National Garden Scheme – Norfolk

There is so much going on in a garden in June, glorious colour, delicious scents and gentle sounds. And there will be some 25 glorious gardens opening their gates across the county for the Scheme this month, from large rural garden to small town gardens. There are group openings in town and country plus an inspirational hospice garden. Liz Austen who has volunteered for the charity for several years says, ‘It’s a day out too if you want to meet up with friends, children and grandchildren. You will always be welcomed by the owners, support the charity and pick up ideas even if you have a modest garden.  And then digest your new information over home-made cake and a cup of tea.’

Open 1.30-5. Adm £6, chd free. Home-made teas & refreshments. Dogs allowed.

C18 manor house (not open) and clocktower set in 6 acres with lake and woodland walks. Chelsea designer’s own garden- herbaceous, Italian, watery, wild and verdant areas. Sunken and parterre gardens all flowing from one tempting vista to another. Developed over 25 years with recent planting in the contemporary manner.

Open 10-4. Adm £8, chd free. Home-made teas. Picnics allowed in car park

C15 fortified and moated manor house (not open).

10 acre garden and 10 acre park with significant collection of old roses, walled garden, formal garden, terraced garden, ginkgo avenue, & viewing mound, moongate and interesting pinetum.

Open 12-5. Adm £6, chd free. Home-made teas. Visits also by arrangement 8 June to 26 Sept for groups of 10 to 40. Partial wheelchair access. Dogs allowed

Georgian house (not open) set in 17 acres of parkland inc cricket pitch, mixed borders, walled kitchen garden, yew garden, woodland and water garden.

Open 11-4. Adm £4 chd free. Light Refreshments. Partial wheelchair access. No dogs.

⅓ acre partly paved with seating surrounded by borders of shrubs and flowers. Further seated area plus apple trees, soft fruit, vegetable plot, greenhouse and herb bed. Pond with water feature and a rose arbour. Plants for sale, craft stall and accordionist if dry.

Open 12-5. Adm £6, chd free. Home-made teas. Plants for sale. Partial wheelchair access. No dogs.

3-acre plantsman’s garden well- developed and maintained by the current owners over the past 40 years. Colour-themed herbaceous borders with an extensive range of perennials, box-edged rose and shrub borders, large vegetable garden. Woodland garden, pond and bog area, orchard and small arboretum.

East and West Rudham are adjoining villages surrounded by countryside with Anglo Saxon origins. Easily accessible from Kings Lynn and Fakenham. The four gardens are very varied in history, design and planting providing inspiration and enjoyment.

Open 11-5. Combined adm £10.00, chd free. Light refreshments in the Rudhams Village Hall, PE31 8GN. Dogs allowed

DRAGONFLY COTTAGE, BROOMSTHORPE ROAD, EAST RUDHAM, PE31 8RG (NEW)

Cottage dating from C18 in ½ acre plot with lawned areas, mature trees and colourful herbaceous borders. Two small ponds, wildflower areas and small vegetable/cutting garden

2 acres planted in 2014 consisting of small walled cottage style garden with mixed shrubs, perennial plants and bulbs surrounding the farmhouse, and an adjoining wild meadow with meandering mown paths, ponds and species trees.

Surrounded by fields, this newly renovated garden designed by its owners, is in its infancy. Planting lends itself to a more naturalistic approach influenced by designers Nigel Dunnet and Noel Kingsbury.  Plants mingle with each other displaying height and colour.

Georgian house and garden previously owned by doctors attending the Royals at Sandringham. Approx. 2 acres with lawns, mature trees and woodland areas. Main walled garden comprises box hedge pathways, large cottage style herbaceous borders, rose arches and stream flowing through. Summer house and greenhouse.

Open 11-5. Combined adm £6, chd free. Home-made teas. Partial wheelchair access. No dogs

The gardens provide a variety of colourful & mixed planting, perennials, roses and annuals.

Greenhouse with exotics, a small meadow & informal pond. Views over the Tas Valley.

Open 11-5 Adm £7.00, chd free. Home-made teas & refreshments. Partial wheelchair access. Picnic Area (but please not by the house) Dogs allowed

Charming 4-acre country garden surrounds farmhouse. Formal quadrants, ‘hot spot’ of grasses and gravel, small arboretum, pleached lime walk, vegetable parterre and rose tunnel. Walled ‘Taj’ garden consisting of old-fashioned roses, tree peonies, lilies and formal pond. A variety of herbaceous plants.

