Broadstone plant expert raises funds for Poole nursery

Known as the Alan Titchmarsh of Dorset, exotic plant expert Mike Clifford together with his wife Tina have raised almost £2,000 to fund the development of a new sensory garden at charitable garden center Chestnut Nursery in Poole. Despite the challenges of back-to-back heatwaves, Mike and Tina ensured their Botanical Jungle Garden was in pristine condition so it could open to the public four times during the scorching summer – with entry fees donated to Chestnut.

Plant collector and propagator Mike, who has been featured on BBC Gardeners’ World and in Amateur Gardening magazine, has amassed a treasured collection of thousands of rare and unusual plants from all over the world, which have taken root in the gardens of his bungalow in Broadstone. The latest donation, totaling £1,900, means that Mike and Tina have now raised more than £12,000 for Chestnut by opening their private garden during the last seven years.

Chestnut Nursery, in Kingland Road, is run by mental health charity Plants and Minds. Adults with life-impacting mental health conditions take part in horticultural therapy at the nursery, growing thousands of perennials, bedding plants, climbers, shrubs, exotics and hedging plants for sale to the public.

Chestnut Nursery manager Andy Verreck said: “Once again, Mike and Tina have pulled out all the stops to support our community here at Chestnut – and we can’t thank them enough.”