CUTTINGS

The Manor House was built in 1775 and once had a large formal garden, now filled with good shrubs and mature trees

For 40 years the garden created by Sir David Scott at The Dower House, in Northamptonshire was a mecca for plantsmen. He started to make it when he retired from the Foreign Office, "nibbling away", as he put it, at the ground around the house, replacing thicket with rare shrubs and trees.

Following his death in 1986, his widow, Valerie Finnis, set up the Merlin Trust in his memory, to offer financial assistance to keen young horticulturists (between 18 and 30 years old) to travel and study plants.

Marcus Adams and Eammon Byrne have both recently been awarded grants from the Trust, which is named after Sir David's only son, killed in the last war. Marcus intends to visit botanic gardens in the New York area. Eammon is using his grant to tour Germany, looking at planting schemes at former festival sites in Ingolstadt and Stuttgart.

"Study" is widely interpreted by the trustees to include photography, painting and conservation work with wild or garden plants.

Applications should be sent (enclosing a large stamped, addressed envelope) to the Secretary, The Merlin Trust, The Dower House, Boughton House, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN14 1BJ.

The village of Felpham near Bognor Regis in Sussex is having a garden open day today and tomorrow (10am-6pm) to raise funds for the new St Mary's village centre. The Manor House in Limmer Lane is one of the 18 gardens opening for the event. It was built in 1775 and once had a large formal garden, now filled with good shrubs and mature trees (Open Saturday, 10.30am to 5pm).

Sandy Lodge is right on the seafront at 10 Davenport Road but, despite being battered by winds and drenched by spray, the garden still produces a wide variety of plants (Open Sat 10 to 6, Sun 2 to 6). Go for coffee, have lunch, stay for tea, buy plants, flowers, produce and cakes. Tickets pounds 2.50 available from St Mary's Centre in the village.