Derry is an American who has lived in Britain for most of her life. She plans one major plant-hunting expedition a year and has visited Chile, Bulgaria, Turkey and Ethiopia but her favourite place is South Africa. Derry said : ‘In 1993 I won a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to spend three months plant hunting in South Africa, and I have been back since collecting seeds. Trips to India, Nepal, Chile, Turkey and Bulgaria have resulted in many new plants - some of which i will be bringing to Great Comp in Sevenoaks.” The Plant Specialist nursery from Buckinghamshire which is dedicated to growing a wide range of new and unusual herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses will also be exhibiting for the very first time at Great Comp this year. William Dyson, curator at the 7 acre garden said: "We are very excited about this year's Summer Show - it's our biggest event of the year, the garden is bursting with colour and we have some really interesting and exciting exhibitors for 2014." RHS multi-award winning Rose Cottage Plants will be exhibiting alongside Madrona Nursery, Kevin Hughes Plants, Daisy Roots, Pineview Plants from Sevenoaks and Phoenix Plants among many others will be exhibiting an enviable collection of unusual plants from across the world that grow well in our South Eastern gardens. | Saturday & Sunday 9th and 10th August 2014 - 11am-5pm Great Comp Garden, close to Sevenoaks, will be hoping for good weather for their two day Summer Show on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August in order to showcase the garden at its height of colour and welcome a female plant hunter to the show for the very first-time alongside specialist plant exhibitors. The Show, now in its twelfth year will be a first for female plant hunter Derry Watkins of Derry Watkins Special Plants from Wiltshire. Derry's plants have been described by The Telegraph as 'plants that will set any plantaholic's heart racing'. |
William Dyson added: "We have quite a local feel this year with Kentish Soap from Dunk's Green exhibiting alongside Mary Wright Cermaics from Sevenoaks and Sarah Hodder an award-winning children's book designer. Examples of her hand-lettering can be found on many well-known children's books. Sarah will be exhibiting one-off quirky pottery animals, individually hand-built using crank or terracotta clay."
Visitors are invited to come and have a glass of Pimms on the lawn and listen to Kentish jazz ensemble 'String and Things'. Teas, lunches and delicious homemade cakes will also be available from the Old Dairy Tearoom.