Great Comp Garden Hoping for Better Weather
Image: Great Comp / Vikki Rimmmer
With Southern England recording its third wettest September on record, organisers of an outdoor autumn event are crossing their fingers this month for an improvement in the weather.
The 7 acre garden of Great Comp, in Platt, near Borough Green, is an autumnal delight with the collection of trees and shrubs producing fantastic autumn colour in time for their annual 'Bulbs N Things' Autumn Fair (12-13 October).
The two-day event plans to feature specialist bulb sellers 'Rose Cottage Plants' and Great Comp will also have their own bulb stand too.
Spring flowering bulbs from crocus, tulips, hyacinth, daffodils, through to alliums will be on show, and Iris of Sissinghurst will bring specialist irises. There will also be colourful trees courtesy of Miles Japanese Maples which will be in vibrant autumn colour.
William Dyson, curator at Great Comp Garden says: "We've had enough of this monsoon-like weather and it will be nice to have a bit more sunshine. We hope we've had all the rain we're going to have...but you have to take it one day at a time."
An incredible display of autumn colour and swathes of miscanthus grasses will welcome exhibitors and visitors to the 7 acre garden in Sevenoaks, home to William Dyson's salvia nursery.
William Dyson says: "It's going to be a great place to stock up on spring flowering bulbs and also scout out some unusual Christmas presents from our artisan exhibitors - it's going to have a traditional craft fair feel to it this year. And my nursery will have masses of salvias in flower and for sale. There's also a marquee, in case things get a bit damp!"
Garden tool specialist Dan Cooper Gardens from Broadstairs will be on site with his range of hand-picked garden tools. This year, he re-launched the 'roll-cut' secateur made by Löwe, which hasn't been sold in the UK for nearly 40 years.
Autumnal cobnut products will be in abundance from Great Comp Garden's neighbour Potash Farm, and with Christmas approaching, the Amara Date Company, who empower farmers in Tunisia to grow and share every part of the date palm tree, will be on site selling their products which include Tunisian date seed coffee as well as fresh dates.
'Bulbs N Things' Autumn Fair at Great Comp Garden 12 - 13 October
Great Comp Garden, CompLane, Platt, TN15 8QS www.greatcompgarden.co.uk
Admission prices : Children Under 5 FREE, children aged 5-17 £3.50, Adult entry £10.