Gardens opening for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) in Norfolk get off to a rousing start in June with the annual “Festival Weekend” on the first weekend of the month 4^th and 5^th. The aim of this festival, which is held throughout England and Wales, is to raise £250,000 for the nursing and caring charities supported by the NGS.

In Norfolk Marshgate House in North Walsham, a new garden for the NGS, opening on both Festival days and it showcases a spectacular collection of colourful bearded Irises which has been approved worthy of National Collection status by Plant Heritage.

In the peaceful village of Iteringham, no less than six gardens opening for the first time as part of the Festival on Sunday 5^th June. Each garden is differently styled so something to see for all tastes and there is also a wonderful community shop selling some of Norfolk’s tasty local food!

The following weekend on Sunday 12^th there is another group opening at North Creake. Here four delightful village gardens show what can be achieved in a small plot using imagination, a variety of design and different planting ideas.

On June 19^th we move from country to City with three lovely town gardens in Norwich all in Waverley Road off the Newmarket Road. One garden has a country feel, another  woodland, complete with bamboos and maples, while the third is a little more formal and makes the most of a corner plot with some well-matched planting.

For the last weekend in June we move to the seaside at Wells-Next-The- Sea where on June 26^th five gardens welcome you, and demonstrate a variety of design and planting approaches.

More details and information on these and the other 21 gardens to be open in June for the NGS are in the NGS Norfolk yellow booklet which is readily available in libraries, tourist information centres, nurseries and garden centres. Also available at www.ngs.org.uk

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Sat 4 and Sun 5 June

MARSHGATE HOUSE, 24 Marshgate, North Walsham NR28 9EF

Open  (10-5). Adm £4, chd free. Light  refreshments.

Wild, Romantic/ woodland/herbaceous garden on the edge of the market town of North Walsham, containing a spectacular collection of British Tall Bearded Irises hybridised by the late Bryan Dodsworth. These irises have been awarded National Collection status by Plant Heritage in 2015.

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Sun 5 June

GAYTON HALL, Gayton, Kings Lynn PE32 1PL.

Open (12-5). Combined adm with Manor Farmhouse, Gayton £6, chd free.

Home-made teas.

This rambling 20-acre water garden, with over 2 miles of paths, contains lawns, lakes, streams, bridges and woodland. In the traditional and waterside borders are primulas, astilbes, hostas, lysichiton and gunneras. A variety of unusual trees and shrubs have been planted over the years with a magnificent display of rambling roses.

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MANOR FARMHOUSE, GAYTON  Back Street, Gayton, King’s Lynn PE32 1QR

Open (12-5). Combined adm with Gayton Hall £6, chd free. Light refreshments.

This secret, colourful, and heavily planted cottage garden was created in 2001. Gravel garden, walled courtyard and conservatory with 40% more garden bought from a neighbour in 2013. Over 300 pots provide extra colour and variety. The garden has evolved as the owner progresses from non-gardener to garden fanatic.

ITTERINGHAM VILLAGE GARDENS The Street, Itteringham, Norwich NR11 7AU.

Open (12-5) Combined adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas in the village hall.

GLEBE HOUSE,  OLD RECTORY, THE OLD SCHOOL, 11 THE STREET

WILLOWBECK COTTAGE, 22 WOLTERTON ROAD

Itteringham is a peaceful conservation village, tucked away in beautiful countryside near Aylsham. The heart of the village is the wonderful community shop proudly selling some of Norfolk’s most tasty local food. Wander along the street and visit 6 differently styled gardens, enjoy a babbling stream and spot a kingfisher. Interesting plant combinations with unusual herbaceous plants and perennials.

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Tuesday 7 June

CHAUCER BARN, Holt Road, Gresham NR11 8RL

Open (2-5.30). Adm £3.50, chd free. Light refreshments.

5 acres created by owner over 20 years in ruins of farmyard. Knot/herb garden leads to a lawn flacked by walled herbaceous borders and pergola leading through contemporary topiary garden. Stunning views over rolling hills and woodland. Wildflower meadow and young arboretum

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Wed 8 June

NARBOROUGH HALL, Main Road, Narborough PE32 1TE

Open (11-5). Adm £4, chd free. Light refreshments.

A gently evolving, romantic English garden set in ancient parkland. Herbs, wild flowers and fruit are planted throughout, with yew hedging, sumptuous herbaceous borders, willow sculpture and walled garden. Subtle and unusual colour schemes, much planting for wildlife, particularly in the gravel paths and the ‘wild at heart’ garden. Walled garden. Lake, river and woodland walks

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Thur 9 June

SHERINGHAM PARK, Wood Farm Visitors Centre, Upper Sheringham NR26 8TL. 

