The Long Barn
The Long Barn

August welcomes summer perennials and annual flowers which flower late into autumn and NGS open gardens provide some of the best displays to be seen in Norfolk.

On the Saturday 6th August The Long Barn at Newton Flotman, NR15 1QX is a garden new to the NGS and with a Mediterranean-style influenced planting the packed herbaceous borders are full of colour and set around a magnificent barn conversion.

RECTORY COTTAGE in Congham, PE32 1DU is a dream of a cottage garden, where borders are filled with a wide variety of herbaceous plants. There are shaded beds; a gravel garden; mature trees; wildlife pond and shrubbery. Banthams roam around and an active dovecote complete the picture in the shadow of a lovely village church. Julia Stafford Allen, County Organiser, comments “We are particularly grateful that Jonathan and Sarah Beart have kindly agreed to go ahead with opening their garden for us because Sarah has been recovering from courageously donating one of her kidneys to help her seriously ill brother. He is recovering well and Sarah is back working hard in the garden”.

38 Gorse Road

On the 14th August there are no less than four gardens to view in Norwich.  38 Gorse Road and 33 Orchard Close are having a combined open day. These town gardens are full of great design ideas and full of colourful planting combinations. 68 Elm Grove Lane reflects owner Selwyn Taylor’s skill in extending his living space into the garden with rich colours and plenty of surprises! At 4 Wensum Crescent in Lower Hellesdon there is a perfect illustration of how much can be achieved in developing a two and half acre plot in just three years! Plenty of well thought out design and planting interest for all year.

Oxnead Hall near Norwich NR10 5HP opens on the 21st August and has 14 acres of gardens originating from 1580 and remarkably still largely intact. There is a series of Italianate courtyards and terraces embellished with statuary. Further renovation is underway which include a parterre, water garden, lake, herbaceous borders and walled kitchen garden.

All the gardens highlighted will be serving delicious home-made teas and your visit will be helping to raise much needed funds for the vital nursing and caring charities supported by the NGS.

More details and information on these and other gardens to be open in August for the Norfolk NGS can be found in the yellow booklet which is free and readily available in libraries, tourist information, nurseries and garden centres. Visit our website at  www.ngs.org.uk or follow us on Twitter

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Sat 6 Aug

THE LONG BARN, Newton Flotman, Norwich NR15 1QX

Open (11-5)  Adm £5, chd free. Teas. 

Herbaceous borders and woodland garden mainly created in 2014 around sympathetic barn conversion in parkland setting. Strong Mediterranean influences around outdoor pool, a walled group of olive trees and a courtyard feature.

Sun 7 Aug

RECTORY COTTAGE   Congham, King’s Lynn PE32 1DU.

Open (11-6). Adm £4.50, chd free. Light refreshments.  

An established plant-lover’s cottage garden in ¾ acre, next to the Church. Borders filled with colour and a wide variety of herbaceous plants; shaded beds; gravel garden; mature trees; wildlife pond and shrubbery. A tranquil garden with several sitting areas, summerhouse, free-roaming bantams and white doves. Homemade refreshments. Plants for sale.
Sun 7, Sun 14 Aug

NORTH LODGE 51 Bowthorpe Road, Norwich NR2 3TN.

Open (11-5). Adm £3.50, chd free. Home-made teas.

Town garden of almost 1/5 acre on difficult triangular plot surrounding Victorian Gothic Cemetery Lodge (not open). Strong structure and attention to internal vista with Gothic conservatory, formal ponds and water features, Oriental water garden, classical temple and 80ft deep well! Predominantly herbaceous planting. Self-guided walk around associated historic parkland cemetery also available.

Sun 14 Aug

33 ORCHARD CLOSE Norwich NR7 9NZ.

Open(11-4). Combined adm with 38 Gorse Road £4, chd free. Light refreshments.

A small city garden with a central pond and various colour themed borders planted with dahlias, grasses and perennials and lots of pleasant features.

38 GORSE ROAD Norwich NR7 0AY.

Open (11-4). Combined adm with 33 Orchard Close £4, chd free. Home-made teas.

A plantsman’s cottage style garden, including mixed borders of perennials (some unusual), shrubs, roses and grasses. Woodland area, small bog garden and white garden. A curving gravel path, between lawned area, leading to summerhouse with a beach themed area.

4 WENSUM CRESCENT, Lower Hellesdon Norwich NR6 5DL.

Open 12-5 Adm £3, chd free. Home-made teas.

Site was completely cleared May 2013 so a relatively new garden with some interesting and unusual plants including lots of evergreens, so it looks good all year round. Designed to create interesting views from around the garden with different patio and seating areas throughout. A bespoke garden room was built on site for lazy afternoons.

68 ELM GROVE LANE Norwich NR3 3LF.

Open (11- 4). Adm £3, chd free. Home-made teas. Selection of homemade cakes incl gluten free.

This extended living/working space is the owner’s endeavour to redefine a suburban garden and to provide inspiration when viewed from his studio window. Aesthetic values, initially took precedent over gardening know-how, but over 30 years a more balanced approach has resulted in an eclectic array of informal planting, rich in colour and form and full of surprises.

SEVERALS GRANGE Holt Road, Wood Norton NR20 5BL. Open (1-5). Adm £3, chd free. Home-made teas.

The gardens surrounding Severals Grange and the adjoining nursery Hoecroft Plants are a perfect example of how colour, shape and form can be created by the use of foliage plants, from large shrubs to small alpines. Movement and lightness are achieved by interspersing these plants with a wide range of ornamental grasses, which are at their best in late summer. Extensive range of ornamental grasses herbaceous plants and shrubs in various garden settings.

Sun 21 Aug

OXNEAD HALL Oxnead, Norwich NR10 5HP.

Open (2-5). Adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas.

The 14 acre gardens were laid out by the Pastons between 1580 and 1660 and are largely intact. The design consists of a series of Italianate courtyards and terraces which are embellished with statuary. The gardens are undergoing renovation with guidance from George Carter and now incl a parterre, viewing mound, water garden, lake, herbaceous borders, walled kitchen garden, and woodland.

YEOMAN’S COTTAGE  Rockland All Saints, Attleborough NR17 1TU. Open Aug (11-5). Adm £3, chd free. Home-made teas.

Artist and Plantswoman’s cottage garden ! Lots packed into 0.4 acre: ‘Hot’ border; ‘Pale and Interesting’ border; Exotic-ish lush bed, Shady woodland ‘hop’; ‘Dry river bed’ gravel garden; Cutting Garden; Wildlife pond; Sculptures and ‘Found Art’.

Sat 27, Sun 28 Aug

SUIL NA MARA  Bacton, Norwich NR12 0LG.

Open(11-5.30). Adm £3.50, chd free. Light refreshments.

This 1/4 acre exotic garden incorporates more than 240 plant varieties in an unusual mix of lush semi tropical planting meets Norfolk Coast meets Industrial and rural decay. Set in a series of garden rooms the striking architectural plants mixed with beachcombed wood, rusty metal and unusual water features all provides plenty to look at and enjoy.

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