Saturday May 19 2012
Gardening Archive
TheVillage Gardening
Open season
Posted on March 20 2011 at 3:51:55 0 comments
As village gardeners prepare for charity openings, David Morgan offers an insight into the hard work behind the scenes…
As village gardeners prepare for charity openings, David Morgan offers an insight into the hard work behind the scenes…
When you open your garden for the National Garden Scheme (NGS) you have to start thinking about next year as soon as you close your garden gate to visitors in the previous year. It also means that any major changes need to be carried out over the autumn/winter period so that the garden looks respectable for the first opening of the new year. But things don’t always work out as planned!
With our first opening of 2010 due in May, we had not planned any further major changes – that was until Easter Monday, in April, when we noticed that a 12 ft tree stump, from a long dead apple tree, which we have left in the ground to grow things up, was actually swaying in the wind. There was no way we could leave it there if a strong wind might blow it over!
Now that may sound like such a minor inconvenience that it hardly bears mentioning, but the apple tree stump was covered in ivy (not too difficult to remove), had a very old and large rose attached (much more difficult to move), was supporting a very large 30-something-year-old tree peony and would need to be taken down in manageable pieces to avoid damaging other plants in the same bed.
But that was just the considerations for taking down the stump. In addition we had the effect on the garden. The growth of ivy and rose that spread above head height to other structures created a shaded area which was planted with shade-loving plants, so it would mean a complete rethink of that corner of the garden – and with just six weeks to opening time!
But things got worse, because as I started to take the top piece down I discovered a blackbird’s nest with young in it, which meant I couldn’t touch it until the fledglings had flown. Once they had gone I got to work with the removal only to find an occupied robin’s nest right in the centre of the tree where the rotting wood had created a hole. So a further period of waiting was called for!
But such are the things keen gardeners have to deal with. Not a problem if the only people who visit the garden are yourselves and perhaps the family, but with deadlines to meet and open days planned months before, it just creates more pressure.
So this year, those of you who visit NGS gardens, spare a thought for the garden owners and the worries and concerns they have in the weeks and months before the first opening. And especially think of people opening gardens for the very first time this year – like Joe Manchester at 74 Meadow Road, Wythall, opening at the end of May.
There is a plethora of wonderful gardens to see in our area, ranging from the three acres that surround the medieval Seecham Manor in Alvechurch (opening in June and July), to three average sized gardens behind three average sized houses (although there is nothing average about what the owners have done to the gardens) in Marlbrook that open together as “Marlbrook Gardens”.
Then there is the enchanting and romantic one-acre Pump Cottage garden in Weatheroak, where you can walk down several different winding paths to a large natural pond (and, incidentally, where they serve some wonderful cakes).
And if water is what you like in a garden, you shouldn’t miss Rectory Cottage in Alvechurch, which can only be described as being created on the banks of a stream and using the water to best effect. Rectory Cottage will be open on June 5.
But if you want to see large and small gardens together in a small village environment, you shouldn’t miss Withybed Gardens, open again on June 26 – these were very popular last year and well worth a visit.
So start planning your visits now by getting hold of a yellow Worcestershire NGS leaflet (available from most good garden centres, libraries and tourist information centres) because these gardens just shouldn’t be missed!
The first of our local gardens open are 74 Meadow Road, Wythall on May 28 and 29, and Marlbrook Gardens also on May 29 – but there are other gardens further afield in Worcestershire already open with great displays of early spring flowers, so plenty to see.
And if you cannot make the official opening days, some of these gardens are open by special appointment either for groups of private individuals – check the yellow leaflet, the full yellow (NGS) book or the website (http://www.ngs.org.uk) for more details.
David Morgan opens his “Oak Tree House” garden (pictured above) as part of Marlbrook Gardens.
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