At our last meeting on Thursday 11th January Debra Craighead and Susan Bennett came to our monthly meeting to talk about the the National Garden Scheme. Many of our members have previously enjoyed visits to gardens opened to the public under the NGS scheme, including the wonderful one at 5 St Regis Close, owned by Susan Bennet and her partner Earl, but I don’t think anyone was aware of how the scheme came into existence or its role in funding so many good causes.
Debra told us about William Rathbone a wealthy Liverpool merchant and philanthropist who was so impressed with the care given to his dying wife by a nurse, Mary Robinson, that he decided that such care should also be made available to those who could not afford to pay for it themselves. With the help of Florence Nightingale and the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI), the District Nursing service was begun in 1887.
It was in 1927 that a member of the QNI Council, Miss Elsie Wagg, suggested that the nation’s love of gardens could be used to raise funds for the District Nursing service. In 1928 the NGS was founded and in that year 609 gardens were open to the public, charging one shilling per person and raising £8,191. Many famous people, including Winston Churchill and Vita Sackville West, were willing to get involved by opening their gardens too.
In 1948 the National Health Service was founded but money was still needed for nurse training and for the care of retired nurses. From the 1980s onwards the list of charities benefitting from the NGS open days included Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Hospice UK, the Carers Trust and Parkinson’s UK. In 2002 the Prince of Wales became a Patron, and in 2016 Mary Berry became President. By 2019 and their 35th anniversary, the NGS had donated £17 million to good causes. In 2022 the year after the lockdowns, they donated £3.11 million.
The National Garden Scheme website and their annual booklet gives a guide to and information on all the gardens participating in the scheme. You can search by location, garden name, opening dates, and their facilities, e.g. refreshments, wheelchair access, dog friendly, plants for sale, etc. Click here: National Garden Scheme to connect to the NGS website.
NGS gardens you may like to visit:
5 St Regis Close, Alexandra Park Road, Muswell Hill, N10 2DE
20 Hillcrest, Winchmore Hill N21 1AT - open 9th June
Highwood Ash, Highwood Hill, Mill Hill, NW7 4EX - opens 12th May
21 Oakleigh Park South, N20 9JS - opens 16th June
190 Barnet Road, 'The Upcycled Garden', Arkley, Barnet, EN5 3LF - opens 19th May
Susan and Earl's garden (5 St Regis Close, Alexandra Park Road, Muswell Hill, N10 2DE) is well worth a visit. Susan and Earl are both artists, and their garden is full of their work, from large garden structures and pots, to small porcelain animal figures. Earl also makes really great cakes! Their next opening dates are April 28th and June 30th. However, we are planning to arrange a private visit for Gardening Friends members and friends. So let us know if you're interested. |