A thin copse of beech and pine shelters the narrow lane from the east winds. With a cut field to the left, there’s nothing remarkable about this country road west of Newcastle. Round a bend though, and there, seen over a stone wall, is an uplifting view like the first glimpse of the sea when I was a child. It’s the circus dazzle of row upon row of dahlias, multicoloured, vivid, extravagant, and something I come to feast on every year.
The family-run plant nursery of Halls of Heddon has been here since 1921 when William Hall, returning injured from the first world war, was advised by his doctor to work outdoors. Renting an overgrown two-acre garden near Hadrian’s Wall, and with the help of his brother, he cleared the derelict land. Establishing a nursery, he sold the vegetables and produce in local villages by pony and trap.
