My name is Donna Richardson, and I am an enthusiastic gardener and an educator who is on a mission to share my gardening skills and knowledge. I show people through practical advice and demonstrations how to help the environment. My key focus is on plants that are useful to nature, and especially pollinating insects.
I have been gardening professionally for 20 years and give frequent lectures on the problems and issues arising from gardening in this part of Kent. The soil in the South East can be clay based and a little tricky to deal with. The climate changes we are all experiencing; varying levels of rain and drought all play a major part in our gardening successfully.
Are you after gardening knowledge or would like to escape the busy Canterbury life? Why not take a wander to the natural habitats of the Enchanted Gardens? The gardens are situated on the grounds of what was once a livestock farm. We have our organic nursery on site too, where we grow organic perennials from seeds and cuttings. These beautiful gardens are set in a semi-rural location on the outskirts of the seaside town of Whitstable, on the north coast of Kent between Whitstable and Faversham.
The garden is nestled at the base of a protected wildlife reserve, with natural lawns and herbaceous borders with specimen tree, shrub and climbing plants. There is a wide range of habitats for different pollinators throughout the gardens.
Lectures are given in groups of 4 to 20 people. I can talk about a specific subjects or speak generally about gardening. The cost is £10.00 per head which includes Tea/Coffee and homemade cake. We have entertained groups from the following organisations: Women’s Institute, Mothers Union, Horticultural Societies and The Canterbury Photographic Group.
I work with preservation societies & Trusts for Bees, Butterflies and Moths and Bats. We will be holding workshops at Enchanted Gardens throughout our opening period. If you are a volunteer member with any of these groups you are welcome to join your group when they have a booking for a day of Identification/research or are recording numbers.
We participate in the open days for the National Garden Scheme (NGS – Little Yellow Book) on 8th & 9th June. This is an amazing charitable organisation. Members of
the public buy a ticket and visit ANY of the gardens listed on the date in the open book. This scheme generates millions of pounds for various Charities each year.
This year National Garden Week is from April 27th to May 3rd. Our garden will be opened on Saturday 27th of April so pop in to see us.
Our opening times and dates - We are open Tuesday to Friday from April through to October. Our opening times are 10am to 3pm.
*You are welcome to visit the garden on Saturdays – but your visit must be booked in advance by email or text.
Enchanted Gardens is for everyone who likes nature, flowers, fauna and gardening. You can find me at:
Enchanted Gardens Kent,
Sonoma,
Pilgrims Lane,
Whitstable,
Kent
CT5 3AP
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnchantedGardensKent/