May Column in Velvet Magazine

May can be a particularly busy time for the keen gardener. Hedges are ready to get their first cut, borders are fully awake after such a wet and cold start to the year, weeds and slugs are enjoying the late spring weather just as much as we are and planting seeds and making cuttings should be in full flight. Even listing all these jobs is tiring, let alone keeping on top of everything, so please make sure that despite all the work to do, you find time to enjoy your garden.

You may however not be able to appreciate your own garden for one reason or another. No matter the condition of your garden, window box or communal space, I am sure there is something to enjoy but if you really are determined to focus on the negative aspects of your garden space then I recommend going to look at someone else’s. The National Garden Scheme helps people up and down the country open up their gardens to the public in order to raise money for charity. This wonderful scheme has been going since 1927 and over the last 90 years has raised over £50 million. Since being aware of the NGS my family and I have visited many gardens from small terrace gardens to extremely large country estates and not only have we enjoyed every visit, we have also taken some inspiration away with us. A few years ago my wife arranged for us to visit an open garden in Hertfordshire. Maybe it was the thought of knowing that a new garden awaited us or the thought of the tea and cake that is usually served at these schemes (predictably it is the latter) but without knowing any details I happily drove us all to the mystery garden. When we arrived, I saw the name of the house and garden and instantly knew what a treat we all were in for as the garden we were about to step into belonged to the designer Tom Stuart-Smith. The garden was spectacular. As with most of the NGS gardens, the owner was happily talking to visitors, and it was really nice to catch up with him again.

For local gardens, there a few that have court my eye this year which are Madingley Hall in Cambridge which is open near the end of May, Island Hall in Godmanchester and a number of houses in Chaucer Road in Cambridge will be opening up their gardens on the same day which always creates a great community feel when you move from one garden to the next.

© Velvet Magazine