News, sport and entertainment from the Bournemouth Echo and Dorset Echo.

Gardening pair on the scent of success

From the Echo, first published Friday 9th Mar 2001.

TWO green-fingered Weymouth gardeners have had their efforts displayed nationally in Amateur Gardening magazine.

Les and Christina Scott, of Church Street, Upwey, moved into their home ten years ago when it was a far cry from a Garden of Eden.

The half acre site on a south-facing slope was completely bare of plants, with borders but no flowers and just a few trees and shrubs.

Les said: "The gardens had been turned mainly to lawn, but we have now turned most of that into herbaceous borders."

The result is a wonderful cottage garden blend of terracing, a small wood, borders, an inner scented garden and an area of plants and flowers from the 17th century which would have been around at the time the cottage was built in about 1690.

Les said: "I like the inner scented garden best because that was a totally new creation from nothing. Much of the rest of the garden was built on the bones of what was there already, but we dreamed this part up after seeing old-style roses and realising the potential for a scented area."

The couple made their appearance in Amateur Gardening after a photographer sent the magazine a photograph of their work, but they have also featured on television with an appearance five years ago on the BBC's Secret Gardens.

Les said: "We are always changing things in the garden and for 2001 we have cleared the rough ground in our woodland area and planted it with flowers which like shade such as Christmas roses, which we have grown from seed, and hardy geraniums.

"We were delighted to get into such a prestigious magazine which can only help us with publicity for the National Gardens Scheme which raises so much money for charity."

The couple open their garden every Thursday from April 1 until August 1 under the Scheme and, for the first time, will this year open on Thursday evenings during June only until 8pm to enable visitors to appreciate the garden's rich scents at evening time.

Les said: "We really look forward to opening our garden because it is nice to share our enthusiasm with other interested people."