national-gardens-festival-weekend-banner

LARGEST EVER NATIONAL GARDEN OPENING FESTIVAL SET TO RAISE £500,000 FOR NURSING AND CARING CHARITIES

Private gardens across England and Wales will open their gates to the public during 15-16 June 2013 for the first ever National Gardens Festival Weekend. Set to be the largest garden visiting event in history, with 800 openings planned over the two days, the Festival is being organised by the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) and aims to raise £500,000 for nursing and caring charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care and  Carers Trust.

national-gardens-festival-weekend3

In Norfolk seven great gardens will be open during the Festival weekend starting at Shammer House in North Creake opening for the first time with a lovely walled garden and Wethered Manor at Sedgeford featuring a suprising variety of garden rooms and a conservatory for relaxing homemade teas. Both these gardens are open on Saturday and Sunday so plenty of opportunity to fit in a visit!

On Sunday The Conifers at Wreningham has three ponds, well stocked borders and roses to admire. The Dutch house, Ludham is opening for a magnificent 20thyear and is a romantic naturalistic garden first planted by the painter Edward Seago. High House Gardens in Shipdham is a plantsmans paradise with colour themed perennial borders and much more to explore. The weekend is completed with the well known National Trust properties at Felbrigg and Oxburgh Hall helping the NGS to reach the challenging £500,000 target for the supported charities.

national-gardens-festival-weekend1

Thanks to the hard work of garden owners and the enduring enthusiasm of visitors, the NGS has donated £25million to nursing and caring charities over the past 10 years and is Macmillan Cancer Support’s biggest ever donor. Over half a million people visited gardens opened in support of the NGS last year.

George Plumptre, Chief Executive of The National Gardens Scheme, says: “We hope that the focus on this nationwide event will raise awareness of both the NGS and the charities we support with some £2.5m donated annually. We are aiming to raise £500,000 from the weekend to add to our fundraising from garden openings throughout the rest of the year. Visiting a beautiful garden and stopping for some tea and cake is a really enjoyable way of raising money for charity and every year thousands of people do exactly that. On our Festival weekend we want lots more people to join them and help raise millions of pounds for our group of wonderful beneficiaries.”

All gardens opening during the National Gardens Festival Weekend are listed in the 2013 edition of ‘The Yellow Book ’, amongst more than 3800 gardens open to the public on behalf of the NGS throughout the year.

national-gardens-festival-weekend2

www.ngs.org.uk

·        Founded in 1927, the NGS gave £2.6 million to nursing and other caring charities in 2012 from money raised by opening more than 3800 private gardens in England and Wales. 

·        Charities supported by the National Gardens Scheme this year include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help the Hospices, The Carers Trust and Parkinson’s UK.

·        The 2013 edition of the famous Yellow Book is available to purchase from bookstores and garden centres or it can be ordered direct from the NGS at www.ngs.org.uk for £9.99 (including p&p). 

·        Visitors to the NGS website can use the online ‘garden search’ tool to find out which NGS gardens are open on specific dates and within chosen areas throughout the year. 

·        From April 2013, the free NGS iOS app for iPhone and iPad will allow visitors to see what’s on and share garden opening details with friends via Facebook and Twitter.

 

15th, 16th June 2013

SHAMMER HOUSE

North Creake, NR21 9LN. Open 10-4. Adm £4, chd free.  Home-made teas 

Walled garden in outstanding rural location with well stocked borders including a walled garden. There are fine views, vegetable garden and his and her sections where neither is allowed to trespass on the other’s half!

WETHERED MANOR

Sedgeford, Hunstanton PE36 5LR. Open 11-5 Adm £4, chd free. Home-made teas. Georgian house surrounded by mature trees and ever evolving herbaceous borders, pergolas, roses, mixed borders, pleached hedging and lawn. With it’s variety of ‘rooms’ there is always a surprise around the corner, including a walled garden.The conservatory is a peaceful spot for a moment of relaxation and a cup of tea to enjoy the plumbago and unusual abundant climbing geraniums. Home made produce and plant stall.

Sunday 16th June

THE DUTCH HOUSE

Ludham NR29 5NS. Open2-5  Adm £4, chd free. Home-made teas.  

Romantic 2½ acre garden originally designed and planted by painter Edward Seago. Informal borders lead to wild areas of old fashioned roses and shrubs.

Sunday 16th June

THE CONIFERS

Wreningham NR16 1AT. Open 1-5  Adm £3.50, chd free Home-made teas..

1½-acre garden with 3 ponds and bog garden, herbaceous and shrub borders, rose pergolas and statuary. Informal area featuring many trees inc walnut, medlar,larch, birch and oak. New pond area and planting for 2013.

Sunday 16th June

FELBRIGG HALL

Felbrigg NR11 8PR.

Large pleasure gardens; mainly lawns and shrubs; orangery with camellias; large walled garden restored and restocked as fruit, vegetable, herb and flower garden; dovecote; dahlias; wooded parkland.

Sunday 16th June and Wednesday 19th June

HIGH HOUSE GARDENS

Blackmoor Row, Shipdham, IP25 7PU. Open 2-5.30 Adm £4, chd free. Home-made teas.

Plantsman’s garden with colour-themed herbaceous borders with extensive range of perennials. Box-edged rose and shrub borders. Woodland garden, pond and bog area. Newly planted orchard and vegetable garden. Wildlife area. Glasshouses.

Sunday 16th June

OXBURGH HALL

Oxborough PE33 9PS. Open11-5.  Adm £4.50, chd £2.25

Hall and moat surrounded by lawns, fine trees, colourful borders; charming parterre garden of French design. Orchard and vegetable garden. Woodland walks.

 

Beccles Farmers Market