Yesterday I spent a delightful day at Cottesbrooke Plant Finders Fair with Veg Plotting. The Fair is in its third year and was one of the best kept secrets of the plant world, although this year with the Telegraph’s sponsorship its existence is well and truely out there with visitor numbers estimated to be up four times on last year. Not only is it sponsored by the Telegraph but also by Gardens Illustrated who sponsored it last year, although as the editor, Juliet Roberts, said they were really preaching to the converted!
Why is Cottesbrooke Plant Finders Fair so good? Well in my opinion there are a number of factors which contribute to this. Firstly the setting. Cottesbrooke Hall is a superb stately home originally built in the early 18th century. It sits in the normal landscaped parkland that you associate with these sorts of houses but around the house there are a series of rooms including the terrace border (below) which has been redesigned by James Alexander-Sinclair and the herb and Dutch gardens designed by Arne Maynard. These are gardens that attract visitors throughout the summer.
Then there are the nurseries. In many cases these are nurseries that you won’t encounter at events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show or RHS Hampton Court. These are small nurseries run by real plantsmen. Amongst the ones we loitered a lot at were Special Plants, Cotswold Garden Flowers, The Botanic Nursery and my personal new favourite Swines Meadow Farm Nursery. All in all I believe there were 27 nurseries plus a dozen other stalls selling plant supports, some furniture and other ephermera. The most important thing is that the focus is 100% on the nurseries, there are no show gardens at all.
James' bedouin tent
So you have a wonderful setting and fantastic nurseries, throw in lovely weather and good catering (although they were a little unprepared for the numbers) and you have a receipe for a perfect day. There were also some talks sponsored by the Telegraph and Gardens Illustrated. We went to James’ talk in the afternoon and it was very jolly, not least because it was in what can only be described as a bedouin tent. We availed ourselves of the plant creche and I also gained a couple more plants through swapping some from home at the Gardens Illustrated plant swap stand. Result two very happy gardeners. You leave the fair via the bridge below with a last sight of the house and fair (as per top photo).
The Plant Finders Fair is on this year for three days 25th – 27th June but if its too late for you to decide to go then make a note in your diary for next year – you won’t regret it.
really good review, thank you , really wish we could have gone, in diary for next year as you suggest,thanks for lovely blog.
Oh, I really wish I’d gone now! I just didn’t have the energy to spend two hours in the car. It looks absolutely gorgeous – what a wonderful setting for an orgy of plant-buying. I shall just console myself by thinking about Hidcote on the 12th – really looking forward to it.
Enjoyed reading about it -it sounds like a good day – maybe next year. Did you buy many plants? Was hoping to go to Arley Hall Garden Festival yesterday ~ himself was at the ready but too many strawberries to pick
Hello, I have just chanced across your blog and like it!
May I join in?
Damn – I was all set up to go but then my husband’s root canal op combined with being a one-car family kind of got in the way.
Next year, for sure…
Im so envious of thosw that went – I had planned to but tedium got in the way, amking missing it doubly annoying. Next year!