Open (10-5). Adm by donation. Light refreshments in Courtyard Cafe.

80 acres of species rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias. 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 for non NT members.

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Sun 12 June

BANVILLE BARN Banville Lane, East Runton, Cromer NR27

Open (11-5). Combined adm with Congham Farm £5, chd free. Barbecue available 12 noon to 3pm. Hot and cold drinks available.

South and west facing peaceful garden of approx 1 /3 acre. Developed over 10 years from scratch with unspoilt views over fields and National Trust land. Features box and yew topiary, herbaceous borders and kitchen garden.

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CONGHAM FARM, Banville Lane, East Runton, Cromer NR27 9RN.

Open (11-5). Combined adm with Banville Barn £5, chd free.

Country-style garden with uninterrupted views to the NT Ingleborough Hill. Formal box hedge garden with urns, small woodland walk, masses of climbing roses. Mixed herbaceous borders with grasses, box balls etc. Shallow pond with lotus fountain. Recently planted small orchard with apples and Japanese plum tree. Modern sculptures in steel and marble.

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HIGH HOUSE GARDENS Blackmoor Row, Shipdham, Thetford IP25 7PU. Open (2-5.30). Adm £4, chd free. Home-made teas.

3 acre 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. Also open on Wednesday 15^th June.

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NORTH CREAKE GARDENS Fakenham  NR21 9LG.

Open (1-5). Combined adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas at Creake House, Wells Rd opp The Old Bakehouse.

DROVE END, 78 West St.,THE OLD BAKEHOUSE,  Wells Rd.,

THE OLD CHAPEL, 34 West St., THE RED HOUSE Church St.

4 attractive but very different small gardens. The Old Bakehouse is an informal garden with mixed planting, on the bank of R Burn, designed by owners to accommodate inherited garden ornaments. A plaque on the gate commemorates that this garden was the scene of the only major wartime incident to occur in North Creake. The Red House garden was created over past 30 years by the present owners. Thickly planted with many unusual and doubtfully hardy plants, traditional herbaceous border, stream, shell garden and area specifically planted to attract butterflies. The Old Chapel garden has been created from an earlier garden in the past 2 years with beds filled with interesting herbaceous plants, roses and bulbs, shaded by a Salix Tortuosa. A white garden was planted in 2015. Drove End garden is divided into 3 sections. A small paved classically designed garden leads through an arch into a very pretty garden with unusual plants with interesting leaves. This leads on up to a paved small garden. Plants for sale at The Red House.

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SORRY NOW CANCELLED – WOODHILL, Hill Farm, Gressenhall, East Dereham NR19 2NR.

Open (12-5.30). Adm £4, chd free. Home-made teas.

The 3 acre garden is set in mature parkland, and incl water features statues/stones, lily pond, varied rose gardens, yew hedging, vegetable garden, and lawns. Home to one of East Anglia’s oldest tulip trees, with beautiful oaks and copper beeches.

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Sat 18, Sun 19 June

167 NORWICH ROAD  Wymondham NR18 0SJ.

Open 10-5). Adm £3, chd free. Home-made teas.

1/4 -acre town garden, created from a blank canvas 12 years ago, meandering pathways round a circular lawn to a secluded tropical haven, on to a sunken pergola, greenhouse with cacti collection and fruit and vegetable plot. Garden Owners love to recycle and experiment.

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Sat 18 June

THE OLD RECTORY, Church Hill, Banham,  NR16 2HN.

Open (11-5). Adm £4, chd free. Home-made teas.

The Old Rectory stands on a site of approximately 3/4 acre. The garden was planted in the autumn of 2010 once extensive dredging of the large pond had taken place. It contains several mature trees, island beds planted with shrubs and herbaceous perennials.  A rose border is at the entrance to the large vegetable garden, plus small wild walk around the pond and a shade garden.

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KETTLE HILL The Downs, Langham  Road, Blakeney NR25 7PN.

Open (11-4.30). Adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas.

Kettle Hill has been quietly simmering but is now back on the boil! With a new fruit garden designed by Tamara Bridge, as well as re-designed and re-planted coastal and walled gardens. A formal parterre, long herbaceous borders, wild flower meadow and a secret garden. Stunning rose garden and grass paths through woods, a real treat for any garden lover. Excellent views across Morston to the sea, framed by lavender, roses and sky.

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Sun 19 June

NORWICH GARDENS 15 Waverley Road, Norwich NR4 6SG.

Open (11-6). Combined adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas at 19 Branksome Road.

