'King of the Jungle' Mike Clifford raises £2k for Nursery in Poole
Image: Marc Rosenberg / Chestnut Nursery
Leading exotic plant expert Mike Clifford and his wife Tina have raised almost £2,000 to fund the development of a new sensory garden at multi award-winning charitable garden centre Chestnut Nursery in Poole.
Despite the challenges of back-to-back heatwaves, Mike and Tina ensured their Botanical Jungle Garden was in unbe-leaf-ably pristine condition so it could open to the public four times during the scorching summer – with entry fees donated to Chestnut.
Plant collector and propagator Mike, who has been featured on BBC Gardeners' World and in Amateur Gardening magazine, has amassed a treasured collection of thousands of rare and unusual plants from all over the world, which have taken root in the gardens of his bungalow in Broadstone. The latest donation, totalling £1,900, means that Mike and Tina have now raised more than £12,000 for Chestnut by opening their private garden during the last seven years.
Chestnut Nursery, in Kingland Road, is run by mental health charity Plants and Minds. Adults with life-impacting mental health conditions take part in horticultural therapy at the nursery, growing thousands of perennials, bedding plants, climbers, shrubs, exotics and hedging plants for sale to the public.
Chestnut Nursery Manager Andy Verreck, pictured with team members receiving a cheque from Mike, said: “Once again, Mike and Tina have pulled out all the stops to support our community here at Chestnut – and we can’t thank them enough.
“This year, their generous donation will enable Chestnut to create a new courtyard-style sensory garden which will act as a quiet space for our team members. Volunteers from accountancy firm PKF Francis Clark will help with groundworks, while funds raised will go towards screening, seating, a fountain and materials,” Andy added.
The new sensory garden will also feature beds of exotic stock plants, providing a facility to train team members in the propagation of unusual plants. Mike and Tina’s previous donations enabled Chestnut to invest in infrastructure that supports team members to hone their horticultural skills, while helping the nursery to cultivate top-quality plants.
While Mike is known among green-fingered folk as the Alan Titchmarsh of Dorset, his global collection of plants is crammed into a modest 65x35ft garden behind his bungalow, and a small 30 square foot garden at the front.
Last week, Mike visited Chestnut to hand over a cheque and see how working with plants in a tranquil setting helps team members (service users) to improve their mental and physical wellbeing. Mike said: “Tina and I support Chestnut Nursery because it’s very close to our hearts. Having been through a difficult time ourselves in the past, we know first-hand how plants and gardening really helped.
“Opening our Botanical Jungle Garden for others to enjoy is something we love to do, especially while raising funds for mental health care via therapeutic horticulture at Chestnut – such a worthy charity,” Mike added.
Chestnut is gearing up for a busy autumn as gardeners look to replace plants that were lost in the summer drought. Team members are growing thousands of hardy autumn bedding plants that’ll rejuvenate pots and containers, while the nursery is packed with late summer and autumn-flowering perennials, ready to inject colour into borders.
About Plants and Minds
Plants and Minds is an innovative charity that supports adults with life-impacting mental health conditions via its highly successful therapeutic horticulture programme. The sale of plants nurtured by team members at Cherry Tree Nursery in Bournemouth and Chestnut Nursery in Poole provide vital income for the charity, ensuring it can continue to support at-risk adults in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole areas. Visit www.plantsandminds.org.uk to find out more.