My first garden open day
I’ve been blogging about my garden for three years but it was exposed to in-person public scrutiny last week on my first ever garden open day. I organised timed tours on the hour throughout the day and welcomed 56 visitors. Friends baked cakes and helped out selling teas and plants and we raised £950 pounds for my favourite hospice charity.
The audience was a friendly one – members of my local horticultural society – but I still worried that they would be disappointed. I spent the weeks in the run up to the day weeding, tidying, planting out and worrying.
I needn’t have been concerned. They’re gardeners after all and they were just interested to learn about what I was growing, the changes I had implemented, and the ideas I am still mulling over.
The picture above shows me pointing out some of my favourites in the rockery. Unsurprisingly, this was very popular and I know I inspired a couple of people to think about growing more alpines or even setting up a rock garden or trough. Here are some of the plants in the garden that attracted comment.
Tetragonobulus maritimus – Dragon’s Teeth Lotus
Tetragonobulus maritimus – Dragon’s Teeth Lotus
This was much admired by so many people. I’m wondering what made it stand out so much – maybe the yellow colour, or maybe the pea-like flower shape. For my part this is a great rockery plant but it quickly looks to swamp all around it. It’ll soon need cutting back.
Lentopodium nivale – Edelweiss
Lentopodium nivale – Edelweiss
Not the most pretty flower in my opinion but there’s something about the Edelweiss. It prompted lots of chat and the starry flowers certainly draw the eye.
Dianthus gracilis
Dianthus gracilis
I am very fond of this Pink, mainly because it cost me very little as the numerous clumps were grown from a single seed packet. When I pointed it out it drew several oohs and aaghs encouraged a few extra sales of the spares on the plant sales table.
Dianthus gracilis
Ferns and hostas in the woodland garden
Woodland Garden
The foxgloves are growing beautifully at the moment, and the cooler temperatures in the shade made this woodland area a popular spot for my visitors to stop and chat. The hostas, ferns, special ivies and foxgloves were all admired.
Tatting fern – Athyrium filix-femina ‘Frizelliae’
The Tatting fern (Athyrium filix-femina ‘Frizelliae’) was particularly popular, as was a new hosta called ‘Bulletproof’. We all wondered if the name was a reference to a quality much desired in hostas – an ability to repel slugs. Since their visit, a corner of one of the leaves has indeed been munched bit it’s still looking mighty fine.
Hosta ‘Bulletproof’
In the greenhouse
I’ve never been prouder of my greenhouse. I really enjoyed curating the plants to create an attractive display, filling gaps with brightly coloured pelargoniums. I also carefully sweept the floor.
As the last visitors left I enjoyed a refreshing cup of tea in there.
This seasonal diary is part of a weekly link-up of garden bloggers from around the world, called Six on Saturday. For more information and links to other blogs crammed with gardening activity, check the blog of host The Propagator.
Well done you! Hope you enjoyed the day after all your hard work getting it ready. If I were closer I would definitely have come too. And definitely have stood and drooled over your rockery! And relax.
Hi Gill – it was a great day and I’m thinking over whether to do a wider opening in the future. Will I be brave enough?
Congrats on your garden Open Day and the £950 raised… It must have been a great time there.
Nice woodland picture with the logs or stumps on the right among ferns and foxgloves.
Thanks Fred – it was such a lovely day and I was completely blown away by everyone’s generosity. The woodland really is looking great at the moment although some of the foxgloves are down after the heavy rain.
Yes I keep looking out for rockeries in open gardens, but sadly there are fewer than I would like. Well done you and all your friends for the effort on the day, and you in particular for the effort in the big tidy up, well a half day or so, to make special days out for your gardening club.
It was a fabulous incentive to tidy up things I usually ignore so was well worth it. I do hope more rockeries spring up over the next few years. It’s easy to dismiss them as 70s cliches but they have a much long history in this country and are just fabulous for plants-people to diversify what they grow.
Congratulations and well done. It all looks lovely. I’ve never seen Edelweiss before – the flowers are very pretty (although I’ll be humming the tune for the rest of the day).
Sorry about that Graeme – that song is a bit of an ear worm! I do like the edelweiss but close up it is most unusual and almost alien-like!
We are open on wednesday so I’m encouraged by your positive experience. I should maybe work out a tour route, in case anyone prefers that to going their own way. I’m pretty sure they’d miss less. Hosta Bullet Proof sounds and looks like a winner, I’ve been looking for a good blue.
I think Bulletproof is charming. It’s a sort of silvery blue – lovely. Good luck on your opening on Wednesday – having read you blog for a couple of years now I know how much I’d enjoy a visit. I was pleased I did a tour route as it easily took in the best features and I thought ahead about the steps, pathways etc. There were a few elderly visitors so I was able to steer them safely around. I look forward to hearing how it goes.
So few gardens are open at the moment (around here at least) so it must have been extra special for your visitors to view yours. Congratulations on raising so much money for your cause. I’d have been straight to the plant table for a dianthus too if I’d been there, but I will look for some seed.
Hi Hortus – the dianthus is a great plant – my seed came from the AGS seed exchange but you need to be a member. I really enjoy being a member and the journal is a good read.
You have a stunning garden and I know you have worked very well to create it. Your rockery is unique and I love all the alpine plants you have there, that Dianthus glacialis is a beauty. You must have been delighted to have so many visitors to show around and proud of what you have achieved. I have bought three Blue Mouse Ear hostas which also are a bluish colour and much more leathery leaves, hopefully S&S resistant! I shall make a note of your Bullet Proof!
Hi Jude – that’s so funny as my daughter wanted me to buy Mouse Ear but I opted for bullet proof as the gap I needed to fill needed a slightly larger one.