19 BRANKSOME ROAD, 15 WAVERLEY ROAD, 17 WAVERLEY ROAD

Three gardens along the same road, all very different. Number 15  Waverley Road is a long town garden that’s pretending it is in the country including a miniature wild meadow and fruit trees. Number 17 Waverley Road has relaxed herbaceous planting around established shrubs and mature trees creating a woodland feel and Bamboos and Japanese Acers compliment rambling roses. 19 Branksome Road has varying shaped lawns and terraces that radiate from the house, to make the most of a corner plot. Interesting mixed planting, plus vegetables, fruit cage and greenhouse

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WEST BARSHAM HALL Fakenham NR21 9NP.

Open(11-5). Adm £5, chd free. Cream teas. Morning coffee and light refreshments, afternoon cream teas. 

Large garden with lake, approx. 10 acres. Mature yew hedging and sunken garden originally laid out by Gertrude Jeykll. Swimming pool garden, shrub borders, kitchen garden with herbaceous borders, fruit cage, cutting garden and bog garden. Separate old fashioned cottage garden also open.

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THORPLAND HALL, Thorpland, Fakenham NR21 0HD. 

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

Mature English garden in a superb setting, containing ruins of an old chapel, and surrounding a fine Tudor house (not open). The 6 acres of garden, with some recent re-planting, incl peony beds, herbaceous borders and a rose garden. The walled garden is in full working order and kept to a high standard. A small lake, and nearby restored shepherd’s hut, are surrounded by interesting trees and shrubs. Gravel paths, paved areas and lawns.

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Thur 23 June

MANNINGTON HALL Mannington, Norwich NR11 7BB.

Open 6pm to 9pm. Adm £6, chd free. Light refreshments.

20 acres feature shrubs, lake, trees and roses. Heritage rose and period gardens. Borders. Sensory garden. Extensive countryside walks and trails. Moated manor house and Saxon church with C19 follies. Wild flowers and birds.

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Sat 25, Sun 26 June

THE BEAR SHOP Elm Hill, Norwich NR3 1HN.

Open (11- 4.30). Adm £3, chd free. Homemade teas.

Considered to be based on a design by Gertrude Jekyll, a small terraced garden behind a C15 house in the historic Cathedral Quarter of Norwich. Enjoy the tranquillity of the riverside.

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Sat 25 June

BELLOMONTE CRESCENT Drayton, Norwich NR8 6EJ.

Open (11-4.30). Adm £3, chd free. Home-made teas.

On approx 1 /4 acre plot, the garden has deep borders of traditional shrubs and perennials mixed with exotic mediterranean plants. A large deck overlooks main lawn with planted pergolas. Borrowed landscape with views of Drayton church gives interest and privacy. Terraced upper garden with fruit and vegetables and secluded courtyard area. Home-made cakes.

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Sun 26 June

HOLME HALE HALL Holme Hale, Thetford IP25 7ED.

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

The walled kitchen garden and front garden were designed and planted in 2000 by Chelsea winner Arne Maynard, who returned earlier this year to make more improvements. The garden incorporates herbaceous borders, trained fruit, vegetables and traditional greenhouse. Featured in The Gardens of Arne Maynard Book and Country Life.

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WALCOTT  HOUSE Walcott Green, Walcott, Norwich NR12 0NU. Open (1.30-5). Adm £4, chd free. Light refreshments.

A garden in the making with emphasis on formal structure around the house and a traditional set of Norfolk farm buildings. These provide a series of connecting gardens which, through a south facing garden wall, lead to further gardens of clipped box, pleached hornbeam, fruit trees and roses. All set within recently planted woodland providing avenues and vistas.

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Wells Gardens Wells-Next-The-Sea NR23 1DP.

Open (11-5). Combined adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas at Caprice.

CAPRICE, Clubbs Lane. NORFOLK HOUSE Burnt St. OSTRICH HOUSE Burnt St. POACHER COTTAGE Burnt St.

Wells-next-the-Sea is a small friendly coastal town on the glorious North Norfolk Coast: popular with families, walkers and bird watchers. The harbour has shops, cafes, fish and chips, while a mile along The Run, lies Wells Beach served by a narrow gauge railway. Of the five in the group four are smaller town gardens and one is somewhat larger: all demonstrate a variety of design and planting approaches incorporating herbaceous borders, ‘cottage’, shrub and fruit, with two of the gardens providing different ‘rooms’. The route around the five gardens takes in the Parish Church of St Nicholas, the High Street with its beautiful once- shop windows and the tree lined Georgian green square, The Buttlands.