A first for blooming Fairlynch

Margaret Burton, left, and Josie Ogg from Winteringham, near Scunthorpe, were staying in Sidmouth on holiday and had come to Budleigh for the afternoon by coach. Fairlynch, they said, was "a lovely little place."

Fairlynch Museum's gardeners are congratulating themselves on being awarded a 1st prize in this year's Budleigh in Bloom competition. The Museum's Ann Hurt, Lynn Weeks and Sylvia Merkel were delighted to learn that they had gained top spot in the 'community gardens' category winning a £25 voucher donated by local garden centre Kings Gardening and Leisure.  

The competition’s judges, including Janice Hindley, Senior Horticultural Lecturer at Bicton College, were impressed by the garden’s mature planting in its mixed herbaceous lay-out and its neat and tidy appearance.  Certain specimens such as the tree lupin attracted particular comment.

The Museum’s garden is distinctive for having been planned with the idea of showing off plants contemporaneous with the age of the house, originally built in 1811. 

 

Flowers of Cistus salviifolius, an attractive shrub which blooms throughout the summer.  

Blue irises, a reliable feature of any herbaceous border.
 

Fairlynch volunteer Ann Hurt in the Museum's garden

Pink lilies: just some of the plants which stand out in the museum garden. Below are flowers of the Chilean potato vine.

 
 
 

The tree lupin to the right of the steps at the museum entrance was one of the plants commented on by judges in the Budleigh in Bloom competition.

Volunteer gardener Sylvia Merkel hard at work early in the season in Fairlynch garden.