Wednesday 11 June 2008

JANE AUSTEN SELLS OFF HER PLANTS















Yeah, I may have slightly exaggerated. But listen to this, Austenophile gardening fans! Cottesbrooke Hall is putting on a plant fair, in the very house where Jane A supposedly set Mansfield Park

Unlike your normal plant event, this one runs over three days from the 27th to the 29th June; giving you ample chance to wander over to Northampton and enjoy all the fun of the fair, in a truly Fanny Price-ish fashion.

In addition to the specialist nurseries who'll be  present (including Derry Watkins and other greats) the £6 entrance includes a look round the garden, with a fine 18th century park, worked on in the 20th century by Geoffrey Jellicoe and Sylvia Crowe. 













But the big draw for me, apart from the Austen connection, is the chance to see a posh new terrace border by the verging on devilishly caddish James Alexander-Sinclair (don't be surprised there's a few Sanguisorbas in there). Ooh, he's a right Henry Crawford.

6 comments:

VP said...

Emma - your new Header has given me a fit of the giggles :D

Is this the venue for the garden bloggers get together then?

Helen/patientgardener said...

This looks interesting and I suppose there is always the chance of seeing JAS lurking around waiting to see what people think of his terrace. Will have a look to see how far it is from me.

Anonymous said...

I feel I have to point something out... the picture above is of the old border, not the spankling new one. Just in case anybody turns up hankering for Yuccas -they are no longer there. They have been ousted in favour of something more feathery.
However, the event will be fantastic with many fine nurseries and lovely stuff.

emmat said...

Well you better tell Cottesbrooke that as I got the picture off THEIR website. It is stolen.

Zoƫ said...

Oakley Hall Park lays claim to the place Mansfield Park was set too, and it's more likely because its in Hampshire, not too far from her own home? Hampshire proudly boasts it's Jane Austen's county.

'Oakley Hall has a distinguished past with links to Jane Austen who was good friends of the Bramstons – former owners of Oakley Hall. It is even rumoured that her novel, Mansfield Park is based on Oakley Hall and the main character Lady Bertram was based on Mrs Bramston.'

http://www.oakleyhall-park.com/

mewmewmew said...

This looks interesting and I suppose there is always the chance of seeing JAS lurking around waiting to see what people think of his terrace. Will have a look to see how far it is from me.




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