You get to nose around someone else’s garden – Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like having a good look around other people’s gardens? Unfortunately sometimes the gardens you most want to visit aren’t always open to the public. Well this is where the National Garden Scheme might just come to the rescue, with approximately 3,700 gardens all over the country being opened for one or more days a year for the general public to take a look around.
You’re helping to raise money for charity – The National Garden Scheme is the most significant charitable funder of nursing charities in the country, donating over £50 million so far for The Queen’s Nursing Institute, Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Carers Trust, Hospice UK, Perennial, Parkinson’s UK and other guest charities. Garden owners work tirelessly to ensure that their gardens look their best for the open days often despite the unpredictable British weather being against them.
Cake! – Who can say ‘no’ to a slice of cake and a cuppa after wandering around a garden? For many visitors this is just as important a part of the visit as the garden itself and a chance to sit back and take in the lovely surroundings.
Old friends – A date in the diary to look around a garden can be the perfect excuse to catch up with old friends who share your passion for plants and gardens.
New friends – An NGS open garden can be just the place to meet new friends. Maybe you’ve been chatting to someone on social media for months, what better way to meet in person for the first time? Or perhaps you might strike up a friendship with the garden owner through your mutual love of all things horticultural?
Plant sales – It’s a well-known fact that gardeners can never have too many plants. So any opportunity to buy another plant surely has to be a good thing? Many garden owners sell plants on their open days to increase the funds raised and give visitors the opportunity to purchase some of the plants that they’ve seen. Quite often these won’t be the plants that you’ll find offered at your local garden centre, so keep your eyes peeled for something a little different.
Tips and advice – Gardeners are by nature a generous bunch and open days give visitors the chance to ask questions about the plants they see growing and maybe learn some useful tips to deal with problems they might have back home in their own gardens.
Inspiration – Wandering around other people’s gardens can be quite inspirational. The smaller gardens can often reveal a clever use of space and solutions to awkward areas in your own plot. Perhaps you’ll take some design ideas home with you, or maybe a plant combination that you particularly love. Whatever it is be sure to take plenty of photographs to remind you later on once you are back in your own garden.
Open your garden – Who knows, you may even decide to open your own garden to the public. If friends and family enjoy looking at your garden then the chances are that other people will too. The NGS offer plenty of support and guidance to people opening their own gardens for the first time.
Cake – Did I mention cake? I did? Well that lemon drizzle cake was particularly tempting, it would be rude not to, oh go on then, (the diet starts tomorrow)!
First Published: 30th April 2018