to everyone (within normal admission prices) although as Friends, you will obviously be able to enjoy the events for free! We hope that there will always be something new to try out so come along and give it a go! See the events calendar for more details.

(Suitable for primary school aged children. Events will take place in the Gardens or the Bulley Room if wet)

Rhododendron Society

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Rhododendron Society at Ness 14th and 15th April

The North West and N. Wales Branch of the R.H.S. Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia Group 14th Annual Show met over the weekend to celebrate its 14th Anniversary.

Perfume filled the Bulley tearoom where the beautiful blooms where on display. Photos kindly supplied by Gill Lewis.

Tim Baxter and visitors admiring the spectacular Camellia display.

Beautiful prize winning blooms - Ness Gardens exhibited and won prizes in 8 categories.

'Best in Bloom' - Rhododendrons from Jean Hannon's garden

John Brown winner at Wirral Tourism Awards 2012

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Ness Gardens plant expert John Brown has won the Outstanding Performance in Customer Care for 2012 at the Wirral Tourism Awards.

The always helpful and knowledgable plantsman has made the plant sales area the success it is today and his tireless enthusiasm for our customers has guaranteed repeat visits.

If you have a question or a problem with plants John is your man (and if he doesn't know the answer he will find it out for you).

John now goes on to the North West Tourism awards 2012.

Congratulations John!

Chickens on the move

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Our chickens have moved home (slightly) from the Potting Sheds to the Potager.

So if you are looking for our feathered friends don't panic - they aren't on the Menu at Roses Tea Rooms - they are safe and sound in a new, larger home opposite the Potager vegetable garden.

Website Launch

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The new Ness Gardens website is here, and you are looking at it right now!

Find out all the latest news and events, browse the gift shop, see what is blooming in the Gardens and much more.

If you are a member of the friends of Ness Gardens there is a special section just for you (if you are not a member use the website to sign up and get access to the Gardens all year round as well as the many other benefits that come with membership).

Latest News

BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time (GQT) Summer Garden Party: Saturday, 7th September 2013

Young Horticulturalist of the Year 2013

BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time (GQT) Summer Garden Party to Return

March Newsletter

February 2013 Newsletter

Free Snowdrop Walks

New Years Day Plant Hunter Competition

Facebook and Twitter (1)

November Newsletter

Pippa Greenwood Blog on Gardeners' Question Time

PRESS RELEASE: BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Party

Visitor Centre now a Wi-Fi Hot Spot

Dr Hugh McAllister awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal

"Taste of Ness" wins Silver Gilt at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Gardeners' Question Time At Ness Gardens

Ness Gardens Press Release

BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Garden Party 10am - 6pm Saturday, 8th September 2012

Ness Botanic Gardens is delightedto announce that we will be hosting the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time annual Summer Garden Party in September which is a fabulous opportunity for us to showcase the delights of the Gardens.

Ness Gardens will be the first ever BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Garden Party hosted in the North West and a wide ranging audience from across the region is expected to attend.

This year's bumper crop of celebrity TV and radio gardener presenters includes: Eric Robson, Peter Gibbs, Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood, Bunny Guinness, Matthew Wilson, Matthew Biggs, Anne Swithinbank and Christine Walkden.

A selection of these well-known gardeners will be delivering a series of gardening demonstrations and drop-in clinics around the Gardens to the audience at Ness on the day. So if you are one of those keen home gardeners who fancy meeting some of these experts up close, this is your big chance!

Contact details: Ness Gardens, Ness, Neston, South Wirral CH64 4AY Tel: 0845 0304063 Facebook: Ness Botanic Gardens Twitter: @Ness_Gardens

Notes to editors

Photos of presenters from Gardeners' Question Time are attached with this release

Photos of Ness Botanic gardens are available on request from Ness Gardens

About the Gardens

The Gardens were donated to the University of Liverpool in 1948 by Bulley's daughter. They now attract 100,000 visitors a year; there are in excess of 7,000 Friends of Ness Gardens who have provided financial support for fifty years and more than 200 volunteers work across the Gardens.

Sunday Fundays for 2012

Rhododendron Society

The Rhododendron Society at Ness 14th and 15th April

John Brown winner at Wirral Tourism Awards 2012

Chickens on the move

Website Launch

BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time Summer Garden Party 10am - 6pm Saturday, 8^th September 2012