The 2019 NGS garden opening: things at their best

2019 has been our 9th NGS garden opening! 1 more year to hold on for until we can get the engraved golden towel!

In all we had 220 visitors and made over £2,200 for charity. 

We were blessed with good weather which provoked an early rush of people who then hung around to enjoy their tea and cake in the sun.  Once again the fabulous Alan donated some amazing plants for the plant sale which was our best one so far. I had been propagating up some of the more special things and there were lots of people there at 2pm to get first dibs! Jennifer ran the prosecco palace offering fizz with home made rhubarb vodka. Rob also joined us selling some of his delicious home made preserves. 

A huge thank you to everyone who came. It was great to see so many people returning to visit.  THANK YOU!

So some pictures of everything at its best...

One of the big new things for 2019 was this large lotus bowl from Vietnam. I'm going to grow miniature water lilies in it and try and keep some fish alive!

One of the best plants out was this Hedychium ellipticum. This is my favourite Hedychium as it keeps flowering forever! However, the flower heads can be easily knocked off by my nephews football.... 

The Brugmansia was in full show off mode. At dusk the scent is amazing...

This is Gloxinia nemathanthdes which is super amazing. The red colour is absolutely perfect

Lots of people asked about the Nicandra, or shoo-fly plant. Its an annual which is super easy to grow from seed, self sowing when happy. It is supposed to ward off white fly

The newly refurbished shrine with a roof made of recycled cordyline leaves!

Yacon

2019 was our best ever garden opening. This is very due to the people who help make it happen. My parents have been fabulous at weeding, primping and priming. Sue returned as a garden slave, and 15 people then came to help on the day/ THANK YOU!

Our garden open as part of the National Gardens Scheme on Sunday 1st September 2-5:30pm

Coming up if your one opportunity to visit our garden! This has been a great year for the jungle and things are looking super lush. Come see for yourself!  There will be tables heaving with home made cakes and lots of plants for sale too!

The NGS says

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 and towering paulownias.

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'.

Huge ‘hidden’ garden, created from being able to buy the bottom half of two of the neighbour’s gardens gives the garden an unexpected size. Overall there are two ponds (one for wildlife and one with fish), bee hives, a productive area and contemporary sunken terrace full of prized plants.

The lower lawn, lots of seating and hidden corners give space to sit and enjoy. Renowned for great  teas and home-made cakes.

Featured on BBC Gardeners World, BBC Instant Gardener, Garden News, and the Independent

https://ngs.org.uk/view-garden/22791/

 

We are located in Camberwell on the Chadwick Road end of Grove Park with plenty of street parking.  Dont be confused by my road that has a bit loop and odd numbering! look for the bridge....We are a 10-15 min walk from Denmark Hill or Peckham Rye Stations Map here

 

Please check our travel arrangements before travelling as TfL seems to love doing work and closing lines over our gardens opening weekend!

 

July

Things in London have been super hot which has been great for bringing things out, although I am so unfit that this is all conspiring to just turn me into a sweaty mess.

Almost everything is now planted out and over the past 2 weekends there has been much pondering and hard lugging around of pots in the complicated puzzel which is our terrace.

It is of course peak NGS garden visiting season and there are lots of inspiring gardens out there. Last week I went to see a great new one in Herne Hill which will open next year. It was fab with a lovely natural looking stream which is something I have always wanted.

Spring

A mid March post which annoyingly was written in Mid March but didnt go live...Things then were beginning to get warmer. Daffodils are out and things are waking up

So far the winter has not been that drastic, and it was only the last cold spell in early Feb that finally killed some things like a hedychium.

I am hoping that overall casualties will be minimal and the bananas are looking ok and like their spring recovery will be quick. 

Now I just have to remember to order my seeds....

My pop up plastic greenhouse to protect the really tender things

All a little snug inside

A Stapelia seed explosion!