Jan is now taking bookings for talks and book signings for 2025 for The Alchemy of Gardening.
This recent event in Whitby attracted a good crowd and there was a lively Question and Answer session afterwards.
Please get in touch if you would like to book a talk. Fees are on a sliding scale from only £50 depending on the size of memberships/ audience numbers. Travel costs are additional at a cost of 40p per mile.
Jan is happy to sell signed copies of her book afterwards.
A new book by local horticulturalist, plantswoman and garden designer Jan Hoyland encourages us to think differently about our own small patches of land and rediscover the magic of gardening.
Jan is passionate about nature-friendly approaches to gardening and in The Alchemy of Gardening she takes us through the gardening year, tuning us in to the rhythms of the seasons, offering practical tips and a mindful philosophy, inspiring us to interfere less, pay closer attention and create beautiful, harmonious spaces, both for ourselves and the wildlife that surrounds us.
The spark that ignited her writing this, her first book, came in 2019, when, while juggling the many challenges of running a business, caring for her mother, and moving into and rebuilding a remote derelict smallholding in North Yorkshire, Jan was diagnosed with a life-limiting chronic illness. This experience not only taught her to slow down and listen more carefully to nature’s teachings; it gave her a new approach to gardening. Jan believes we can all benefit from this, for our own health and wellbeing, as well as for our gardens.
“I want people to think differently about how and why we garden” she says. “I’ve designed and tended many gardens over the years and reached a point where I feel I have the experience, and perhaps a helpful perspective, that I want to share with a broader audience. I’ve always wanted to write a book and my approach, which calls for simpler gardening that’s more tuned-in to nature, will appeal to gardeners with all kinds of gardens and all levels of experience.”
Jan’s passion for gardening and nature began at a very young age. She trained at Askham Bryan College and in the 25 years since has held prestigious roles with the National Trust as Head Gardener at Rievaulx and Nunnington Hall in Yorkshire and Trengwainton in Cornwall. She was also Curator at the Yorkshire Arboretum from 2011 to 2013. Jan now works across the UK as a freelance garden designer and gardener.
Helen Neave, Founder and Director of Make It Wild says:
“Jan was the obvious choice when my garden needed a revamp. She made sure she understood what I wanted – and then she improved on it!
Jan’s understanding of gardening with nature at its core helped to create a natural masterpiece. My garden is now an absolute riot of structure, colour, texture, bees, birds, butterflies, and sheer joy!
I’m thrilled she’s written a book to spread her unique viewpoint to the world. The Alchemy of Gardening is a wonderful rethinking of our approach to gardening”.
The Alchemy of Gardening chimes perfectly with the wider conversation currently in this country and internationally around gardening.
It is already a valued companion for Jan’s early readers, some of whom have said – and I quote:
“…I’m loving your book. I’m only on page 40 and..I’m so totally engaged with it… it’s brilliant” “… I’m mesmerized – and I’m so glad I haven’t started work on my new garden yet”
“ Deep, beautiful and transformative” “a quick message to say how much I am enjoying your book. It’s just really transporting my mind to such a lovely place. Enjoying your words of wisdom”
The Alchemy of Gardening will be available from YorkBookShop.com https://yorkbookshop.com/the-natural-world/453-the-alchemy-of-gardening.html
After many years of carrying out tree surveys for safety and development purposes, I will be retiring from this work, to concentrate on other things.
From January 2024 I will no longer be offering tree surveying as a service.
I wish to thank all my previous customers for their business.
We have had a busy summer here at Artemisia, despite Covid putting paid to all of our selling events at the local markets.
I have had the pleasure of designing some amazing new spaces for clients and I am looking forward to the autumn months when I will be doing the planting of these new gardens, once the landscapers have finished their part of the jigsaw.
We have also been busy with tree surveys across North Yorkshire. Sadly the rise of Ash dieback in the region is leading to many people contacting us with concerns about their trees and how safe they are.
Finally, we have the pleasure of announcing that Jan will have an article published in Permaculture Magazine at the end of the month. The article looks at the permaculture approach to garden design and how it makes for a more beautiful, useful and nature friendly garden. Permaculture magazine (winter issue 106) is available at all large newsagents.
Hello garden lovers.. Due to all the farmers markets being closed, I am starting a delivery service for Scarborough, Whitby and Malton.
I have a selection of organically grown, bee friendly perennial flowering plants, a few herbs and vegetables for sale.
If you would like a copy of my current plant list, please contact me via the contact page.
Orders over £25 delivered for free, otherwise a delivery charge will be levied.
I look forward to hearing from you 🙂🌷🌸🐝
Thanks,
Jan
Artemisia Gardens have been invited to have a stand at the International Womens Day – Inspirational Women on the Yorkshire Coast event in Scarborough on Friday 6th March.
We’ll be chatting to people about what services we offer and answering any gardening questions you might have.
It’s a free to attend event, but you must register for a place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inspiring-women-international-womens-day-2020-tickets
Hope to see you there!
Snowdrop Kokedama at Hovingham market Feb. 2020
Happy New planting season, everyone!
I am signed up to the usual markets this year again…
Hovingham on the first Saturday of the month, Sheriff Hutton on the second or third Sunday of the month and Coxwold on the last Saturday of the month, all starting in March. Check their individual websites for details before making plans.
I will be selling my usual range of beefriendly organically grown cottage garden plants, wildflower seed bombs and a few herbs and vegetable plants in season.
Looking forward to meeting you there… and chatting about gardening!
Jan x
As we come towards the end of the growing season, our thoughts turn to next Spring already… it’s bulb planting time!
We have a wide range of daffodils, lots of gorgeous and unusual tulips and plenty of other bulbs, such as Camassia, Erythronium and Scilla for sale.
We will be at a market nearly every weekend for the next eight weeks.
Hovingham Village Market – Saturday 5th Oct 10.30am – 1.30pm
Tree Top Press Apple Day, Suffield, Scarborough – Saturday 12th Oct 9am – 3pm
Sheriff Hutton Village Market – Sunday 20th Oct 10.30am – 1pm
Coxwold Market – Saturday 26th Oct 10am – 1pm
Hovingham Village Market – Saturday 2nd Nov 10.30am – 1.30pm
Plant Heritage, Ponteland, Newcastle – Saturday 9th Nov 2.30pm
Sheriff Hutton Village Market – Sunday 17th Nov 10.30am-1pm
Husthwaite Village Market – Sunday 24th November 10.30am – 1.30pm
Hope we will see you at one of these soon!
As everyone should know by now, I do like to promote gardens as being sanctuaries for bees. From growing plants without pesticides to choosing a range of nectar rich blooms throughout the seasons, there is plenty a gardener can do to help our pollinators.
So I was delighted when I discovered that the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust have developed an app called Bee Kind, where you can see which plants are best for bees and you can also work out how pollinator friendly your garden is.
https://beekind.bumblebeeconservation.org/home/1
So if you want to see how you can make your garden a haven for wildlife, have a look at this link.
In the meantime, I will be using it to see if I can expand my range of organic beefriendly plants for sale for next years markets!
During the month of June, Artemisia Gardens will be attending a market every weekend!
With the weather now warming up nicely and plenty of rain, it’s the perfect time to treat yourself to some lovely new pollinator friendly flowers to jazz up your summer borders.
We will also be selling a range of herbs and vegetables, all grown in organic compost, without any artificial fertilisers or pesticides.
Find us at the following venues:
1st June – Hovingham Village market
9th June – Brandsby market
16th June – Sheriff Hutton village market
22nd June – Helperby market
29th June – Coxwold market