It’s June! This month marks the official start of summer, and WOW – the gardens are alive with colour! We’re on hand to provide your monthly insight behind the scenes, recommend some points of interest, and let you know what’s coming up here at The Walled Garden in the heart of the Dorset countryside.

Can we talk gardens with you?…

Our Wisteria put on a real display over the last few weeks, but now that Wisteria Season has come to an end, it’s time for the rest of the flowers to shine.

The fragrant Sweet Peas in the Square Garden are getting bigger every week – we’ve seen guests enjoying the sunshine and a moment of peace here during their visit, it really is a bit of a centrepiece (though not in the exact middle…) of the gardens. Benches at each corner if you need to stop and read a chapter of your favourite book.

Our Rose Garden has also really come into bloom. Over the next few weeks, our Gardens Team will be freshening it up and planting a host of new varieties too. Surrounding the fountain, the roses are always trying their hardest to steal the show!

Head Gardener Martin Mellersh said: “The Sweet Peas have been flowering recently, which has been great to see, and our Lupins are really looking good at the moment. We’re expecting the rest of the Square Garden to really come into bloom through July and become a real spectacle of the gardens.

“We’ve also noticed the grasses in the Grass Border are starting to flower and some are budding up, so we’ll see some more colour there very soon.”

Learning, and growing…

The EMA students have been working hard weeding across the gardens, while also keeping busy in the Kitchen Garden, where they recently planted out Pumpkins in specially prepared beds.

Martin added: “The students have been able to harvest the first of the broad beans and the new potatoes and carrots are nearly ready”

EMA Student Brandon, who has been confidently planting with very minimal support needed from the garden team said: “We’re doing the pumpkins today, which hopefully will all be ready for halloween. Best time of the year.”

Also, an exciting development, wildlife has become more prominent over the last few weeks, in particular a family of Pheasants making themselves at home around the edges of the stream near the Kitchen Garden. Please don’t wander through the thick area, as you may disturb a nesting mother and her chicks!

Over in Animal Acre

Chrissy has been welcoming a host of exciting new bugs and insects to our Walled Garden family! A Vinegaroon Scorpion is settling into its new home (photos soon). This type of scorpion is without a stinger but gets its name from the vinegar type substance it can spray. We’ve also moved a Fire Millipede in. It’s still very young at the moment but you can’t miss it with it’s beautiful fiery red colourings!

Other insects arriving this month are Arabian Darkling Beetle, Black Beauty Stick Insects and Giant Green Bean insects. We are also proud to introduce some Giant Vietnamese Stick Insects which are the second largest species of stick insect in the world!

Animal Care Technician Chrissy said: “I’m really looking forward to introducing all our new insects to our future Bug and Exotic Animal experiences visitors! Especially the Giant Vietnamese Stick Insects. They can grow to be pretty big. Some have been known to get as big as an adult’s forearm, if not bigger!”

Chrissy added: “We have just welcomed three new Polish chicks to our flock! They hatched just over two weeks ago and are getting bigger by the day. It won’t be too long before they are reintroduce back in with the rest of their family.”

Coming up at The Walled Garden…

Father’s Day is just around the corner and the Dovecote Café is here to help if you’re yet to make plans with dad. Saturday 14^th June welcomes, for one day only, our Belly Buster Burger! Our popular Dovecote beef burger with cheese, loaded with bacon, egg, mushroom, and lettuce served in a brioche bun, with onion rings and chips.

Then on Sunday 15^th our Roast dinners return! Bring dad for a classic roast with choice of meat, and trimmings – as well as vegetarian nutless nut roast option. A Sunday lunch of champions! Father’s Day Weekend can get busy in the café, so if you’re looking for a table inside, booking is highly advised

Also on the 14^th June, our friends at the RSPCA are joining us to host their One Fun Day treasure trail!

Looking ahead – on Sunday 13^th July we have our third Annual Dog show taking place in our event field! Over 25 stalls, a bouncy castle and soft play, axe throwing, face painting and a visit from our local Fire Service will be there to entertain our guests. But it’s the dogs that will take centre stage! Stay tuned on our social media channels for more updates or head to our dedicated webpage: Dog Show at The Walled Garden – 2025 – Walled Garden Moreton

And finally… in case you missed it…

Our brand-new Tractor Play Area is open now!

We’re excited to have unveiled a brand-new activity for our younger visitors – our Children’s Tractor Play Area! These fun ride-on pedal tractors are perfect for budding little farmers who love to be on the move. Completely free for our visitors to use, the tractors offer a great way for kids under 10 to burn off some energy while enjoying the fresh air. All we ask is that parents or guardians keep a close eye on their children as they play and ensure everyone stays safe and respectful of others.