Saturday May 19 2012
Gardening Archive
TheVillage Gardening
Welcome to Withybed!
Posted on June 26 2010 at 2:08:00 0 comments
Six households in Withybed Green opened their garden gates for the first time as a “group” under the National Garden Scheme (NGS) and were rewarded with a fabulous summer day with an almost cloudless sky, writes David Morgan.
The road into Withybed Green doesn’t go anywhere other than into a field and there was a natural concern about parking, but when we arrived we were guided efficiently to where a suitable area had been prepared.
We started our tour at No 6 Front Cottages, an end terrace house, where Malcolm and Juliet gave us a friendly welcome. They have spent seven years changing their plot from a hard landscaped garden to one with a much more rural feel. It’s a narrow plot of land with a lot crammed in and shows just what can be done even with a relatively small area.
Next we moved to No 2 in the same terrace, owned by Ann and Clive, and were immediately aware of a fine display of acers next to a block path that leads down the garden past hostas, roses, numerous perennial plants, shrubs and trees. This garden was designed to maximize a small space and even boasted raised vegetable beds and a small pond to attract wildlife.
Our next stop, still in the same terrace, was The Mousehole, where David and Lucy are trying to combine interesting garden design with the flexibility of a practical play area for their children, who seemed interested but perhaps a little surprised at so many people taking pictures of their Wendy house (which appears to have been passed round from neighbour to neighbour in this small hamlet).
David was keen to point out that this was still a garden “under construction” and told us of some of his plans – we will be interested to see the results if they open next year.
Half way round, we now headed for 6 Rear Cottages and perhaps expected another long narrow strip, but were amazed to be confronted with a large L-shaped garden teeming with wonderful roses, many of them the old-fashioned varieties that gave off wonderful perfumes. This was a garden that it was difficult to tear yourself away from, as there was just so much to see, and John’s enthusiasm for his roses was evident. His partner Amelda is the person we had to thank for bringing this eclectic mix of gardens together for the NGS.
Next door was Fairview, another deceptively large garden owned by Bryan and Angela, with an impressive vegetable patch, beds of fuchsias ready to burst forth, more roses, alpine sinks and a secluded shaded area that was a most welcome diversion on such a warm day.
The final garden, Selvas Cottage, was a short walk up a footpath (and past a life-size papier-mâché scarecrow leaning over a hedge with trimmers in his hand). This is the largest of the gardens, on multiple levels with woodland type walks, a stream at the bottom, fields on the perimeter and a small vineyard overlooking the house. Refreshments were being served, and it was a lovely place to end the journey with a cup of tea and piece of cake.
The event was well organised and the range of garden sizes, styles and planting schemes provided a delightful afternoon out and gave us one or two ideas for our own garden. The only regret is that they are only open for one day, and if you missed it you’ll have to wait for next year!
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