How Hill Farm gardens
How Hill Farm gardens

The gardens opening in May for the Norfolk National Gardens Scheme(NGS) yield a kaleidoscope of colours ranging from carpets of bluebells to the bright yellow and orange azaleas and bold blooms of massed rhododendrons. Here is just a taste of the gardens on view:

During the early May Bank Holiday weekend on Sunday May 1st and Monday 2nd Lake House at Brundall features a series of spectacular ponds descending through a colourful woodland to the shore of a lake. Octogenarian owner Janet Muter is living proof that gardening is good for you!

This garden is opening jointly with Plovers Hill at nearby Strumpshaw and is excellent value at £7 per person with free entry for children. Witton Hall near North Walsham also opens on Sunday 1st May and is the place for bluebells and natural woodland walks.

Opening onSaturday May 14th is The Merchants House in Blakeney  featuring a secret walled garden and much more to see in a two acre garden. A perfect reason to visit the beautiful North Norfolk coast.

Holme Hale Hall on May 15th is worth a visit to see the latest developments in its well-known walled gardens together with displays of Alliums and Wisteria at their best.

On May 22nd How Hill Farm at Ludham the  garden is a must visit with fabulous broadland views, masses of colourful azaleas and rhododendrons and many unique architectural fragments on display.

The Old Rectory at Brandon Parva also opens on May 22nd and is a garden full of surprises, with secret compartments all linked by pergolas covered in wisterias, clematis and roses. If you look carefully you will come across an immaculate croquet lawn and even better, all the kit for a game, everyone is welcome to have a go!

Completing the the month on May 29th is Warborough House at Stiffkey, a 7 acre garden of contrasts with formal terraces, a walled garden and woodland walks. A bonus is the view across the Stiffkey valley and to the coast.

More details and information on these and the other six May gardens is in the Norfolk NGS yellow booklet which is readily available in libraries, tourist information centres, nurseries and garden centres.

Also available at www.ngs.org.uk

Lake House Garden
Lake House Garden

Sun 1 and Mon 2 May

LAKE HOUSE Postwick Lane, Roman Drive, Brundall NR13 5LU.

Open (11-5). Combined adm with Plovers Hill £7, chd free. Homemade

teas at Plovers Hill, Strumpshaw.

In the centre of Brundall Gardens, a series of ponds descends through a wooded valley to the shore of a lake. Steep paths wind through a variety of shrubs and flowers in season, which attract many kinds of rare birds, dragonflies and mammals

PLOVERS HILL Buckenham Road, Strumpshaw NR13 4NL

Open (11-5) Combined adm with Lake House £7, chd free. Homemade teas.

1-acre garden of contrasts, small C18 house (not open) with RIBA award winning orangery. Formal lawn hedged with yew and lesser species, huge mulberry, gingko, liquidambar and Japanese bitter orange,herbaceous borders with a range of varied plants and spring bulbs. Kitchen garden with orchard and soft fruits. Garden sculptures. Water feature. Cast aluminium silver birches.

WRETHAM LODGE East Wretham IP24 1RL.

Open (11-5). Adm £4, chd free.

In spring masses of species tulips, hellebores, fritillaries, daffodils and narcissi; bluebell walk. Walled garden, with fruit and interesting vegetable plots. Mixed borders and fine old trees. Double herbaceous borders.

Wild flower meadows.

Mon 2 May

WITTON HALL, Old Hall Road, North Walsham NR28 9UF.

Open (12-4). Adm £3, chd free. Light refreshments.

A natural woodland garden. Walk past the handkerchief tree and wander through carpets of English bluebells, rhododendrons and azaleas. Walk from the garden down the field to the church. Stunning views over farmland to the sea.

Sat 14 May

THE MERCHANTS HOUSE Blakeney, Holt NR25 7NT

Open (1-5). Adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas.

2 acres of walled secret garden with terrace woodland walk, parterre, shrub borders, orchard, kitchen garden, herbaceous border and ice house. Dogs on leads.

Sun 15 May

BOLWICK HALL Marsham NR10 5PU.

Open (1-5). Adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas.

Landscaped gardens and park surrounding a late Georgian hall. The original garden design is attributed to Humphry Repton. The currentowners have rejuvenated the borders, planted gravel and formal gardens and clad the walls of the house in old roses.

Enjoy a woodland walk around the lake as well as as stroll through the working vegetable and fruit garden

HOLME HALE HALL  Holme Hale, Thetford IP25 7ED. 