Open 10-5. Adm £6, chd free. Home-made teas & refreshments. Partial wheelchair access. Parking some distance from the garden. Dogs welcome.

C16 manor house with Georgian additions (not open) set within 4 acres which include parterre, summer garden, orchard, cutting garden, pear tunnel, secret oriental garden, a promenade of theatrical serpentine hedging, a pond and woodland walk.

Open 11-5 Adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas. Visits also by arrangement. Partial wheelchair access. Dogs allowed

Half acre cottage garden surrounding C14 clapboard farmhouse. A plantswoman’s garden with colourful herbaceous borders containing a wide range of perennial and woody plants.  A well planted wildlife pond.

Open 11-5. Adm £8, chd free. Light refreshments. Visits also by arrangement. Plants for sale. Partial wheelchair access. Dogs allowed

Walled kitchen garden designed by Arne Maynard and replanted in 2016/17. Soft palette of herbaceous plants which include some unusual varieties and provide long season of interest. Greenhouse, vegetables, trained fruits, and roses. 130-year-old wisteria. Wildlife friendly with wildflower meadow and renovated island pond. Historic buildings.

THE OLD RECTORY, CREAKE ROAD SYDERSTONE, KING’S LYNN PE31 8SF
Open 11-5. Adm £5, chd free. Home- made teas. Refreshments in aid of St. Mary’s Church, Syderstone.
Charming old rectory garden designed in 1999 by Arne Maynard. There are lawns, box, hornbeam, yew and beach hedging to view. Discover our pleached crab apple trees, wisteria and climbing roses. Parterre of English shrub roses, herbaceous beds, a shrubbery and an orchard to explore.

Three town gardens 15 minutes from the City Centre.

Open 10.30-4.30. Combined adm £7. Home-made teas at 19 Branksome Road

has been designed with quite formal shaped lawns and terraces to fit around the house and make sunny seating areas. There are clipped yews, an oak pergola and swing seat to provide structure, while the planting is a relaxed mixture of perennials, shrubs and trees. A traditional vegetable plot with fruit cage and greenhouse is a small but important part of the garden.

is a tranquil and secluded courtyard garden with abundant trees, shrubs inc roses, climbers, perennials and container plants that gives all year interest. A nature pond attracts lots of birds and insects.

has a long town garden that’s pretending it is in the country. Divided into three sections, it is packed with herbaceous perennials, roses, native plants and a large (and growing) collection of Pelargoniums. Coach House Court

Open 9.30-5.00 adm £6, chd free. Home-made teas. Dogs allowed. Visits also by arrangement.

Originally a field surrounding a formerly derelict C17 listed farmhouse (not open). The garden structure was laid down as sympathetic to the Dutch style of the house.  Closed knot garden of box surrounded by pleached hornbeam, pollarded plane trees. Beech and yew hedges divide areas and flank walks. Herbaceous borders and lawns, clematis & rose walk to potager and paddock.

KERDISTON MANOR, KERDISTON, NORWICH, NR104RY
Open 11-5. Adm £6, chd free. Home-made teas. Partial wheelchair access. Dogs allowed. A two-acre tranquil garden surrounding manor House (not open) that has been developed by the owners for over 30 years. Mature trees, colourful herbaceous borders, dell garden, potager style vegetable plot, pond, a 15-acre wild meadow walk and wonderful thatched C18 barn. Wheelchair access to teas and terrace overlooking garden.

9–1. Adm £4.50, chd free. Light refreshments. Dogs allowed. Plants for sale. Excellent wheelchair access.

2 acres planted in 2016 and created by volunteers of the hospice to provide a peaceful and friendly space for residents, staff and visitors. Includes a variety of cottage garden plants, perennials, shrubs and trees with a wildlife pond and a vegetable patch.

Open 12-4 Adm £5, chd free. Tea, coffee & cake. Plants. Partial wheelchair access. No dogs.

A modern country garden started in 2007. Discover extensive perennial borders and cloud pruned hedges. Explore a secret cottage garden, wildflower meadow and wildlife pond. A traditional hay meadow and ancient woodland provide a beautiful setting.

Oulton Hall (Photo credit National Garden Scheme)