Member Open Gardens 2015

Many members have garden openings this year, which are described below along with a table of opening dates and times at the bottom of the page.

Correction: The Tomson’s are opening one week earlier on May 10th, rather than May 17th,

Two members are opening their gardens for the Herts HPS group exclusively in 2015:

• Peter and Sue Tomson will be opening The Abbots House garden in Abbots Langley on May 10th (see below)
• David & Hazel Deacon will be opening their garden in Old Knebworth on June 7th for a brainstorming session with members on how to redesign their new garden (see below)

We recommend these HHPS member events to everyone as a nice way to meet socially as well as enjoy each other’s gardens. The last member garden opening was by Jacqueline Turner in Wheathampstead which you can read more about here.

Adrian De Baat / 35 Digswell Road

Town garden of around a third of an acre with naturalistic planting inspired by the Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf. The garden has perennial borders packed with herbaceous plants and grasses. The contemporary planting gives way to the exotic, including a succulent bed and under mature trees, a lush jungle garden with bamboos, bananas, palms and tree ferns.

NGS Page & Gardeners World Appearance

Margaret Easter / National Thymus Collection

Margaret Easter holds National Plant Collections® of Thymus (Scientific Status), Hyssopus and Satureja and is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Thymus (ICRA). Brickell Award 2011 for Excellence in Cultivated Plant Conservation.

More information here

Julie Wise / Rustling End Cottage

Meander through the wild flower meadow to a cottage garden with contemporary planting. Behind lumpy hedges explore a simple box parterre, topiary, reflecting pool and abundant planting. Late flowering borders feature blue camassia in late spring. Naturalistic planting including the use of wild flowers with perennials and grasses. Our terrace hosts drought-tolerant planting. Hens in residence.

NGS Page

Sarah Marsh / The Mill House

Listed millhouse (not open) with semi-walled garden bordered by a bridged millstream and mill race. This romantic spring garden has ancient apple trees underplanted with an abundant display of tulips and white narcissi. These set off a garden full of perennial promise, within which nestles a stylish summerhouse, a hidden parterre and productive potager. Featured in The Telegraph and Countryside magazine.

NGS Page

John & Madeline McCormack / Reveley Lodge

2½-acre garden surrounding a Victorian house bequeathed to Bushey Museum in 2003 and in the process of re-planting and renovation. Featuring colourful annual, tender perennial and medicinal planting in beds surrounding a mulberry tree. Conservatory, lean-to greenhouse, vegetable garden and beehive. Analemmatic (human) sundial constructed in stone, believed unique to Hertfordshire.

NGS Page

Renata Hume / 10 Cross Street

A cottage garden fronts a Letchworth Garden City exhibition cottage of 1905. The back garden contains informal planting dictated by the gently sloping plot and three formal circular lawns. Trees, shrubs, grasses and herbaceous perennials combine to create interest in the different areas. The garden also contains a lily pond, a small pond for wildlife, a well-stocked greenhouse and an apple walk with a selection of old varieties.

NGS Page & HHPS Photos

Mary Hines / Radlett Allotments

84 well established allotments cultivated in a variety of styles in a peaceful environment. Wide selection of fruit, vegetable and flowers including exhibition standard sweet peas. Some plots divided into mini-allotments which will have been judged the day before. Many plot holders will be present. Fresh vegetables and plants for sale.

NGS Page

Marion Jay / 84 Valley Road

This will be the final year of opening so do not miss the chance to visit this lovely garden. A dramatic garden rising steeply from the back of the house, using an ‘amphitheatre’ of stone wall terracing to accommodate the slope. Planting is largely in the modern perennial style, mixing drifts of drought-tolerant herbaceous plants with a variety of grasses. Three ponds and new front garden prairie planting.

NGS Page & English Garden Magazine

Sue & Peter Tomson / The Abbots House. HHPS Members Exclusive Garden Opening

1¾-acre garden with unusual trees, shrubs, mixed borders with interesting colour combinations, scented garden, sunken garden, pond, conservatory and a bed with many Himalayan plants. A garden of ‘rooms’ with different styles and moods. Many half-hardy plants.

NGS Page

Diana Garner / Montana

A 4-acre garden for all seasons, comprising herbaceous borders, unusual flowering trees and shrubs, meandering paths through woodland which has been planted with thousands of daffodils. The garden has evolved from virtually nothing since 1995. Plenty of seats to enjoy the peace. Features include spring bulbs, vegetables, ponds, greenhouses, chickens and bees. An unmanicured but happy garden.

NGS Page & HHPS Photos

David & Hazel Deacon / ‘The White House’. HHPS Members Exclusive Garden Opening

The White House, Park Lane, Old Knebworth, SG3 6PR

David and Hazel Deacon have recently moved back to the UK from Belgium. Their new garden is in the early stages of development and they would welcome advice and inspiration from HPS members. Refreshments provided.

Google Maps Link. Google Maps will find the house precisely using the address “The White House, Park Lane, Old Knebworth, SG3 6PR” – your own SatNav may or may not achieve the same accuracy. The nearest A1 junction is number 7, the Spring Newsletter has instructions from Junction 7.

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If you intend to visit the Deacons please use the form below and let us know, as it is useful to have an idea of numbers in advance.  Thank you.