Open (12-4). Adm £5, chd free. Light refreshments

Noted for its spring display of tulips and aliums, historic wisteria plus mid and late summer flowering. Walled kitchen garden and front garden designed and planted in 2000 by Chelsea winner Arne Maynard. The garden incorporates herbaceous borders, trained fruit, vegetables and traditional greenhouse. The garden is going to be rejuvenated by Arne Maynard in 2016. Kitchen Garden, tearoom and plants for sale.

Thurs 19 May

SHERINGHAM PARK Wood Farm Visitors Centre, UpperSheringham NR26 8TL. Open (10-5). Adm by donation. Light refreshments in Courtyard Cafe.

80 acres of species rhododendron, azalea and magnolia. Also numerous specimen trees incl handkerchief tree. Viewing towers, waymarked walks, sea and parkland views. No admission charge to Sheringham Park, car park charge payable, £5.20

Sun 22 May

HOW HILL FARM  Ludham NR29 5PG.

Open (1-5). Adm £5, chd free.Home-made teas.

Broadland garden. 2 very different gardens around the house. 3rd garden started 1968 on green field site with 3 acre broad dug 1978 with views of Turf Fen Mill, R Ant and Reedham Marshes. Approx 12 acres incl Broad, 4 ponds, site of old Broad with 100yr old Tussock sedges 5ft tall, approx 1 acre of indigenous ferns under oak and alder. Paths through rare conifers, rhododendrons, azaleas, ornamental trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Collection of holly species and varieties. Various very old stone carvings used for seats, excellentvistas.


LEXHAM HALL nr Litcham PE32 2QJ

Open (11-5). Adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas and plants for sale.

Fine C17/18 Hall (not open). Parkland with lake and river walks. Formal garden with terraces, yew hedges, roses and mixed borders. Traditional kitchen garden with crinkle crankle wall. A garden of all year round interest. Acid loving shrubs are the highlight in May, and rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias dominate the 3 acre woodland garden. Fine trees. Bulbs, emerging perennials and shrubs in the walled garden borders.

lexham-hall

Lexham Hall Celebrates 50 Years of Open Gardens

Lexham Hall, near Litcham will achieve a remarkable fifty years of opening its gardens for the National Gardens Scheme in Norfolk when it opens on the 22nd May. Set in parkland with its formal gardens, colourful woodland walks and historic walled garden complete with a crinkle crankle wall, Lexham Hall has always been a popular attraction for visitors.

The House was derelict and the gardens non-existent when William and Jean Foster bought Lexham just after the Second World War in 1946. The only feature of note was the walled garden which was given over to the production of fruit and vegetables. Once the house had been restored the renowned garden designer Dame Sylvia Crowe was called in to help design many of the garden features that can be seen today.

Jean Foster, a keen plantswoman, set about planting the gardens and in 1966 Lexham opened for the first time for the NGS. Her son Neil took over the estate in 1989 and with his wife Anthea has continued enthusiastically to develop the gardens introducing an extensive range of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias, lengthening the season of interest with bulbs, perennials and many unusual shrubs and trees.

The links to the NGS were strengthened when Anthea served as County Organiser for over 20 years and Neil continues to carry out the vital role of Treasurer. Current County Organiser, Julia Stafford Allen comments “ The NGS here in Norfolk owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Foster family for not only allowing us all to share their wonderful gardens for a fantastic 50 years but also to Neil and Anthea personally for all they have done for the NGS in raising vital funds for the nursing and caring charities we support.”

THE OLD RECTORY BRANDON PARVA  NR9 4DL

Open (11-5). Adm £4.50, chd free. Home-made teas.

4-acre, mature garden with large collection (70)  specimen trees, huge variety of shrubs and herbaceous plants combined to makebeautiful mixed borders. The garden comprises several formal lawns and borders, woodland garden incl rhododendrons, pond garden,walled garden and pergolas covered in wisteria, roses and clematis which create long shady walkways. Croquet lawn open for visitors toplay.

Tue 24 May

STODY LODGE Melton Constable NR24  2ER.

Open (1-5). Adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas.

Spectacular gardens with one of the largest concentrations of rhododendrons and azaleas in East Anglia. Created in the 1920s, the gardens also feature magnolias, camellias, a variety of ornamental and specimen trees, late daffodils, tulips and bluebells. Expansive lawns and magnificent yew hedges. Woodland walks and 2 acre Water Gardens filled with over 2,000 vividly-coloured azalea mollis.

Sun 30 May

CHESTNUT FARM, West Beckham NR25 6NX. 

Open (11-4) Adm £5, chd free  Light lunches and teas available.

garden for all seasons with recent additions, created over 50yrs by enthusiastic plant lovers.Lawns, formal areas, herbaceous borders,vegetables and fruit.Woodland garden and small arboretum. Handkerchief tree, Tulip tree, Ginko etc.