Walks, Sports and Country Pursuits

Are you looking for ideas and inspiration for your own garden? Whether you have just moved to a new house and need to tackle the garden or just feel your garden could do with some additional features, then visiting other gardens is often a good way to get ideas.

We will visit a new selection of private gardens around the Marlborough area meeting the owners and gardeners and learning from their successes and failures.

Even if you aren't planning a project in your own garden you can enjoy spending the mornings in the company of fellow gardeners and garden lovers in the gardens I have chosen that range from a well established country garden to a newly created garden planted in a modern and exciting style.

The soil in the Vale of Pewsey is a fertile greensand, although it does dry out in a hot summer. The soil on the chalk downland is more challenging for gardeners, being thin stoney clay over the very free draining chalk. We will find out how the gardeners cope with these challenges and many more.

As usual, we hope for good weather during the course, but come prepared for all eventualities as we visit the gardens come rain or shine. In some of the gardens there may be steep or slippery paths and steps and wilder areas, so please come with good footwear.

There will be time to sit and enjoy the gardens, chat, take notes and photographs and discuss your own garden ideas and problems.

I hope you can join me this summer.

Patricia Rowell

BSc MPhil

About Patricia

Patricia was born and brought up in Canterbury by parents who were keen gardeners. One of her first gardening memories is driving off with her mother in her original mini in search of plants recommended by Percy Thrower on the early days of 'Gardener's World'!

After studying Agricultural Botany at Reading University she then worked on a research degree in Plant Pathology at London University's Wye College.

This led to research jobs on various horticultural crops, from lettuce to beans including a few years in Canada trying to control blight on onions.

Patricia married a fellow plant pathologist and they returned to England and settled in Wiltshire where she ran a business growing and selling dried flowers while she renovated their derelict cottage and garden and had three children. She was fortunate to get offered the job of gardening correspondent for the local paper, this opened lots of doors including looking after the Master's garden at the College for 14 years and teaching at Wiltshire Adult Education College.

Patricia now enjoys running a garden design and advice business as well as teaching at Summer School and organising her own courses and workshops on gardening subjects.