Tom Nicholls visited Ticknall Gardening Club on 11th February 2025. Until recently he was the senior gardener at York Gate Garden in Adel, near York and was instrumental in the development of the sand garden there.
At York Gate the sand garden is made up of about 3 ft of sand and the plants were directly planted into it without any addition of compost, soil or organic matter. Roots are washed meticulously before planting as any compost left on the root ball could freeze in winter and cause damage to the plants. Rocks of various sizes were later added to give the garden a more naturalistic look, and protect the plants and bulbs from frost and predators.
Planting in sand is a fairly new garden movement and whilst experimental, it has been proven to offer a range of benefits for both the gardener, plants and the environment. It is considered eco-friendly as the plants require less watering than would be the case in a traditional garden.
As sand heats up quicker than soil and retains heat longer, more tender plants can thrive and the growing season for some less hardy plants is extended. Growing in sand encourages plants to be more robust and reduces the risk of root rot and other similar diseases. It has the added benefit of requiring less maintenance, weeding, watering and reduced pesticide usage. Indeed, many common weeds are unable to germinate in sand.
Studies have shown that some of the established sand gardens in the UK have greater biodiversity than traditional gardens and have become home to rare bee and moth species. It is anticipated that, in time, this will lead to wider biodiversity in the local vicinity.
Tom highlighted several established sand gardens across the UK including Sissinghurst, the Tribute Garden at Whiteside and Rill Hyde Hall. One of the oldest sand gardens is Woodlands in the Wolds by Bob and Ann Armstrong.
Internationally one of the main advocates of gardening in sand is Peter Korn and his partner Julia Andersson at Klinta Trädgård in Sweden. All plants in their nursery are grown in sand, which has the added benefit of reducing both transportation costs and plastic usage as the plants are all bare rooted. Tom showed the group a number of photos of the site being developed and other garden projects being undertaken across Sweden by Peter Korn.
Tom’s enthusiasm for sand gardens and the environment was captivating and thought provoking. He is so passionate about sand gardens that he is moving to Sweden to work with Peter Korn in the coming months!
Leave a Reply