National Garden Scheme Article - June/July 25
Our Garden Gates Are Opening!
Warwickshire & West Midlands Garden Owners are poised to welcome enthusiastic visitors. There’s a fabulous range of locations to explore, from villages (Honington, Whichford & Ascott, Tysoe, Warmington, Berkswell, Bournville, Ansley, Old Arley), to towns (Hall Green, Lillington, Solihull, Styvechale, Kenilworth).
With historic estate gardens at Packington Hall, Maxstoke Castle and Guy’s Cliffe, plus gardens supporting communities (Thrive Birmingham and Solihull’s therapeutically important Marie Curie Hospice), there really is a garden to entice each and every visitor. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in many gardens, often featuring plant sales alongside celebrated home-baking and afternoon teas.
Last year, modest gate fees raised a spectacular £3,501,227 providing real support for our vital palliative nursing and gardening beneficiary charities.
With selected highlights listed below, an impressive 107 gardens will open for us, including 17 new to our region this summer. For full details of all openings, please visit ngs.org.uk.Thank you.
Sunday 1st June
Hardwick Hill (new) Lower End, Priors Hardwick, Southam, CV47 7SP
2pm-5pm, £7.50, children free, refreshments
5-acre garden owned and designed by Candida Kelly who trained at Chelsea Physic Garden. Views to Malverns, mature trees, espaliered Malus, wildflower meadow, beehives, vegetable garden, wild roses, weeping pear and buckthorn.
Sunday 8th June
Honington Village Shipston on Stour, CV36 5AA
1.30pm-5.30pm, £7, children free, homemade teas on Village Green
Nine enchanting gardens, from grand parterres to charming cottages, in C17 village recorded in Domesday Book.
Sunday 15th June
Maxstoke Castle Coleshill, B46 2RD
11am-5pm, £12, children free, prebooking essential at www.maxstokecastle.com. Refreshments and plant sale
Fathers’ Day opening of spectacular 14th century moated castle with 5 acres of gardens and grounds; abundant roses, herbaceous plants shrubs, tour of ceremonial castle rooms.
Tuesday 1st July
Monksbridge (new) Butlers Marston, CV35 0NA
9am-3pm, £8, children free
Featured on Warwickshire NGS booklet cover. Parterre, Japanese and kitchen gardens, stone circle, wildflower walks.
Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th July
Tysoe Village (5 new) CV35 0TR
2pm-6pm, £7, children free, cash only for plant sales and homemade teas at Village Hall
Nine delightful gardens in this Hornton stone village on the North East foothills of Cotswolds, below Edge Hill.
Saturday 12th July
Thrive Birmingham (new) Kings Heath, B14 7TQ
10.30am-3pm, £5, children free, teas, plant sale
2-acre site known historically as the Television Garden in partnership started between Birmingham City Council and ATV Television in 1972. Thrive is the national gardening charity using horticulture to improve physical and mental health.
Raised beds, borders, ponds, plus 3 designer gardens created by Dan Pearson, Bonita Bulaitis and John Brookes.
We all know that gardens are good for our health; last month, the National Garden Scheme published its 5th online edition of The Little Yellow Book of Gardens and Health (ngs.org.uk/gardens-and-health-week/). This year, its 105 varied pages explore the theme of “Green Medicine”, with gloriously illustrated and uplifting articles looking at different ways that gardens offer a viable and effective alternative to standard clinical responses. You will find a visit to this online offering truly inspirational…
Words & Images © Lily Farrah
