Spring open gardens

A sure sign that spring is on its way is seeing snowdrops on the way.

However, it's not just the snowdrop that heralds the start of spring and another gardening year.

Many of the gardens that will open for the NGS in February and March will have other stunning displays of spring flowers and plants.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

These will include hellebores, crocus, aconites, camellias, early rhododendrons, cyclamen and many other spring flowering bulbs.

All over the country, from Cornwall to Cumbria, gardens will be opening to the public to raise money for the charities that the NGS helps to support.

Its early opening programme is incredibly popular and provides visitors the opportunity to get outside and really feel that winter is finally giving way to the promise of warmer, brighter weather.

Last year over 35,000 people visited one of the NGS early opening gardens and this helped kick-start fundraising. In 2008 early openings alone raised more than 100,000.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With an average entrance charge of around 3, and most gardens admitting children 16 and under for free, a garden visit is excellent value for money and visitors do their bit for charity as around 80 per cent of the money goes to good causes.

The type and scale of the gardens varies enormously from the romantic cottage garden, to parkland estates with woodland walks passing through drifts of snowdrops and then onto the real snowdrop enthusiasts gardens, some which have in excess of 200 different cultivars.

Attached are details of the gardens opening in your region for the National Gardens Scheme during February 2009. Gardens opening by appointment in February can be found on the NGS website www.ngs.org.uk.

Full details of all the gardens that will open for the NGS in 2009 can be found in the recently published Yellow Book 2009 or visit www.ngs.org.uk

To find out more about the NGS, the Friends of the NGS or to order a copy of The Yellow Book, call the NGS on 01483 211535 or visit our website www.ngs.org.uk

Related topics: