The summer months are fantastic times of the year for gardens, and every year a great many garden owners gracefully open their private gardens to the public in the form of an open garden day. For just a few pounds donation to a worthy cause, you can have a delightful wander around a wonderful tended garden and gain inspiration and ideas for your own garden.
In south Manchester, we are spoiled for choice when it come to open garden days, with five local areas annually opening their garden gates to the public, a number of National garden Scheme gardens and local charity open days means that you have over a hundred gardens available to see over the season. To help you decide where to go, I have put together this list with links.
Village open garden days
These are communities that get together and open a number of gardens, usually all within walking distance of each other. It is a great way for the village to come together and to showcase their gardens and community spaces and to raise some money for charity.
- Heatons Open Gardens
Sun 19 May 2014 between 12pm and 5pm
http://www.heatonsopengardens.net/
A total of 21 participating gardens, full of innovative and decorative ideas, will be opening their gates to the local community.
- Didsbury Open Gardens – Didsbury
Sunday 8 June 2014 between 11:30am and 5:30pm
http://www.didsburyopengardens.org/
With 30 new and old gardens to visit. Live classical and guitar music, a pop up Pestaurant and a chance to see a real Falcon, have family fun and a barbie at the Nazarene College, take tours of the allotments, enjoy teas and cakes … and lots more.
- Burnage and Levenshulme Open Gardens
Sunday 22 June 2014 between 11:30am and 5:30pm
http://www.freedomfromtorture.org/events/7832
Come along and visit a wide number of gardens in Burnage and Levenshulme, South Manchester. Refreshments and other products will also be on sale during the day. Tea, coffee, juice, cakes and scones will be on sale at 51A Burnside Drive in aid of Freedom from Torture.
- Wilmslow Wells for Africa Open Gardens Day – Wilmslow and Alderley Edge
Sunday 28 June 2014 between 11am and 4.30pm
http://www.wilmslowwells.org/
£10 gets you access to 21 wonderful gardens across Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, with 7 new gardens for 2014.
- Gatley Open Gardens – Gatley
Sunday 29 June 2014 between 10:30am and 5pm
http://gatleyopengardens.wordpress.com/
£5 per adult. As part of Gatley Festival, come and enjoy local private gardens large and small, simple and ornate, perfected and work-in-progress.
- Chorlton Open Gardens – Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Not showing in 2014 to give the garden owners a break!
http://www.chorltonopengardens.org.uk/
NGS open gardens 2014
The NGS is the National Gardens Scheme, which is a UK-wide organisation that “opens gardens of quality, character and interest to the public for charity”. There are over 4,000 gardens currently in the scheme, and we are lucky enough to have some excellent ones right here on our doorstep.
- 34 Congleton Road, Alderley Edge
Sat 31 May and Sun 1 June between 12pm and 6pm
- 199 Stockport Road, Timperley
Sat 28 and Sun 29 June between 1pm and 5pm
- Sycamore Cottage, Carrington
Sat 21 and Sun 22 June between 1pm and 5pm
- 73 Hill Top Avenue, Cheadle Hulme
Sun 29 June and Sun 10 August between 2pm and 6pm
- 68 South Oak Lane, Wilmslow
Sat 12 and Sun 13 July between 11pm and 4.30pm
- Brooke Cottage, Handforth
Sat 12 and Sun 13 July between 12pm and 5pm
- Southlands, Stretford
Sat 12 and Sun 13 July between 1pm and 6pm
- 17 Poplar Grove, Sale
Sat 19 and Sun 20 July between 2pm and 5pm
- Greenways, Alderley Edge
Sat 19 and Sun 20 July between 2pm and 6pm
- Barlow House Farm, Mobberley
Sat 26 and Sun 27 July between 12pm and 5pm
- Somerford, Knutsford
Sun 13 July and Sun 10 August between 12pm and 5pm
For more information on the gardens, contact the relevant garden owners.
Take a look at the opengardens.co.uk Website for further listings of garden days around the country.
