Out & About July 2017

Since 1927 the National Garden Scheme has been inviting garden owners to open their exceptional gardens to the public for good causes, giving people unique access to some of Britain’s most beautiful, memorable gardens for around the same cost of a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

T he National Garden Scheme is the most significant charitable funder of nursing charities in the country, donat- ing more than £50 million to charities across the UK over the last 90 years. Around 3,700 gardens open each year.

pitch-perfect lawn, fish pond, pagodas and many hidden gems provide visitors with a rich panoply of vistas round every corner. There is also a jungle gym for children to enjoy.

Old Swan House, Stockbridge, every Tuesday July 4 to July 25, 2pm- 5pm, admis- sion £4, children free. Soft drinks & biscuits included This garden offers a loggia hung with creepers, a mature fish pond with waterlilies, a long lawn under a 100-year-old hazel, which faces mirror herbaceous borders, and an ancient brick and flint wall sheltering mixed planting and shrub roses. Euphorbias, rosemary and lavender abound. There is a square of grass garden in gravel, bounded by brick paths, a wildflower patch and a partly mature orchard. Tanglefoot, Winchester, Thursday July 6 and Sunday July 9, 2pm-5.30pm, combined admission with Paige Cottage £6, children free. Home-made teas in the village hall

Wickham House, July 11, 11am-4pm, admission £5, children free This half-acre walled garden was created from scratch in 2008 and was featured in The English Garden magazine. Designed by Robin Templar-Williams, the different garden rooms have distinct themes and colour schemes. As well as an arched clematis and rose walkway, there is plenty to see, including a wide variety of trees, planting, pots brimming with colour and places to sit and enjoy the views. Visitors can also explore a separate cutting and vegetable garden. Further afield

West Mills Allotments & Island Cottage Garden , July 2, 2pm to 5pm, combined admission £5 A 120-plot site containing a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, some hens and an increasing number of flowers. Visitors are welcome to come look around the diverse styles of plot and interact with this active garden community to discuss the different gardening methods used. A short walk away is Island Cottage, a small town garden set between a backwater of the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal. This garden was started from scratch in 2005, and then again after the floods of 2014. Features include a studio at Island Cottage with a small art display by local artists and plants for sale at both sites. Teas will be available at Island Cottage, weather permitting.

Jannaways, July 9, 2pm to 5.30pm, admission £5, children free. Tea & biscuits included Three miles west of Newbury lies Jannaways. The garden spreads across five acres and encompasses a lake naturally fed by springs. A circular walk from formal beds near the house leads along a woodland path, crossing a weir to wild flowers and specimen trees. A Designed and developed by owners since 1976, Tanglefoot’s half-acre garden is a blend of influences, from Monet-inspired rose arch and small wildlife pond, to Victorian boundary wall with trained fruit trees. Highlights include a raised lily pond, small wildflower meadow, herbaceous bed (a riot of colour later in the summer), herb wheel, large productive kitchen garden and unusual flowering plants. ngs.org.uk How does your garden grow? Ivydene, Woodley, July 23, 10am to 5pm, admission £4, children free. Light refreshments A small urban gardeners’ garden in Woodley, with a mature tree fern walkway and many unu- sual hostas, ornamental grasses and plants. Visitors can also enjoy overflowing herbaceous borders and a rose bed, of mainly patio roses. The vertical garden and the Heuchera Tapestry bed are new and developing. The garden also features stained glass and ceramic art to complete the picture. The owner, Janet Bonney, is a previous BBC Gardener of the Year finalist

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