We have over 150 apple trees located in the Orchard of our 15-acre gardens here at Holme, and for the past few years, we've toyed with the idea of putting all the delicious apples to good use. Well, it was this year that we finally decided to branch out and start making our very holme Holme grown apple juice, made exclusively from apples grown in the Orchard. Thanks to the help of Goren Farm (located near Honiton), we were able to head down there one sunny October day and managed to produce nearly 500 bottles of apple juice (beating their daily record along the way). Holme apple juice is now available to purchase in the Orchard Cafe, by the glass or by the bottle. If you're interested in what else Goren Farm has to offer, why not look them up? https://www.goren.co.uk/

Saturday 7 September, 12:00 – 17:00 Studland, Morval – designed by Simon Goldsack The National Garden Scheme opens up over 3,500 private gardens across the UK, and we’re delighted to be taking part. Come and enjoy this special garden space for a good cause — all proceeds go to NGS charities. Entry: £8 | Children go free | Season ticket: £25

We’re thrilled to announce that the Wareham Croquet Club will now be playing regularly at Holme for Gardens, bringing a touch of traditional English sport to our beautiful Events Lawn. The club will be setting up every Tuesday and Thursday, offering visitors the chance to watch. Whether you’re already a fan of the sport or just curious to see what it’s all about, this is a wonderful opportunity to experience croquet up close.  The Wareham Croquet Club is known for its welcoming spirit, and members are always happy to chat and explain the rules. They welcome new members, so why not have a go? With the backdrop of the gardens, it’s an ideal way to spend a peaceful morning (although the competition can be fierce!), and then stop for a sociable coffee or lunch in the Orchard cafe after.

Holme is full of fantastic wildlife — from fabulous birds to rare insects. We recently spotted Anthophora retusa , a scarce mining bee that’s nationally rare. Caught a brilliant moment of a larva building its cocoon — a peek into the secret life of the garden. Plus a Golden-ringed dragonfly , one of the UK’s most striking species, made a surprise appearance!

Summer has arrived in the gardens at Holme! Everything is blooming, buzzing, and full of colour. Whether you’re here for a peaceful wander or just love watching the seasons change, it’s a lovely time to visit.

Looking ahead to summer? We’ve got a fantastic line-up of outdoor performances in the amphitheatre: The New Hardy Players – A Celebration of 20 Years! Friday 13 June, 7.30pm Book Tickets A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Oddsocks Theatre Sunday 20 July 2025, 7.00pm Book Tickets The Rivals – Rain or Shine Theatre Saturday 26 July 2025, 7.30pm Book Tickets Twelfth Night – Folksy Theatre Sunday 10 August 2025, 6.00pm Book Tickets Robin Hood – Folksy Theatre Monday 12 August 2025, 2.00pm Book Tickets

🌿 Still time to visit our Sculpture Trail at Holme for Gardens 🎨 🗓 Friday 4 April – Saturday 17 May 📍 Holme for Gardens If you haven’t had a chance yet, come and explore a selection of beautiful sculptures in stone, metal, glass, and ceramic — all designed by British artists and curated by Andrew Illingworth. Tickets are included with normal garden entry and are available to purchase at the tills. To find out more about the artist and sculptures: Andrew Illingworth – FiveTwo Designs Ltd 📞 01794 874 554 🌐 www.fivetwo.co.uk

Wildlife: Many of us already feed birds during winter, but how can we make sure our gardens offer natural food sources throughout the year and attract a variety of wildlife to our doorstep? Simple changes, like adding bird feeders and planting more berrying or winter flowering shrubs, can make a big difference. Get your tools ready: winter is the perfect time to check on your tools and equipment for the year ahead. Take a look at your stakes, netting, compost, seeds, labels, and any other items you’ll need for the upcoming seasons. Make repairs: It’s a great time to do any repairs to greenhouses, fencing, netting, cold frames, and more—ensuring everything is ready as soon as the weather warms up. Clean and sharpen tools: Take a moment to clean and sharpen your gardening tools so they’re in top condition when it’s time to start working again. Tidy up your space: Clear and tidy your greenhouse, shed, and cold frames. A little organisation now will make the coming months much easier. The early new year is a perfect time to think about any changes you may want to make this year. Why not plan for the future now? Continue with maintenance: Keep up the weeding, and mulching. We have some great tips on our YouTube channel to help you with mulching and other winter tasks. Plant bare-root plants: It’s a great time to plant bare-root plants, and we’ve got helpful advice on our YouTube channel to guide you through this process

Many of you whilst walking around the gardens may have spotted a cage that suddenly sprung up a few months ago. Its has long been Liz's dream to have our own Holme chickens, and we are on the way to making this a reality. This idea however is on temporary hold at the moment, partly due to the cold weather, and partly whilst w e wait to see if NFU is going to update rulings regarding the spread of bird flu. Keep watching... e wait to see if NFU is going to update rulings regarding the spread of bird flu. Keep watching...

Some of you who have visited Holme in the last few days might have noticed a bit of disruption in our overflow car park. This was due to essential maintenance needed for our solar panels. Since going in last year, the solar panels have been a key factor in our 100% renewable and clean energy consumption at Holme, so it was imperative that the work was completed as soon as possible. We thank you for understanding.

In November a group of National Trust Property managers from North Devon visited Wareham based garden Centre, Holme for Gardens. The group were on a fact-finding trip, to view the rainwater harvesting system at Holme. Delegates were shown how water is collected from the rooves of the garden centre and piped to a catchment pond which has been given over to nature. When this pond is full the surplus water is lifted to the 4000 cubic meter reservoir where it is stored until it is required in the summer months. Holme is now self-sufficient in irrigation water to supply the 15 acre pleasure garden and garden centre plant area. The system is just one of Holme’s achievements in an effort to put the business on a sustainable footing along with 68 kW solar energy, the planting of 4000 trees, shrubs and native hedging and 5 acres of species rich meadows. The National Trust group representative said “It was great to see the passion and how joined up the thinking was – it was so much more than just rainwater harvesting which was amazing and inspiring to see.” The gardens at Holme are open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Simon Goldsack and Sue Shilvock from Holme For Gardens being presented with the award by sponsors Ellis Jones The 2024 Purbeck Business Awards have just been announced and Holme for Gardens near Wareham have won the Best Family Business Award. The Garden Centre was commended for the quality of its plants and expert, friendly advice in the plant section and shop, the Orchard Café was celebrated for the great food, beautiful pondside seating and the lovely staff, and the gardens as a stunningly beautiful, tranquil place in which to relax and be inspired. On receiving the award owner Simon Goldsack commented “We are delighted to receive this award and we thank those customers who nominated us and to all our customers for their continued support. Holme is now fully part of the Purbeck community and we love being able to interact with so many wonderful people on a daily basis. Our staff are key to us winning the award and both Liz and myself would like to praise them for their friendliness and dedication. The staff are the real winners of this award, I’m just the person to whom the award was presented.” The award comes on the back of 33 years of continued investment to turn Holme from a dairy and pick your own fruit farm into one of Dorset’s leading garden centres with  a 15 acre garden containing one of the most diverse collections of trees and shrubs in the South of England. Simon’s wife Liz said “As we have developed the enterprise we have always had in mind trying to create the place we would like to go on our day off, such that now Holme is now a great place to relax, be with friends, enjoy wildlife and beautiful plants, and have a delicious meal.” Recently, the Salt Pig have taken over the running of the Farm Shop at Holme, but Simon, Liz and team will continue to run the Garden Centre, Orchard Café and Gardens. Whether you have visited Holme before or are thinking about somewhere new for a trip out, Holme looks forward to welcoming you.