Plant Belles and Kew Royal Botanic Gardens September 7, 2015 10:29

You may have seen Plant Belles for sale at Kew Gardens and at Wakehurst Place over the years. This month you have a rare chance to join us at 'Bountiful Botanics' a great Kew event, held at Wakehurst Place on the 26th & 27th of September.

Wakehurst features natural woodland and lakes, formal gardens, an Elizabethan house and the exciting 21st-century architecture of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank.

The 'Bountiful Botanics' event claims to be a weekend of family-friendly gardening fun. We will be setting up our stall to display the full range of Plant Belle designs. We have been busy beavering away to bring even the elusive George Belles & Belle Towers. Full details of the event and all its activities & tours etc. on the Kew website. I hope you can join us.

  

Plant Belles at Chelsea 2015 (Part 2 - the show must go on!) August 1, 2015 12:52

Chelsea Flower Show 2015 proved to be another memorable event for Plant Belles, but this time for all the wrong reasons...

It has taken a while to write this, as it has taken a while to recover!. We broke down in spectacular style - at the gates to the Chelsea showground, only days before the show opens (ready or not). A catastrophic clutch failure meant we were turned away with our first load, our wizzy new Chelsea hut centerpiece to build (made by Barrel Top Wagons), lots of plant supports and plants.

After a lot of ciaos, a hired van, 2 trips to Devon and back, 2 London garages, and a little help from some helping hands, we managed to put on our 2015 'bigger' display and launch our new trellis design the Climbing Squares, all in the nick of time. We even managed to scoop our second 3 star display award - if only they knew...

  

Despite the mayhem of setting up and the long days, we love it!

Read more in the Devon Life Magazine, Devon at Chelsea article, June Issue.

    

  

The Grande Finale, RHS Tatton Show and then closed, opening again 7th September June 29, 2015 10:12

Find us at Tatton Park from the 22nd July - 26th. Following the show we will be taking the rest of the School Holidays off, to spend some precious time with our kids and to catch up on ourselves, after a very busy season.

We will be resuming limited Autumn mail order deliveries from the 7th of September to the end of November, before closing for our annual production period through the Winter months, making, making, making for Spring 2016.

 

Plant Belles at Chelsea 2015 (Part 1 - show preparations) March 17, 2015 10:43

Very excited about our presence at Chelsea Flower Show this year, we are working in collaboration with 'Barrel Top Wagon's' to create an exciting new structure which will be the centerpiece to our display, still at the drawing board but looking lovely.

Barrel Top Wagons are not only handcrafting beautiful timber garden/living space structures, using traditional techniques, ethically sources timber, etc. but they have a fine eye for design and detail. CURVES & CIRCLES, we love curves (and scrolls) so their work is hugely complimentary to the Plant Belles ethos. But the best is...they are just down the road, based Near North Tawton. We are not alone here in outback Mid Devon.

The structure will give us an opportunity to display one of our new 2105 designs - 'Plant Trellis Panels'. All will be revealed in good time. Here is a sneak preview of our structure...

 

Look at that lovely double curved roof. I really want a round window in the end, but not sure if the budget will stretch!

Read more in the Devon Life Magazine, Devon at Chelsea article, June Issue.

Watch this space for further developments... See last years award winning display photo gallery.

Alex's modelling career March 4, 2015 14:19

Alex has made it into the pages of The English Garden, modelling his 4ft Tunnel prototype (all very last year!). With no hair and makeup team he supports the rural Devon look, which will soon be in 'vogue'. See magazine pages here.

The hot news is that we have a new design up our sleeves to a Launch at Chelsea Flower Show 2015, watch this space...

Belle Tower as seen on BBC2 'Great British Garden Revival' January 6, 2015 20:22

Joe Swift interviews Clematis enthusiast, and Belle Tower owner, Elaine Coakes, University lecturer, feature in her London garden. Footage can be found on iplayer, broadcast on 6th Jan at 7pm.

New prices for 2015 from February 1st January 2, 2015 00:00

Please note that for 2015 we have found it necessary to review of mail order prices.

We have tried very hard to keep our prices as reasonable as possible, buying direct from the maker you are making significant savings, our retail stockists have massive overheads and staffing costs to cover. However, due to increasing costs to make, sell and deliver our Plant Belle designs, we have decided we must change our prices to reflect the inflating costs.

On the 1st of February the price rises will apply. Any orders made before midnight on the last day of March will enjoy the 2014 prices.

Happy browsing...

Back to the work benches! June 17, 2014 23:02

PLEASE NOTE: Due to a very busy Spring, and despite making lots of extra stock this Winter, we have already 'sold out' of many designs. Once we have fulfilled all the Chelsea Flower Show orders, we will be heading back to the work benches. Orders and deliveries will be limited for the month of July, before we shut down for our annual holiday in the month of August.

Any orders made after the 17th of July can not be fulfilled until after the Wisley Flower Show (8th September), then orders will be sent on a first-ordered-first-sent basis. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Blame it all on Chelsea! (see pictures of Plant Belles at Chelsea Flower Show).

  

Assembling the 4ft Plant Tunnel June 11, 2014 16:21

You will begin with 10 halves, firstly assemble two halves into one large hoop. You now have 5 hoops to begin spacing and placing to your desired length, before threading with canes to construct the full tunnel. Click here for availability.

If you blink very fast whilst looking at the pictures below, you can imagine Alex in a silent movie assembling the large tunnel!

                  

Now you are ready to plant and cover, or coffee...

Plant Belles at Chelsea Flower Show 2014 June 2, 2014 11:23

"From my garden, to the RHS gardens, to the 2014 Chelsea Flower Show…”

Our ‘grow-thru’ plant supports and wirework for the garden have been seen in RHS and National Trust gardens for a few years, but never before at the Chelsea Flower Show. Our debut at this prestigious event was a great success, from a scary start, building our stand on a scrubby bank, we were shocked and very proud to receive a three star trade stand award for the outstanding display!

     

Limited deliveries in May 2014 May 2, 2014 10:40

PLEASE NOTE: Limited deliveries for the month of May. As you may notice from our 'Shows List' we are currently very busy preparing for, and exhibiting at Flower Shows. Packing and sending orders will not now be possible until we return from Chelsea Flower Show, at the end of May. Orders made online will be sent on a 'first-ordered-first-sent' basis, from Wednesday 27th May. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause!

New for 2014 March 13, 2014 13:00

It is not just our shop that is new for 2014.

This year we are launching 4 new products, a range of 3 Swag Crooks and a 4ft Plant Tunnel by popular demand.

The 4Ft Plant Tunnel - After much prototyping we have developed a great solution for protecting produce in 4ft raised beds. Like our smaller Plant Tunnel designs, it is constructed of 5 hoops-with-loops, which you thread with your own canes to make a Tunnel of your chosen length. I use it to create a 3 metres Tunnel. You will need an extra wide mesh covering to enclose the frame and protect your greens!

Plant Tunnels are available in 3 heights; Small 55 cm, Grande 75 cm and now the Large 120 cm tall & wide.

The Swag Crooks - We have created a range of ‘Swag Crooks’, this is a NEW IDEA, these taller and heavier gauge crooks are great for supporting swags of bunting or rope in the garden. Try training rambling rose stems along a braided rope swag in the border, extending the spread and floral splash.