There are lots of things that make me happy and visiting gardens is one of them. I love to see how other gardeners deal with tricky situations in their own patch and how they combine plants and materials to create a unique atmosphere in their garden. I enjoy visiting well known large gardens and small private gardens too.

There are several organisations in the UK to help you plan your visits. There are some beautiful gardens and it’s such a great thing to do. If you want to feel inspired and happy then visit an open garden!  Just a quick word about The National Gardens Scheme today.

The National Gardens Scheme raises funds for several charities by opening gardens to the public. Many of the gardens are privately owned and the owners personally welcome paying visitors into their gardens. Tea/Coffee and cake plus plant sales are usually on offer too and sometimes village residents join together opening several gardens for viewing on the same day.

Every year in February The NGS produces THE YELLOW BOOK which is widely regarded as the garden visiting ‘bible’. The book highlights gardens open for charity and private gardens of all sizes are included.  They also work in partnership with The National Trust, The RHS and The Garden Museum. The yellow book is on special offer now for just £5 and you will be able to buy the 2016 version next year for around £12 or so.

This year for the first time they are organising  lectures. The first one is An Evening with Alan Titchmarsh on Wednesday 27th October in London. That should be quite entertaining I think. If you will be in London at the end of October tickets are available now.

Happy Gardening    Gillian 🙂