See how the gardens grow (From Advertiser Series)

See how the gardens grow

8:48am Monday 1st June 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share

You know what it’s like… you walk down a street and, without realising it, you find yourself peeking over garden walls.

There’s something about other people’s gardens that draws us to them. It might be that you covet what you see, or it could be that your garden is so much better, so you can allow yourself a smile of derision.

Checking out other people’s gardens can become an addiction, but you can get help for that. It’s called the National Garden Scheme, which offers the chance to not only visit some stunning gardens both large and small, but also help raise money for worthy causes.

Last year the good folk of Yorkshire contributed around £100,000 by visiting more than 100 private gardens open under the scheme.

Overall, more than £2 million was donated to the NGS beneficiary charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Crossroads – Caring for Carers and Help the Hospices.

The 2009 edition of NGS Gardens Open For Charity lists some 3,600 gardens county by county, and most are private and not otherwise open to the public. Popularly known as The Yellow Book, it’s a top seller and available in bookshops, priced at £8.99, or you may find your local library has a copy.

These gardens are bound to appeal to and inspire visitors. Formal and informal, traditional and quirky – some with woodland walks or fine views, others with National Plant Collections and yet more with dramatic features.

There’s a huge variety of settings and growing conditions, from the magic of 13th century Coverham Abbey, near Middleham, to the small, suburban, sloping garden at The Orchard in Cookridge, with almost everything in between.

You can search out gardens with a Mediterranean influence specialising in exotics, secret gardens with hidden surprises, or fascinating water gardens that are a haven for wildlife. A glimpse through the book will reveal allotments, town gardens, school gardens, perhaps even a prison garden – the variety is endless and every garden offers enough to interest visitors for at least 45 minutes, and entry costs from as little as £2.50 to £5.

As Toby Buckland, presenter of the BBC Gardeners’ World, says: “I always think of The Yellow Book as an adventure guide for gardeners, taking you to places, towns and villages you wouldn’t ordinarily visit.”

Most gardens will have a plant stall, some even have plant fairs, and you can count on the proud owners to offer expert advice.

Evening openings are becomingly increasingly popular, and what a great way to unwind after a busy day – a gentle stroll around a beautiful garden with perhaps a glass of wine. What could be nicer?

Hill Top in Ilkley is a delightful, steep, north-facing garden on the edge of Ilkley Moor. A sheltered Victorian woodland with a flowing tapestry of foliage, shade-loving flowers, a stream and meandering gravel path, the steep steps give ‘Dingley Dell’ a touch of magic.

Hill Top is open in June, as is Brookfield in Oxenhope. A regular participant in the scheme, the one-acre garden includes a large pond with an island. You can indulge in the home-made teas which will be available, and there’s also a quiz for children.

Birstwith Hall, owned by Sir James and Lady Aykroyd, in High Birstwith, near Harrogate, is ideal if you want to visit a large garden. Here there are eight acres of garden nestling in a secluded dale with formal garden, ornamental orchard, picturesque stream, large pond and a Victorian greenhouse.

There are gardens open throughout the summer and into autumn. For instance, The Grange, in Carleton, which opens in July and August, is a plantsman’s garden of more than four acres, with features restored by the owners during the last 12 years.

In August, you can visit the historic manor house of Austwick Hall, near Settle. Set in dramatic limestone scenery, you can explore formal terraces with herbaceous borders divided by lawns and dry stone walls. Featured in many a glossy magazine, you must see the juniper-lined walk which leads to a jungle garden.

These private gardens have personality and charm in a way that grand gardens permanently open to the public cannot easily sustain, and always at the back of your mind when you visit an NGS garden is the knowledge that your money will help a good cause.

You’ll also come home with lots of inspiration... and no doubt plenty of plants.

Factfile

Hill Top, Westwood Drive, Ilkley, LS29 9RS, is open on Wednesday, June 3, from 11am to 4.30pm. Admission £2.50, children free. Brookfield, New Lane, Oxenhope BD22 9HS, is open on Sunday, June 21, and Wednesday, June 24, from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. Admission is £3, children free. The Grange, Carla Beck Lane, Carleton, BD23 3BU, is open Wednesday, July 22, and August 5 and 12 from 1pm to 5pm. Admission £3.50, children free. Birstwith Hall, High Birstwith, near Harrogate, is open on Sunday, June 14, from 2pm to 5pm. Admission £3.50, children free. Austwick Hall, Town Head Lane, Austwick, near Settle, LA2 8BS. Open Sunday, August 16, from noon to 5pm. Admission £2.50, children free. The Yellow Book, containing details of all the gardens, can be obtained, price £8.99, from bookshops, online at ngs.org.uk or by calling (01483) 211535.

• Print
• Email
• Share