Auction alert: Garden furniture & statuary

Late 20th century painted resin figure of a stag

Back when my parents owned an antique shop in Kemptown in Brighton, they’d go weekly to Watsons Auctions in Heathfield, East Sussex. Watsons, as well as Gorringe’s in Lewes, were my mum & dad’s main channels for acquiring fresh stock for their shop. I seem to remember Justin and me going a few times, too, when we lived down there.

With spring finally springing and lots of us itching to get outside and get our hands dirty, it’s a great time to highlight the upcoming garden furniture & statuary auction taking place at Watsons on Friday 3rd May, from 9:30am. There are 232 lots in the sale, to include plant pots and planters, troughs, water features, garden ornaments and much more besides.

Buy live or leave bids online at EasyLiveAuction or The Saleroom (fees apply).

Buyers Premium for our General Auction is 19% plus VAT making a total of 22.8% on the hammer price. Buyers Premium for our Online Collectables & Furniture Auctions and Specialist Auctions is 20% plus VAT making a total of 24% on the hammer price.

Late 20th century painted resin figure of a stag

Lot 1: Late 20th century painted resin figure of a stag

87.5cm tall
Estimate: £20 – £40

Iron black painted Warners, London well pump

Lot 35: Iron black painted Warners, London well pump

74cm tall
Estimate: £40 – £60

Approx. ninety small terracotta plant pots

Lot 43: Approx. ninety small terracotta plant pots

Approx 7cm tall each
Estimate: £50 – £70

Metal hose reel, two galvanised buckets and two watering cans

Lot 67: Metal hose reel, two galvanised buckets and two watering cans

Estimate: £20 – £30

Pair of tall square terracotta style plant pots, potted with roses

Lot 71: Pair of tall square terracotta style plant pots, potted with roses

37cm x 71cm tall
Estimate: £50 – £80

Pair of terracotta rhubarb forcers

Lot 105: Pair of terracotta rhubarb forcers

70cm tall
Estimate: £60 – £100

Painted boot scraper mounted on stone base

Lot 124: Painted boot scraper mounted on stone base

59cm wide
Estimate: £30 – £50

Metal Singer sewing machine base with marble top

Lot 130: Metal Singer sewing machine base with marble top

107cm wide x 74cm tall
Estimate: £30 – £50

Terracotta strawberry pot together with a terracotta orb and wall pocket

Lot 146: Terracotta strawberry pot

40cm dia x 40cm tall together with a terracotta orb and wall pocket
Estimate: £30 – £50

Metal scrolled arm garden bench

Lot 149: Metal scrolled arm garden bench

128cm x 89cm tall
Estimate: £20 – £40

Oval two tier wire work plant stand

Lot 169: Oval two tier wire work plant stand

70cm x 74cm tall
Estimate: £100 – £150

Set of four garden urns decorated with lion masks and swags

Lot 194: Set of four garden urns decorated with lion masks and swags

58cm dia x 73cm tall
Estimate: £400 – £600

Price Points: Yellow climbing roses

Yellow climbing roses | H is for Home

The exterior of our cottage is whitewashed with bright yellow doors and window frames. Since moving in last Autumn, we’ve been watching the plants and shrubs in the garden come into flower. We’ve been trying to hold back on buying any new ones until we know exactly what we already have. One thing we know we want to get is a climbing rose, to be planted in a vintage zinc dolly tub, outside our front door.

We’re carrying through the colour of the house into the nearby planting. Last year, we added in a few cheery pots of pansies and put in a selection of dwarf daffodils that we hope will spread and naturalise. The three yellow climbing roses below are on our short-list for adorning the front of the house.

  1. Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot: £19.99, Amazon

    One of the best yellow roses released, and thus awarded an RHS Award of Garden Merit, Rosa ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’ is repeat flowering right up until autumn, with large, golden-yellow floribunda blooms and glossy green foliage – it will look wonderful wherever you decide to plant it. Perfect for growing in containers and small spaces, this robust, semi-double rose is a real winner. Make sure you plant it somewhere that you can enjoy its strong rose-fragrance which sets the blooms off beautifully. As a recipient of an RHS AGM, you can be sure that this is a garden-worthy plant which will perform as expected. Climbing roses bring height and a sense of plenty to the garden, where they are normally grown along house walls and fences but are also perfect for growing up obelisks, arches and trellises. Growing to a height of around 3m, Arthur Bell will repeat flower throughout the year, adding much needed colour to the garden when other plants have finished. Supplied as a freshly potted, British grown, professional quality plant in a 4L pot.

  2. ‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift: £27.98, Tree2MyDoor

    Golden Showers Climbing Rose Gift flaunts radiant flowers all summer long, bringing natural style and wonderful fragrances to your loved one’s garden. Its enduring symbolism of friendship and joy make it a thoughtful gift to give.
    Early spring encourages glossy, dark green leaves, shoots, and buds to grow. Soon after in the late spring and summer, the buds open to reveal golden yellow blooms.
    • Deciduous rose bush (no leaves between Nov-Mar)
    • Arrives with a height of 40-50cm
    • Shoots and buds arrive in spring, flowers arrive in summer
    • Blooms have a delicate scent
    • Recommend planted growth against a sunny wall
    • Fully hardy in UK climates
    • Pot size from 3.5L to 4.5L dependent on season

  3. Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber: £29.99, eBay

    A repeat-flowering climbing rose that produces very fragrant golden-yellow blooms continuously throughout the season. The glossy mid-green foliage has excellent disease resistance. 4L pot. Suitable for walls, pergolas and obelisks and easily trained.

shop yellow climbing roses

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
£29.99
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
£27.98
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
£19.99
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
£29.99
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
£27.98
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
£19.99
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
£29.99
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
£27.98
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
£19.99
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
£29.99
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
£27.98
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
£19.99
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber
£29.99
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift
£27.98
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot
£19.99

Gimme Five: Tumbling tomatoes

'Gimme Five' blog post banner

Selection of 5 types of tumbling tomatoes

Our potatoes have been chitted & planted out, the first of our veg seedlings have sprouted, it’s time to start thinking about getting some tomatoes started.

Our garden (and allotment for that matter) is really shady, a definite no-no for sun-worshipping toms. The sun only hits our back garden from around 1pm, and only at a height of 4 foot and above. We have a tall, south-facing fence so we’ve decided to try growing tumbling tomatoes along it. We have a couple of hanging baskets and just bought some hanging grow bags.

Mark Ridsdill Smith aka the Vertical Veg Man recommends ‘Cherry Cascade’ for hanging baskets. In a Telegraph gardening trial ‘Hundreds and Thousands’ came out tops. After some research, we’ve come up with this short-list of tumbling tomato contenders.

  1. Tomato ‘Tumbling Tom Yellow’ (10 seeds): £2.25, Marshalls
  2. Tomato ‘Gartenperle’ (25 seeds): £1.49, Crocus
  3. Tomato ‘Cherry Falls’ (15 seeds): £3.19, Mr Fothergill’s
  4. Tomato ‘Romello’ F1 hybrid (6 seeds): £3.99, Thompson & Morgan
  5. Tomato ‘Hundreds and Thousands’ (8 seeds): £3.99, Suttons