A floral repatriation is taking place at Benton End House and volunteers are hoping even more will make their way back to the gardens made famous by Cedric Morris.

Lucy Skellorn, newsletter editor for Benton End, made the plea to gardeners everywhere asking: "Are you in possession of plants that came from Benton End?" She added: "We are looking to reunite plants once grown by Cedric. If you can help with this we would love to hear from you."

Although the gardeners are not looking to return the garden to its former incarnation, or to recreate a time and a certain energy that cannot be recreated, they say it feels enlivening to see some of Benton End's floral residents repatriated.

Lucy added: "As is well-known, Morris was fairly unique in appointing a plants executor (friend and horticultural comrade, Jenny Robinson) to dig up and disperse the majority of his garden plants after his death — parcelled away in a spirit of continued generosity to friends and plant collectors across the country.

"Their descendants — divisions, seeds, cuttings and seedlings — are beginning to trickle back. From Frances Mount, who assisted Morris in the garden at Benton End through its latter years, we now have plants including dainty Anemonella thalictroides, Geranium malviflorum and Iris foetidissima var. citrina.

"Fiona Bonny, who also gardened with Morris, has kindly donated, among others, divisions of pretty Asphodelus lutea and an intriguing giant hogweed. And in the post just recently arrived beautifully packaged bulbs of Narcissus 'Cedric Morris' and the two snowdrops born of Benton: Galanthus 'Benton Magnet' and G. 'Cedric's Prolific'. These were sent by Jane Rowlinson of fantastic bulb specialists, 'Morlas Plants' in Shropshire, suppliers of rare snowdrops and erythroniums, predominantly."

All plants have for now been accommodated and labelled within two stock beds in the top garden — one shadier than the other — the digging-over of which was among the tasks that have kept me both warm and occupied through the winter months.

If you can help contact: [email protected]