Nationwide access to glorious gardens over Festival Weekend

The National Garden Scheme’s Festival Weekend 2018 will see gardens open for charity in all counties across England and Wales on 2^nd and 3^rd June – giving everyone access to private gardens in their area during one of the most beautiful months of the gardening year.

Held annually and now in its sixth year, Festival Weekend celebrates glorious gardens in bloom at the height of the season. Over 316 gardens will be open to the public over the weekend, with an average of nine open in every county across the North, East, South East, South West, the Midlands and Wales and the Marches.

Visitors can enjoy a variety of gardens over the weekend – including small urban spaces, cottage gardens and gardens opening together in a village group, as well as impressive country house gardens and community gardening projects. Delicious tea and cake, a much-loved staple of National Garden Scheme garden openings, will also be available.

George Plumptre, CEO of National Garden Scheme, says:

“Festival Weekend is a fantastic opportunity to experience the joy of gardens at their very best and with open gardens in each county, we’re delighted they are easily accessible to everyone. But it’s not just about enjoying our volunteer’s breath-taking gardens, a slice of cake and a cup of tea – the weekend will raise vital funds for the nursing and caring charities the National Garden Scheme supports, who do extraordinary work such as community nursing and in specialist areas such as cancer, Parkinson’s and end-of-life care.”

Festival Weekend gardens can be found by visiting ngs.org.uk/festival, or in the Garden Visitors’ Handbook 2018, and gardens not to miss over the weekend include (*see notes to editors):

• Hunmanby Grange, Driffield, Yorkshire
• Barton Bendish Hall, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
• Kew Green Gardens, Kew, London
• Spencers, Great Yeldham, Essex

The average entry fee for visiting a National Garden Scheme garden over Festival Weekend is approximately £4.45 for adults and free for children. Dogs are also welcome at a number of open gardens and many sell plants.

This year the National Garden Scheme donated a record £3.1million from funds raised at open gardens in 2017 and continued supporting charities including: Macmillan Cancer Support; Marie Curie; Hospice UK; Carers Trust; Queen’s Nursing Institute; Parkinson’s UK; Perennial; National Autistic Society; and MS Society.

Ends

For more information, high resolution images or to interview a spokesperson, please contact Becky Medhurst by emailingbecky@ngs.org.uk or calling 01483 213908.

 

Notes to editors

 

About National Garden Scheme

Since 1927, the National Garden Scheme has been inviting garden owners to open their exceptional gardens to the public, giving people unique access to some of Britain’s most beautiful and memorable gardens while raising money for charity through entry fees, teas and cake.

Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors, the National Garden Scheme is the most significant charitable funder of nursing charities in the UK – having donated £55million over the last 90 years.

This year the National Garden Scheme donated a record £3.1million from funds raised at open gardens in 2017 and supported charities including: Macmillan Cancer Support; Marie Curie; Hospice UK; Carers Trust; Queen’s Nursing Institute; Parkinson’s UK; Perennial; National Autistic Society; and MS Society.

There are over 3,600 private gardens open to the public in 2018, all of which can be found by vising the National Garden Scheme website, or in the Garden Visitor’s Handbook, which is published annually and available via the National Garden Scheme shop and at all good book retailers.

Registered Charity 1112664

www.ngs.org.uk

*Gardens not to miss over Festival Weekend:

• Hunmanby Grange, Driffield, Yorkshire

A 3-acre garden situated on top of the Yorkshire Wolds, Hunmanby Grange boasts a delightful array of planting to create contrasting colour, shape and texture. Humanby Grange also features a pond garden, a scented patio, a coppice woodland and the National Garden Scheme’s only private brewery in a garden, Wold Top Brewery – where visitors can sample a beer brewed with home grown barley and pure chalk filtered water.

Opening times:
2nd June 2018 11:00 – 17:00
3rd June 2018 11:00 – 17:00

Refreshments:
Light refreshments in Wold Top Brewery bar area.

Admission:
Adult: £5.00
Child: Free

Address:
Hunmanby Grange
Wold Newton
Driffield
Yorkshire
YO25 3HS

• Barton Bendish Hall, King’s Lynn, Norfolk

Barton Bendish Hall is a beautiful traditional 10 acre country estate garden which features a woodland drive, an orchard, a kitchen garden, a walled herb and cut flower garden, and a Thomas Messenger style glasshouse full of scented pelargoniums. The garden’s south facing terrace has wonderful open views onto the wider farmed landscape.

Opening times:
3rd June 2018 11:00 – 17:00

Refreshments:
Home-made teas.

Admission:
Adult: £4.00
Child: Free

Address:
Barton Bendish Hall
Fincham Road
Barton Bendish
King’s Lynn
Norfolk
PE33 9DL

• Kew Green Gardens, Kew, London

Kew Green Gardens is a fascinating group opening of five long gardens behind a row of 18th century houses, close to Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Visitors will enjoy the profusely planted and traditional borders of a mature English country garden, contrasted with formal gardens, terraces and lawns, laid out around tall old trees; and woodland and wild flower planting. One garden boasts an unusual architect-designed summerhouse, while another offers the surprise of a modern planting of espaliered miniature fruit trees. Wine is served at this evening opening.

Opening times:
3rd June 2018 18:00 – 20:00

Refreshments:
Wine in the gardens

Admission:
Adult: £6.00

Address:
Kew Green Gardens (nos 69, 71, 73, 65, 67)
Kew
London
TW9 3AH

• Spencers, Great Yeldham, Essex

Spencers is a dreamy 18th century walled country garden around an elegant white Georgian house. The garden was laid out by Lady Anne Spencer and has been renovated by top landscape artist, Tom Stuart-Smith.  In Spring and Summer the garden overflows with spectacle – including huge tumbling wisteria, startling armies of ”true-blue” Lord Butler delphiniums, lavender walks, dazzling herbaceous borders and a knot garden enclosed by espaliered pears. Roses appear in many guises and visitors can also enjoy the woodland garden along the River Colne.

Opening times
3rd June 2018 14:00 – 17:00

Refreshments:
Home-made teas.

Admission:
Adult: £5.00
Child: Free

Address:
Spencers
Tilbury Road
Great Yeldham
Essex
CO9 4JG