2021 Plant Fairs

We are back at this historic and charming venue for a brilliant plant fair with lots of lovely plants from nurseries that rarely get to Nottinghamshire.

The fair is in the Education Garden with the atmospheric backdrop of the ruins of the Archbishop's Palace.

The Education Garden is a fantastic place to explore and discover the history of the site through living plants. The features of the enclosed garden are inspired by medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian gardens, reflecting the timeline of the Palace.

A wonderful landscape with wide open lawns, it is full of herbs, shrubs and flowering plants chosen not only for their historical relevance, but also for their shape and beauty. Special areas of the grounds have been set aside to encourage a wildlife. The woodland area provides links to the famous “Leaves of Southwell” – the thirteenth century carved stone leaves in Southwell Minster’s Chapter House.

The Garden brings to life time periods important to the history of The Archbishop’s Palace. The design has four distinct parts to it: a Medieval herb parterre; a Tudor knot garden; a border planted in the style of Edwardian plants-woman Gertrude Jekyll; and Wildlife areas including a winter border and woodland and wild meadow. The garden also encourages wildlife through the inclusion of bird boxes, insect hotels and log piles. Portions of the gardens have been designed as native wild flower areas for birds and insects.

The nurseries and artisans coming are:

Amorosa from Leicestershire: Up-cycled and recycled garden ornaments

Bridge Farm Plants from Derbyshire: a wide range of hardy, herbaceous perennials: Unusual varieties as well as cottage garden favourites, a small election of shrubs and other plants.

Conquest Plants Nursery from Cheshire: Specialist growers of variegated and coloured foliage, hardy plants

Cotswold Garden Flowers Bob Brown's well known nursery from Worcestershire with unusual hardy and tender plants.

Green's Leaves from Gloucestershire: shrubs, perennials, grasses, foliage plants

John Cullen Gardens from Lincolnshire: Plants for the pollinators, scented plants and edible plants. National Collection of Achillea millefolium. RHS Chelsea medallists

Jurassicplants Nurseries from Denbighshire: Starter plants of rare woody edibles and other hard to find trees and shrubs

Linda Scott Plants from Nottinghamshire: Unusual perennials particularly hardy geraniums

Malcolm Allison Plants from Gloucestershire: with hardy perennials, alpines, alstroemerias and shrubs

Morton Nurseries from Nottinghamshire: Unusual and hard to find perennials and shrubs

Mr D'Arcy's Heritage Fruit Trees from Lincolnshire: Container grown heritage variety fruit trees

Plantazia Lincoln from Lincolnshire: herbaceous perennials and primulas

Pottertons Nursery from Lincolnshire: Alpines, Dwarf Bulbs and Woodland Plants. RHS Gold medallists including Chelsea Gold

SpecialPerennials from Cheshire: Perennials all grown in our bee and butterfly friendly garden

The Gobbett Nursery from Worcestershire: Shrubs, perennials inc Iris, Cornus, Syringa RHS Medallists

BY ROAD: Southwell is 8 miles from Newark on the A612, 12 miles from Nottingham.

The A1 is convenient to reach Southwell; leave at the Newark junction with the A46 and take the A46 toward Nottingham. At the roundabout leave at the third exit onto the A617 toward Mansfield and Southwell. Having passed through Kelham, turn left onto the A612 signposted to Southwell. From the MI south, leave at junction 21A and join the A46 toward Newark; at the roundabout with the B6166 remain on the A46. At the next roundabout take the first exit onto the A617 toward Mansfield and Southwell. Having passed through Kelham, turn left onto the A612 sign-posted to Southwell.

From the MI north, leave at junction 29 and join the A617 toward Mansfield; at Mansfield, continue on the A617 in the direction of Newark; after ten minutes signposts to Southwell will direct you.

Contact Details for The Archbishop's Palace, Southwell Minster

Address: Southwell Minster, Church Street, Southwell, Notts. NG25 0HD

Facebook @SouthwellMinster, Twitter @SouthwMinster

Website: www.southwellminster.org

Articles by and about Southwell Minster:

The Education Garden (from our 2017 newsletter)