HH Yes, that’s right, HH, not HRH. Random hieroglyphics, coded scratches? Not really. These were the initials of the maker or one of the makers of our small Byre, his sharp Carpenters chisel in hand and immortality achieved in a few swift strokes topped and bottomed with bold, crude serifs. More often seen are carved marks left on old timber framed buildings to aid their construction. The section of oak bearing these less commonly seen initials was discovered when chain sawing our mountain of discarded timber produced by the Byre build for firewood. It had come from oak timbers cut out to make the openings for Velux windows (what would HH have made of these I wonder?). It then struck me the green oak he used may have germinated in the 16C, a chance sapling left to grow in a hedgerow or light woodland and 200 years later deemed ready for felling. What an archaeological legacy then under our noses! Buildings by their nature can hold onto their marks for centuries but for gardeners using our palette of flowers, grasses and shrubs the act of leaving any permanency is virtually impossible. Have you noticed how a planting when left alone can change dramatically from one year to the next without your help? The planting of a tree is by its nature an emphatic statement, though even with a potentially longer time frame to the other plants mentioned there essentially remains no difference. Like it or not, ephemerality and impermanence go hand in hand with all the plants and gardens we create - they conform to the Buddhist precept that ‘all is transient’. So, what compels us to do it? Actually, a compelling and unique canvas with which to play. We can touch, move, change and view it from every angle. Our noses can be tantalised by elusive morning, day, evening and even night time scents and saturated colours in summer sunshine will overwhelm us with their stridency as they tangle amongst a multitude of multi–toned background greens. The passing of the seasons ties us profoundly to the cycle of life, from birth to death, and enduring the melancholy of winter enables us to enjoy even more the burst into spring and the strong sense of rebirth. There is of course so much more. The Gardener should remember - nothing is fixed, all is transient but within this at times fragile gardening craft of ours we are all able to find at some level a vein of creative satisfaction and provision of an endless larder of food nourishes our souls as we attempt to make our earthly paradise. My advice then for the coming year? Covid or not, what choice do you have? – roll up your sleeves, plant yourself in the border and get on with the task in hand. Now over to Hannah for an update on the Nursery…… POTS, PEAT AND PEST CONTROL There’s nothing so invigorating as a good spring clean! Our potting shed is utterly transformed. The shelves are stacked to the rafters. The surfaces are clear. The tools are in order, and the tea making station – immaculate. We are ready to start afresh and look forward to the year ahead. Having always been proud of our low carbon footprint on the nursery and our garden 1 heaving with biodiversity, we have decided, this year, to push him well. He is a name to watch. Great thanks also go to our dear friend David who our environmental credentials even further. ventured where many men fear to tread in his white chariot delivering our plants to the Firstly, on your visit to the nursery, you will notice the new taupe pots we are using. wilder corners of Sussex. These are recyclable, but please do check with your local authority. Also, feel free to return Nearly there! Matt (Hannah’s husband) came to our aid with the sensible suggestion that your pots to us. As long as they are clean, not broken and from Marchant’s, we will be our old (and rattling) label printer be put into retirement. Old out, new in! His skill and happy to accept them. help with computers is unmatched – ta Matt. Have you seen I wonder our beautiful For too long now, the horticultural world has had its head buried deep in the Peat. website, now approaching its first anniversary? To suggest its great design and style is We had already reduced the peat in our potting mix, but from summer onward, we are completely symbiotic with Marchants garden, nursery and philosophy is an turning to an entirely peat free compost. We will be monitoring this very carefully and understatement. The addition of social media, pictures and much liked videos moves making sure we still deliver the same level of quality that you have come to expect here it onto a high level indeed. Barbara and Simon, how can we thank you enough. at Marchant’s. The biggest thank you of the past year is held for my dear supporting wife, Lucy. We are also getting to know our bugs! Ask Graham for an interesting fact on earwigs! Her double digging days may be over but what she achieves EVERY day with her Learning the difference between beneficial insects and pests is an essential part of unstinting, boundless energy is truly remarkable. For Lucy, the hose pipe can now horticulture, enabling us to use one to combat the other. This is exactly what we are doing remain coiled – it is back to the studio, the place where her creativity with textiles can by using nematodes to treat pests we find on the nursery. The little live bacteria are kept in blossom once again. the fridge until the conditions are right to set them free among the plants. As long as we don’t confuse them with the porridge oats! THE NURSERY So just a few changes, but still the beautiful plants you have come to expect from us. We look forward to welcoming you again onto the nursery. And maybe, we’ll let you view Now 23 years old, Marchants Hardy Plants is one of the country’s leading small nurseries the pristine potting shed! and has featured in virtually every periodical, paper and television programme in the country. The range of handsome herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses we grow ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is as varied as you will find and suited to both contemporary and traditional gardens alike. We pride ourselves on the fact that all plants offered for sale are propagated at the Given Covid-19, 2020 has been a wondrous and testing year in equal measure. Please Nursery and most can be seen growing in the garden too. We also grow many plants in forgive the length of my acknowledgements - I have many wonderful people to thank. numbers too small to warrant an appearance in this list so we hope a visit to Marchant’s A crucial and disturbing shift in our workforce just when Covid -19 was impacting itself will always prove stimulating. on everyone at the beginning of the first lockdown (March 2020) brought the plans for Our plants are grown in various pot sizes to suit the plant. Through the season plants Marchants future seriously into question. It is no understatement to say that Hannah who are sometimes potted on. We therefore reserve the right to change prices accordingly. had worked here for 5 years, like manna from heaven, came to our rescue. In fact it was more than that – she saved us and our thanks will never meet the measure of gratitude OPENING HOURS that is owed to her. Torrey, Hannah’s daughter with holiday time helped immensely, watering, skilfully propagating sempervivums and placing labels by the thousand –‘Torrey Thursday 25th March until Saturday 23rd October 2021. Thursday to Saturday inclusive label hands’ we should have called her! 10.00 am. - 5.30 pm. We like to enjoy lunch between 1.00 and 2.00pm. As the unpredictable year progressed others thankfully joined us too. Becky, the first, Other times, strictly by appointment only. helped with the extended nursery work load bringing her enthusiasm and wisdom in many We require 3 days notice for the collection of orders. matters to the potting bench. Henry, having moved from Parham and having sniffed us The Nursery does not provide a mail order service. out, decided to stay. Luckily for us! His skills and pace are hard to match in the garden. Henry also provided a bonus in the form of his great pal Jean, our first volunteer but a passionate gardener to boot. If only we could lure her from her demanding job with kids. Stoic John, now retired, has bundles of energy and common sense to put to good use and he and I on his volunteer days pace like mercenaries through the garden leaving no hedge untrimmed or blade of grass uncut. Harry, all 6’ 8’’ of him, is current head gardener at Charleston House and enjoys an internship of one day a month here to learn the finer points of propagation and possesses a daunting sponge like memory which should serve 2 3 THE GARDEN Plant List 2021 The garden at Marchant’s after 21 years of development begins to show signs of maturity. ACAENA microphylla ‘Copper Car pet’. An indomitable but controllable, £5.80 Our trees in particular have gained a solidity which makes for a marvellous internal creeping New Zealand Burr with attractive bronze-purple foliage carried on backdrop to the other diverse range of plants we grow. However, it is the broad landscape wiry stems.