Landscaping and planting are underway for the first phase of the ambitious £15 million restoration of the walled gardens of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland. The project has created much interest with several broadcasting companies vying to secure the rights to film the recreation of the historic walled garden, which on completion is expected to

become one of the great gardens of Britain.  It was announced recently that the celebrity gardening presenter and water feature specialist Charlie Dimmock had been chosen to front the tv production which will record the development of the grand project and that was the first time most of us heard about this exciting project.
Driving force behind the restoration scheme, which is one of the biggest garden projects to take place in the UK this century, is the Duchess of Northumberland, an enthusiastic gardener herself. It is a public project and will be open daily for people to enjoy. A website describing the garden project has been established, giving details of the ambitious plan and an opportunity to take a virtual tour. Check it out!
The aim of the Duchess is to create a classically designed garden enhanced by spectacular waterworks. She has gathered four groups of world class designers who have been selected to combine specialities in the fields of garden design, architecture, and water sculpture. They are working together to create one of the greatest gardens in the world. It will recreate the glory of the garden that was there in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the Duchess' vision is that her new garden will also look to the future. The ground plan is dominated by the movement of water. Cascades, waterfalls and fountains, water-sprouts, water mazes, lakes and ponds will create ambiences to startle, soothe delight and amaze. A totally unique water system within the Gardens, designed in America but never seen anywhere in the world before - some 100,000 gallons a day will flow from two natural spring and the water features will be flood lit to attract visitors at night.
What has this got to do with fuchsias you are no doubt wondering. Well, there bound to be one or two in the garden, but more importantly the first phase is expected to be opened this summer. So, you could arrange to visit it and make it a really good day out by also calling on the nearby Clifton Fuchsia & Plant Centre at Clifton near Morpeth in Northumberland!         CD

Scarborough Borough Council is to spend around £400,000 on overhauling St. Nicholas Gardens, which unfortunately has become a night-time haunt for down-and-outs and vandals.
In an ambitious scheme it is proposed to create a wider entrance, complete with disabled access, to the gardens from the Foreshore Road. Decorative lights to highlight trees and shrubbery and the pruning or removal of overgrown trees should brighten up the area and extensive structural work to restore the borders, footpaths, walls and railings will be undertaken. A raised entertainment platform is also proposed for the lower areas to be surrounded by grass terracing and extra CCTV cameras will be installed to deter vandalism.
Artist's impressions of the project were unveiled at the 'A Floral Celebration on the Seaside' Garden Pride exhibition in a special marquee in the St. Nicholas Gardens during the summer, 100 years since the opening of the gardens. The display included a mermaid at a waterfall, a beach feature with a realistic seascape complete with waves and an abandoned boat in the sand dunes. Some 15 tons of sand, 2 tons of pebbles and 30,000 plants were used to create the stunning display which delighted the 34,000 visitors. As the event proved to be so successful there are hopes it will be repeated in future years            CD

Organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show announced that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be guests of honour on the first day, Tuesday July 10th.

In the summer of such poor weather, Scarborough & Filey came up trumps in the Yorkshire in Bloom award scheme.
Filey gained top honours, winning the small town section, a fine reward for all the hard work put in by the council gardening staff and local businesses. Filey also came second in section for best summer display in a small town and third for the spring display section. Scarborough was runner-up in the large town category and gained the North of England Flower Show shield for the most improved entry in the large towns section.
Council gardeners bedded out more than 200,000 plants, grown on in the Council's own nursery at Manor Road, Scarborough, in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey. An additional 100,000 are also produced for winter and then spring bedding schemes.

Peter Crowther, for 13 years manager at Deans Garden Centre in Scarborough has given up the manager's post Womacks at the Filey Road Garden Centre. 
Streets of Aberdeen Walk has ceased trading - another victim of supermarket dominance and the parking scheme.