On 1st September we will be opening our garden as part of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) to raise money for charity.
The NGS says of our garden:
An exotic garden full of the exuberance of late summer, inspired by travel in Southeast Asia. A lush and naturalistic jungle of big leafed plants, bold colours and shapes including cannas, bananas, bamboos, dahlias, mature tetrapanax and towering paulownias.
Huge ‘hidden’ garden, created in 2010 from buying
derelict land which had been the bottom halves of two neighbour’s gardens gives
the garden an unexpected size. Three ponds, a productive area and contemporary
sunken terrace full of pampered prized plants.
We deliver on the ‘wow’ factor with visitors being
surprised by the scale of the garden and getting lost in the exotica. The
garden changes and improves every year as the plants grow bigger and the feel
gets ‘junglier’.
Since first opening for the NGS in 2011 the garden has
changed radically. At that time the top garden was still partially derelict and
being cleared. Planting was mostly annuals and pumpkins! It took a year to
clear the rubble, brambles and hops. We filled 5 skips with rubble and broke 20
spades and forks in the process. Many visitors have kept coming back to see the
transformation.
The lower lawn has lots of seating (30+) and hidden
corners give space to sit and enjoy. Renowned for the plant sale, teas and
home-made cakes.
Live music! All being well the Secret Life Sax quartet
will play in the afternoon
Last admission at 4:30.
See more about the development of the garden on my blog: https://www.alternative-planting.blogspot.com
See the full details on the NGS website here
Where are we? We are at 24 Grove Park, Camberwell, London,
SE5 8LH. Aim for the Chadwick Rd end of Grove Park. Peckham Rye or Denmark Hill
Stns, both 10 min walk. Good street parking.
How much does it cost? Where does the money go? £5
entry. All monies raised go to the NGS whom them distribute to different
charities. This year they donated £3.4million. Core beneficiaries include
Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queens Nursing
Institute.
How good is the cake? I can confirm it is very good!
How accessible is the garden? The garden is on a
slight slope/different levels and so does include some steps. Some paths are
uneven and made of wood chip, others gravel. Sadly, we are not wheelchair
accessible.
Some pictures to entice you to come!
Watch the video the lovely Wayne made when he visited last year