The publishers “The Yellow Book”, a guide to over 3,700 gardens, is the National Garden Scheme, or NGS as they are commonly known.
Every year NGS gardens across England and Wales welcome about 750,000 visitors. Most gardens which open for the NGS are privately owned and open just a few times each year. Some gardens open as part of a group with the whole community involved. The gardens give all the money raised directly to us (including from the sale of teas and plants); the only exceptions being in some cases they ask that a small proportion goes to a nominated local charity.
NGS Garden
Our tradition of opening gardens of quality, character and interest is supported by our Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales.
Did you know that we currently give away more than £2.5 million each year to nursing, caring and gardening charities and we have given them a total more than £25 million in the last 15 years. Our office and overheads are small and most of the work is done by volunteers in our county teams and so currently more than 80p in every £1 raised at garden openings goes directly to our beneficiaries.
NGS Garden
I attended one such garden last Sunday in Park Crescent – just behind Victoria Park. It was a beautiful well kept garden and the £2.50 collected saw a large chunk going to the North London Hospice and the balance going to the NGS. The owner and gardener was Rosie Daniels and one wonders where she finds the time, as after a full days work in central London, she spends a lot of time at home and at The Institute with her main hobby, with stained glass windows.
NGS Garden
The photographs in this article were all of her garden.
The Finchley Arrow 