A glorious weekend at Great Dixter's Spring Plant Fair

Plant fairs usually mean an early start for us, so we make sure the van is packed the night before. It’s the only way to guarantee we’re on the road by six o’clock at the latest. Last Saturday Emily, Mattie - our trainee - and I set off for Great Dixter’s Spring Plant Fair, Sussex, with a van filled to the brim with plants: a mixture of trusted old favourites alongside some newer and more unusual plants.

The fair takes place twice a year in the little field just below Dixter’s own nursery and café. When we arrive, the grass is still wet with dew and the whole place is a flurry of activity as the stalls take shape one by one. Rustic structures of chestnut poles, hessian and corrugated tin - built by Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener and CEO, and his team – dot the field like a temporary village.

The nurseries that have travelled the furthest arrive the night before and are already fully set up, much to our envy. We usually manage a quick wander to see what everyone else is offering - sometimes making a few early purchases - before the gates open to the public.

Great Dixter’s plant fairs are a highlight of the gardening year, bringing together some of the most knowledgeable growers and specialist independent nurseries from across the country. Some, like Binny Plants and Cally Gardens, make the long journey down from Scotland. It’s also exciting to see newer nurseries emerging on the scene such as Bearded Gnome Nursery, Zophian and Freckles and Flora. The latter is run by Henrietta – a former trainee at Beth’s - who now runs her own small nursery nestled in the North Yorkshire countryside. They sit alongside more established names including No Name Nursery, Plantsman’s Preference, Pelham Plants, Phoenix Perennial Plants, Wildgoose Nursery and Hardy’s Cottage Plants to name just a few.

Over the course of the weekend visitors meander between the stalls. The fair has become a gathering place for plant enthusiasts, and we’re greeted by many familiar faces, including many of our former garden interns, long-standing friends and loyal customers. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to make new acquaintances, swap stories and talk about plants.

The fair last weekend offered a wonderful selection of ferns, alpines, bulbs, wildflower seed, sweet peas and vegetable plants, together with a notable assortment of unusual trees and shrubs and, as ever, an impressive range of perennials. It is one of those rare opportunities to return home with something truly special for the garden – the kind of plants you’d never stumble across in any ordinary nursery. As most nurseries won’t be going home over the weekend to restock, Saturday is definitely the day to come if you’re hoping to get your hands on some of the more unusual plants.

At half-hourly intervals throughout both days a bell is rung loudly, signalling visitors to gather. Each time, a different nursery delivers a short talk at their stall, sharing their favourite plant varieties, offering practical insight into cultivation and their tried-and-tested propagation techniques.

The connection with Great Dixter – first kindled through the close friendship between Beth Chatto and Christopher Lloyd – holds a truly special place in our hearts. What began as a meeting of two remarkable plantspeople, united by a deep passion for plants, has grown into a lasting bond that continues to inspire us. It’s a relationship we treasure deeply.

‘More than twenty years ago I discovered Christopher Lloyd through greedily reading his classic The Well-Tempered Garden.  Just one thing upset me. He had no time for bergenias. For the first time in my life I put pen to paper to write a letter to an author and take him to task for such a lapse in the otherwise overwhelming knowledge and experience in actually growing plants, not just writing about them. Back came a reply: ‘Come to lunch.’ So began a special friendship, based on many shared interests, particularly our passion for plants. But not always the same plants – that could become boring.’

Beth Chatto-

Dixter draws people from all over the world, nurturing a steady stream of aspiring, or more experienced, gardeners. Many of them return for the plant fairs, joined by a large team of volunteers (mostly horticultural students and gardeners), to help with everything from car parking to managing the food stalls which sell delicious home-baked cakes, sausages and soup. To our great delight, our stall was conveniently sandwiched between the tea & cake stand and the BBQ stall.

James Horner, Head Gardener at Benton End

and Dixter alumni on dish washing duty.

Georgie, Christopher Lloyd Scholar 2025-26 and

former Beth Chatto intern, on car parking duty.

To Fergus, it’s never just about the plants. It’s just as much about the people who create the gardens and grow and nurture the plants that fill them. He has fostered a vibrant, welcoming community of plant lovers, which is why these gatherings often feel like a reunion. They are about being together - catching up with old friends, welcoming new ones, swapping stories, thought and ideas, and sharing the season’s triumphs and challenges.

Saturday began grey and overcast, and by midday the wind was tugging at labels and plants. Then, almost unexpectedly, the clouds thinned and a warm spill of late-afternoon light broke through, carrying us into an evening wrapped in sunlight. It gave us the perfect chance to wander the gardens, taking in the exuberant planting, before supper was served in the Barn.

Fergus and his team always prepare a delicious meal for those of us who’ve sold plants and helping out. During the day there’s never quite enough time for a proper catch up, so when the evening comes it’s a real pleasure to sit down and unwind in the company of friends and let conversation flow freely. With our stomachs full of slow cooked venison - cooked in the ground, no less, and delivered by Fergus arriving on his tractor – and sausage stew, we eventually wandered back to the house for a cup of tea before heading our separate ways and calling it a night.

On Sunday morning, after a hearty breakfast conjured by the ever-energetic Dixter team who never seem to pause, we enjoyed some quiet time in the garden. It looked as magical as ever. And of course, no visit to Dixter would be complete without a stop at the nursery. I couldn’t resist picking up a few treasures for my own garden.

The second day of the fair usually settles into a slower, more unhurried rhythm. The early bustle fades, giving way to a relaxed, easy pace. The sun stayed out for most of the day, bright and steady brightening the stalls.  Jeanna, a lovely lady who makes the most delicious ice cream from fresh fruit and double cream, always arrives with her tiny freezers packed full of irresistible flavours: gooseberry, black cherry, mulberry, greengage and damson. Each pot is a delight, a true treat!

Perhaps it was the mix of the plant fair being pushed back a week for Easter and the bluebells flowering early this year, but when Fergus pointed us towards the little wood at the bottom of the field, it felt like stepping into another, magical world. After the bustle, we suddenly found ourselves in a pocket of calm – birdsong, soft evening light filtering through trees just beginning to unfurl their leaves. Sweeping drifts of bluebells and ramsons carpeted the ground, with wood anemones peeking through the blue haze. A perfect way to unwind after a busy, but truly wonderful weekend before setting off home.