A community project in Chantry Park in Ipswich, Suffolk has brought an area of the park back to life. A variety of volunteers are involved in the development including the long term unemployed, retired professionals and students. ActivGardens development manger Susannah Robirosa told Ken Crowther all about the project.

Abellio Greater Anglia is working with local charity ActivLives to provide hanging baskets for stations in Suffolk. If the project is successful they plan to expand into Essex. Alan Trett, Abellio Greater Anglia’s Assistant Customer Services Manager told Ken Crowther about their future plans.

The RHS’s gardens at Hyde Hall has undergone a mammoth tree planting project over the last few years with approximately 70,000 tree planted. Garden manager Andrew Lodge spoke to Ken Crowther about how the landscape is changing.

Capel Mushrooms was founded in 1962, and is now run by the founder’s two sons, Damian and Patrick Herne. In 1988 facing a number of problems as a small grower in a competitive market, they turned organic. Patrick took Ken Crowther on a tour of the sheds to explain about the process of growing organic mushrooms.

The Goose Park at Coton Manor is no longer home to geese, but there is a collection of Belgium bantams, Mille Fleur Barbu d’Uccle. Their fluffy feet means they can wander around the gardens without causing too much damage as Susie Pasley-Tyler told Ken Crowther.

Coton Manor in Northamptonshire is a 17th century manor house set in 10 acres of gardens. The gardens were laid out in the 1920s by the present owners grandparents, and developed and extended over the years. Susie Pasley-Tyler gave Ken Crowther a guided tour of the grounds.

The water garden at Coton Manor was built in the 1920s by the present owners grandparents. With no professional guidance they used the stream coming out from the pond to feed the water garden and the rill between the orchards as Susie Pasley-Tyler explained to Ken Crowther.

Chris Collins from Thompson & Morgan talks to Ken Crowther about bedding plants. Peter Freeman explains how they ensure the plants go out to customers in the best possible condition and Michael Perry looks ahead to the Chelsea Flower Show.

These days there aren’t many who aren’t using social media to promote their business. Bayer are using social media, in particular Facebook to promote their plant clinics. Anita Dent told Ken Crowther about the difference it makes to them.

At Wilkin & Sons in Tiptree they have been extending their Jubilee orchard where they grown quince. Farm manager Chris Newnham spoke to Ken Crowther about the orchards and how successful the raspberry crops have been.