The cherished Arlington Bluebell Walk is set to launch its 2026 season on Good Friday and will continue welcoming visitors until May 10.

The pathway can be found at Bates Green Farm on Tye Hill Road in Arlington, Polegate, BN26 6SH, with gates open from 10am until 5pm each day. Beatons Wood spans 24 acres of historic woodland, having once formed part of the Michelham Priory grounds. The McCutchan family acquired the property in 1922 and it has remained in their possession since that time. The woodland features oak trees dominating the upper canopy, with hornbeam, sweet chestnut and hazel growing beneath. When spring arrives, a enchanting display of woodland flora emerges, beginning with anemones before vast expanses of bluebells carpet the forest floor. Admission costs £9 per person, with children admitted for £4.50. Visitors are encouraged to join in celebrating the event’s 53rd consecutive year of opening. Complete information is available at bluebellwalk.co.uk.

I was recently delighted to be admitted as a full member of the Garden Media Guild. This organisation serves as Britain’s national body representing professional communicators working within the garden and horticulture sectors. Guild membership encompasses all facets of garden media activity – ranging from photography and videography to broadcasting, social media platforms, lecturing, editorial work, illustration, public relations and copywriting. The Guild’s objectives include elevating standards across all garden media forms and keeping members informed about developments in gardening and horticulture. It promotes and recognises outstanding achievement in garden communication, provides support for members’ career development and contributes to educational initiatives within the gardening communications field.

A piece of equipment I bought during the autumn months has proven extremely helpful in recent weeks, enabling me to work at ground level following my knee replacement operation last year. The compact seat mounted on four wheels has been invaluable for tending to flower borders and the gravel areas bordering a public footpath, as illustrated in the photograph. The sole disadvantage is that once seated, one must eventually find the strength to stand again. Nevertheless, I have found it quite practical.

The collection of camellia specimens growing in large containers in my rear garden continue to look magnificent. I have the attractive white-flowered variety I discussed a few weeks prior, together with a container holding an exceptionally lovely pink cultivar named William Bartlett, shown in the image. This variety is a slow-growing, robust evergreen featuring generously sized, formally double blooms in pale pink adorned with markings of deeper pink. Flowering occurs from late winter through early spring, ultimately reaching a mature dimensions of 3 metres in both height and spread, making it well-suited for shaded borders or containers in acidic, moist soil conditions. It demonstrates winter hardiness across most of Britain, though plants may experience leaf damage and stem deterioration during severe winters in cold gardens located in inland valleys, at elevation or in northern and central regions. The specimen can survive temperatures as low as -10°C.

I have been enjoying numerous delightful spring blooms returning to my garden; one I anticipate with particular pleasure each year is the exquisite Narcissus ‘Rip van Winkle’. One of the flower heads appears in the accompanying image; it represents a distinctive, heritage variety of miniature daffodil dating from approximately 1884, distinguished by its star-shaped, double blooms in golden-yellow with slender, pointed petals tinged with greenish-yellow. These plants reach heights of just 15 to 30 centimetres and flourish in locations receiving full sunlight or light shade. They are completely hardy and suitable for rock gardens, containers or for naturalising throughout lawns. My specimens are established in a raised bed topped with slate. This early-blooming, resilient perennial introduces an unusual, shaggy or sparkler-like quality to spring plantings, though it should be noted that the bulbs are toxic if consumed and may irritate the skin.

At this period in the calendar, Elaeagnus ebbingei may, given favourable conditions, produce berries. The foliage of these shrubs is leathery and oval-shaped, presenting a dark green upper surface contrasting with notably silvery undersides that catch the breeze. During autumn, the plant bears small, intensely fragrant, creamy-white blossoms that frequently remain concealed among the leaves yet release a powerful, sweet perfume. These are subsequently followed in spring by small, edible orange fruits, visible in the photograph, although berry production may be inconsistent in cooler regions. The plant succeeds in full sun to partial shade and adapts to impoverished soils, including dry, sandy and chalky varieties. It requires well-drained conditions and demonstrates remarkable tolerance of salt, wind and atmospheric pollution, rendering it particularly appropriate for coastal gardens such as my own. Once fully established, it also displays drought resistance.

The architectural helleborus argutifolius specimens growing in my seaside garden continue to create impressive displays. The plant produces bowl-shaped, downward-facing blooms in pale green, shown in the image, which appear above leathery leaves with spiny edges in a sea-green hue from January through April. This widely cultivated evergreen, known as the Corsican hellebore, commands attention when positioned centrally within a mixed or shrub border, or in a gravel bed such as mine. Its attractive foliage continues to provide visual interest long after the flowers have finished.