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Heather and Peter Osborne, 20 St. Stephens Avenue & 30 St. Stephens Avenue

Visit our gardens at a different time of year! As well as our late June date, this year for the first time we’re also opening in September, when the pastel tones of high summer give way to shimmering grasses and a more exotic palette. The plantswoman’s garden at number 20 has been developed to provide a range of habitats from cool shade, hot and dry, to lush pondside displays. Successional planting ensures waves of colour from April to October. Serpentine paths weave through the carefully maintained borders. New areas are developed each year, recent additions include a bed of late season perennials and ornamental grasses. Number 30 has a southwest facing gravelled front garden that has a Mediterranean feel. Herbaceous plants, such as sea hollies and achilleas, thrive in the poor, dry soil. Clipped box, beech and hornbeam in the back garden provide a cool backdrop for the strong colours of the herbaceous planting. A gate beneath a beech arch frames the view to the park beyond.  Plants for sale at June opening only

NGS Page & HHPS Photos

Sue & Paul Wood, Field End House, Old Knebworth

1/3 acre garden with views over countryside. Early summer planting in the prairie style has been incl to withstand windy conditions. A curved grass meadow under mature lime trees looks out on to arable farmland with distant views. A sheltered corner with exotic planting affords an enticing place to sit.

Our garden is bordered by several mature lime trees which were originally grown around an old apple orchard and market garden business on The Green before being developed in the late 1980’s. There is a stile at the bottom of the garden to a footpath across fields. Being the highest point in Old Knebworth and prone to winds, borders feature prairie style planting with grasses and perennials. These borders are punctuated by topiary box and yew and maturing white multi-stemmed silver birches and Crataegus prunifolia. Experimenting with the exotic border has been enjoyable and is on-going and changes from year to year. Lots of seating to enjoy the views.

NGS Page

Meta Reeves / Preston Village Open Gardens

The date is Sunday 24th May and opening times are from 1pm to 5.30pm. There will be teas in the Village Hall, Plants on the Green and a Flower Festival in the church. Also a BBQ on the Green from 12noon. Lunches can also be booked at the Red Lion pub, tel. 01462-459585

Village Website Link

Liz Machin, Beesonend Gardens, Harpenden,  Hertfordshire  AL5 2AN

Set in a mature development these two gardens reflect their owners individual interests and needs. 2 Barlings Road is packed with unusual plants, shrubs and climbers to provide yr-round structure. The colourful courtyard garden with water feature and secluded shade garden add extra interest. 17 The Deerings offers specimen trees, architectural plants, ornamental grasses, herbaceous borders as well as a compact kitchen garden and herb bed

NGS Page

Openings in Date Order

Fri 15 MayRenata Hume5pm – 8pmNGS£3.50Evening / Wine

Date	Member	Time	Scheme	Entry	Note
March – End of June	Diana Garner	By Appointment	NGS	£3.50
Wed 22 Apr	Sarah Marsh	2pm – 5pm	NGS	£4	Tulips
Sat 25 Apr	Sarah Marsh	2pm – 5pm	NGS	£4	Tulips
Sun 26 Apr	Sarah Marsh	2pm – 5pm	NGS	£4	Tulips
Sat 02 May	Julie Wise	4pm – 8pm	NGS	£4.50	Tulips
Sun 03 May	Marion Jay	2pm – 5:30pm	NGS	£3.50	Tulips
Sun 10 May	Peter Tomson	2pm – 5pm	HHPS Members	No charge	HHPS Only
Sat 16 May	Renata Hume	11am – 2pm	NGS	£3.50
Sun 17 May	Renata Hume	2pm – 5pm	NGS	£3.50
Sat 23 May	Julie Wise	4pm – 8pm	NGS	£4.50	Evening
Sun 24 May	Meta Reeves	1pm – 5:30pm	Preston Open Gardens	£5	Village Opening
Sun 07 Jun	Margaret Easter	2:30pm – 5:30pm	National Thymus Collection	£2.50
Sun 07 Jun	David & Hazel Deacon	2pm – 4pm	HHPS Members	No charge	HHPS Only
Fri 12 Jun	Sue Wood	6pm – 9pm	NGS	£3.50	Evening / Wine
Sun 14 Jun	Sue Wood	2pm – 5:30pm	NGS	£3.50
Sun 28 Jun	Heather Osborne	2pm – 6pm	NGS	£5	Two Gardens Combined
Fri 03 Jul	Marion Jay	7pm – 9pm	NGS	£3.50	Evening / Wine
Sun 05 Jul	Mary Hines	2pm – 5pm	NGS	£3	84 Allotments
Fri 10 Jul	Marion Jay	7pm – 9pm	NGS	£3.50	Evening / Wine
Sun 26 Jul	Liz Machin	2pm – 5:30pm	NGS	£5
Sun 26 Jul	Adrian De Baat	2pm – 5:30pm	NGS	£4
Sat 01 Aug	Julie Wise	4pm – 8pm	NGS	£4.50	Evening / Wine
Sun 09 Aug	John McCormack	2pm – 6pm	Revely Lodge	£4
Sun 16 Aug	Marion Jay	2pm – 5:30pm	NGS	£3.50
Sun 06 Sep	Heather Osborne	2pm – 6pm	NGS	£5	Two Gardens Combined
Sun 13 Sep	Julie Wise	2pm – 5:30pm	NGS	£4.50
Sun 18 Oct	Adrian De Baat	1:30pm – 4:30pm	NGS	£4