Quenington Rare Plants Fair in April

This Grade II listed Old Rectory with its organic garden has been developed over the past 40 years and is in a very tranquil setting on the banks of a mill race, with the River Coln running through the gardens.

The wooden bridge that spans the river encapsulates the quirky spirit of fun, creativity and history that comes together at Quenington. The history of the site probably stretches back to the 12th century.

Esme Bradburne, a former head gardener, who read Agriculture at Oxford, was one of the original founder members of the Soil Association. The garden is still run completely on organic lines and Esme’s work was seminal in creating much of the planting seen today.

Although the present layout goes back to 1928 when the Old Rectory was bought from the church.

There are herbaceous borders, mature trees, pool and bog gardens, as well as the large vegetable garden.

The garden contains a permanent sculpture display. It is also the site of the biennial Fresh Air Sculpture show.

Rare Plant Fairs are now an established and popular feature of the horticultural calendar. The event will be attended by specialist nurseries from across the country.

The nurseries are carefully selected to ensure that they are all genuine growers who know and understand the plants that they offer, and a wide range of interesting and unusual plants will be available for you to buy, along with all the advice that you need to ensure that they thrive in your garden.

•  Rare Plant Fair at The Old Rectory, Quenington, on Sunday, April 10 from 11am to 4pm. Adult entry, which includes entry to both the fair and garden costs £5. Homemade soups and refreshments are available.
• A proportion of the proceeds will be donated to Cobalt, which provides advanced diagnostic facilities for those with cancer and other life threatening illnesses.
• Full details, including a list of the nurseries attending the event, can be found at rareplantfair.co.uk