Four Norfolk Gardens Set To Embrace Snowdrop Festival

>February Events / >March Events / charities / Events in Norfolk and Suffolk / Gardens and Gardening / Tourist Attractions Norfolk and Suffolk / walks / Wildlife February 8, 2016

The National Gardens Scheme is excited to invite members of the public to enjoy its first ever Snowdrop Festival in February 2016.

The Festival will see more than one hundred gardens open across England and Wales through the month of February, giving visitors the opportunity to see veritable carpets of beautiful snowdrops and watch spring slowly unfurl from winter. Supported by Visit England, the Snowdrop Festival will kick-off Visit England’s ‘Year of the English Garden 2016’ campaign.

And you don’t have to be a ‘galanthophile’ to enjoy the Snowdrop Festival. George Plumptre, Chief Executive of The National Gardens Scheme, says:

‘With not very much to do outside at this time of year, a visit to a Snowdrop Festival garden is the perfect way to get some fresh air and really start looking forward to Spring. Whether you want to admire the different varieties of snowdrops or just have a walk in lovely surroundings, visiting a National Gardens Scheme garden in February will be the perfect escape.’

Visitors to Snowdrop Festival gardens will also have the benefit of knowing that their entrance fee is supporting wonderful causes; the National Gardens Scheme currently donates over £2.6 million annually to its nursing and caring beneficiary charities, which include Marie Curie and Carers Trust.

In Norfolk the Festival gets underway with Mathew and Caroline Fleming’s magnificent garden at Horstead House in Mill Road, Horstead, NR12 7AU, where there is a walk alongside the river through millions of snowdrops. The garden opens on Saturday February 20th from 11am to 4pm admission is £4 with free entry for children. Homemade teas available.

On Sunday 21st February, on the otherside of the county is Bagthorpe Hall, near East Rudham, PE31 6QY with masses of snowdrops along a scenic walks. Delicious warming soup made from vegetables grown on the estate farm will be available after your winter walk.The gardens are open from 11am to 4pm and admission is £4.00, children free.

On the 3^rd and 6^th March there are over 80 varieties of snowdrops to grab your attention at Chestnut Farm in West Beckham NR25 6NX. Here there will also be plenty of other late winter flowers to admire with some heavenly scented shrubs. Owners John and Judy McNeil Wilson have over 50 years of gardening expertise and are always keen to share their knowledge with visitors. The gardens are open from 11 to 4pm, admission is £5 with children free. Refreshments will be available.

Also on Sunday 6^th March we are delighted that the president of The Royal Horticultural Society, Sir Nicholas Bacon is opening his garden at Raveningham Hall, Raveningham near Norwich NR14 6NS. There will be plenty of snowdrops on display in this renowned country house garden. The gardens are open from 11 to 4pm, admission is £5 with children free and home-made teas available

Details of all NGS gardens opening for the Snowdrop Festival can be found on the NGS website: www.ngs.org.uk

Founded in 1927, The National Gardens Scheme (NGS) has donated more than £45 million to charity.

The NGS gave £2.637 million to its beneficiary charities in 2015 from money raised by opening gardens in England and Wales the previous year.

Charities supported by the National Gardens Scheme include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Carers Trust, The Queen’s Nursing Institute and Perennial.

Supported by Visit England, the National Gardens Scheme’s first Snowdrop Festival will see over one hundred gardens open for snowdrops over the month of February 2016.

The 2016 edition of Gardens To Visit (formerly called The Yellow Book) listing opening details of nearly 3800 gardens, is now available to purchase from the NGS website – www.ngs.org.uk