Near to Shrewsbury is a garden that is opening for the National Garden Scheme very soon. Longden Manor Farm. It has lovely specimen trees, some friendly Heffers to say hello too, and around 30 different topiary shapes to explore. Come take a look around.
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00:00Thanks for inviting us down to Longden Manor Farm here in Shropshire, amazing garden, are you going to be opening for the NGS?
00:07We are indeed, this year it's Sunday the 12th of May
00:12And is it your 5th year roughly?
00:16Well because we were out for Covid or whatever I think it's the 5th opening
00:21So we'll bring up a few nice clips of your garden which is amazing, we've just had the grand tour
00:27What can people expect then who visit Longden Manor Farm?
00:30Well it's basically, I mean there are some exciting plants but there's a lot of sort of very mature trees or whatever
00:39Because it was all planted in the sort of late 1800s
00:42And we have utilised some of those and some of their offspring and done quite a lot of topiary
00:51Have you ever counted up the numbers as to how many different topiary sculptures you've got going on?
00:56Bye bye
00:58It's got to be in there, I mean we've got an Alice in Wonderland growing there, we've got rats, peacocks and dolphins
01:06Amazing stuff there
01:08We've got a gorilla and there's a llama
01:12And there's some friendly cows to say hello to if they're ready and willing on the day
01:18Yeah my heifers, my yearling heifers
01:20And how long have you been here roughly then? The family have been here a few years I believe
01:24The family have been here since the turn of the last century I suppose
01:29So I mean a garden on this scale, it takes a lot of work, is it always pleasurable and enjoyable?
01:36Well I learnt that because I learnt the hard way when you get on with it
01:42And you've got a beautiful tree, was it a candelabra? What was that one?
01:47Well it was just a candelabra oak, I mean I call it a candelabra oak because its leader was obviously taken out when it was a youngster
01:54So therefore it's just branched
01:56And that's what causes it to come out
01:58Well that's why I just call it a candelabra oak
02:00And giant redwoods?
02:02Yeah I know there's some big sequoias
02:04When do you think they were planted?
02:06It was 1860 to 1880 something like that
02:10And you're obviously, with the topiary, there's obviously a little quirky side to you
02:16I think Stuart, Stuart who's my ace gardener
02:20One of us might have the vision and the other one actually orchestrates it
02:26Well thank you for inviting us down to your lovely garden
02:30And people if they want to find out more, click the link, click the National Garden Scheme website
02:36And come down and experience it yourselves, thank you Karen
02:39Okay thank you very much indeed and I hope we have a bright sunny day