Visits

Details to be confirmed

A wildlife friendly, plant lover’s cottage garden with borders generously planted with bulbs, perennials, grasses and shrubs for successional interest for every season. Productive vegetable garden and greenhouses. Many pots and baskets with seasonal annuals and tender perennials especially salvias.

By car
Time of Visit 10.30 am.
Cost £10 including tea/coffee and cake

½ acre garden with mature trees inc large magnolia. Cacti, fernery, stream, water wheel, two ponds, greenhouses, aviary, 10,000 snowdrops, hellebores, bluebells and over 60 varieties of hosta. Small Japanese style area.
Woodburn Green, High Wycombe

By car. Time of Visot 10.30 am. Detaols to be confirmed.
Cost £10 including tea/coffee.

Details and cost to be confirmed.

Created by Graham Stuart Thomas in the 1970s, Mottisfont’s walled garden was chosen to house many rose varieties that may otherwise have become extinct. The walled garden is home to the National Collection of Pre-1900 Shrub Roses, which reach their peak in early summer. Unlike modern species, old-fashioned roses tend to flower just once a year, so their blooming season is an extraordinary annual sight

Coach Trip Cost £30 for the coach, entry cost is free if a member of the National Trust, £21 for non-members.

Pick up points and times 9am bus stop opposite St Peter’s Avenue in the Woodcote Road Caversham 9.15 am The back of Reading Station 9.30 a.m. Mereoak park and ride just off the A 33 after going over the M4.

Our Vice-President, Richard Bisgrove, has very kindly offered to host our Summer
Social and Late Summer Plant Sale this year.

For those of you who have recently joined us, this is an excellent opportunity to meet
new friends and get to know more about plants whilst browsing those on offer (at
very reasonable prices) on the sales table. Not to mention the pleasure of enjoying
a cup of tea & cake. Richard’s garden has some unusual and interesting plants and
shrubs, some with interesting provenance, so is well worth a visit in its own right.

2.00pm start
Members £7.50 Non Members£12.50

This lovely garden with stunning views to the Chilterns is owned by Mary Roadnight. She has invited us to come and have a look round her impressive garden which was remodelled in 2009 and continues to evolve. A very large apple tree blew down in the spring of 2022 and has been replaced by a summerhouse which has resulted in a major revision of planting, it will be interesting to see her new ideas. The patio, heather and gravel gardens enjoy the view whilst the back and vegetable gardens are more enclosed. We can expect delicious homemade cakes and tea around 3.00pm. Plenty of parking here.

Entrance 2.15pm
Members £11.00 Non-Members £16.00
Foxington, Britwell Salome, Wallingford, OX49 5LG

The gardens at Boxford House cover approximately 4 acres of grounds with different areas including woodland, productive gardens as well as a range of different styles of beds and borders. The family have been heavily involved in developing this large garden over the last 10 years. This is a lovely time to visit this garden – many of the bulbs should still be on show and any experienced gardener will be able to share the anticipation of the things yet to bloom. Spring is all about promise and potential. The guided tour concentrates on the 5 acre main garden with old and new orchards, laburnum tunnel, formal and colourful herbaceous borders and finishes with tea/coffee and a variety of cakes etc.

Entrance 2.00pm
Members £11.00 Non-Members £16.00
Boxford House, Boxford, Newbury, RG20 8DP

Weirs Barn (Ref WB)

We went here only last year on a very hot day but were so impressed with the welcome we received that we are happy to re-visit in less dry conditions. In spring we should see a spectacular display of varieties of Peonies and other spring flowers. Price will include coffee/tea & cake during the visit. Parking as before is in the paddock with no number restrictions. Clear directions after booking.
For lunch we suggest a picnic in the paddock or pop across the road to the recommended pub!
This morning visit will be followed by a much smaller garden and Terence Lyons has very kindly offered us the possibility of leaving some cars in his paddock so we can car share to reduce the number of cars as parking is very restricted at the next venue

Entrance 10.30am
Members £8.00 Non-Members £13.00
Weirs Barn, London Road. Hartley Wintney, Hampshire RG27 8HU

Little Croft (Ref LC)

Graham & Pauline Bowyer’s garden is quite intimate, with a delightful atmosphere, quite a contrast to the grandeur of the previous venue. They have, over the years, visited Japan many times and have been inspired to build a pond & stream garden, the tea garden and gravel garden all heavily influenced by Japanese garden design. Hopefully the azaleas, rhododendrons & camellias will be at their best together with Tea & cakes!
As mentioned above, parking is restricted to 5/6 cars depending on size or alternatively there is a Car Park is a short walk away in Church Road (payable)

Entrance 2.00pm
Members £7.50 Non-Members £12.50
Little Croft, Church Grove, Fleet GU51 4LA

We are very fortunate to be offered a garden tour of Folly Farm. The gardens were originally
planned by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll in the early 20th century and have been
extensively revived by the new owners under the guidance of Dan Pearson.

Only 11 people plus a committee member (as leader) are invited with a maximum of 6 cars and
there is a very strict programme as follows:-
1.30 Prompt arrival at Folly Farm: 1.45 Welcome: 2.00 Start of tour: 4.00 Refreshments – tea,
coffee, soft drinks & cake: 4.30 Depart Folly Farm.

Tuesday 30th August 2022 Members only £28.00:

Our Membership Secretary Cally & John Jenkins have very kindly stepped up in place of the
cancellation of a booking we had for our Summer Social and invited us to their garden in
Mortimer. They have a mature cottage garden in excess of an acre which reveals itself in stages.
At the bottom a view through to Simms Farm and the Hampshire countryside. Surrounding the
house, a curved patio and Pergola (covered in vines), leads to a large central lawn with
surrounding island beds, gravel garden, small oriental garden and an extensive formal kitchen
garden. A variety of fruit trees, two greenhouses and a potting shed. There are both shady, cool
areas as well as open ones to the sunshine. So plenty to explore!
Parking instructions will follow if you book your place.

Wednesday 10th August 2022 2.00pm-4.30 (Ref SL)
Members £8.00 Non-members £11.00

Jane & Terence Lyons have kindly agreed to welcome us to their beautiful garden which has
been transformed over the years back to its original Arts and Crafts origins.
Up to 50 people are welcome, so bring your friends along. Sadly, no refreshments but there may
be a plant stall and all proceeds go to the local St Michael’s Hospice which Jane has been closely
associated with for over 25 years.
Plenty of parking space. See the articles from The English Garden & Country Life Magazines
sent in a separate email.
There are two alternative suggestions you may like to consider for the morning before this visit
both within a very short distance of the venue. West Green House Gardens are always good and
NT members are welcome here although they do charge for parking. Lunches are available but if
any of you decide to meet up here it would be good if you could let me know and I can warn the
café to expect extra visitors.
The other option is The Phoenix Pub which has an excellent reputation and is just opposite the
entrance to The Weirs. Again, perhaps you could let me know if you intend to visit for lunch and
I can forewarn them.

Wednesday 13th July 2022 2.00pm (Ref WEI)
Members £5.00 Non-Members £8.00
Weirs Barn, London Road, Hartley Wintney, Hook, Hampshire RG27 8HS

An ‘History & Horticulture’ tour by the owner of this historic Chapel and the gardens which
have been restored with beautiful rose borders etc. This tour takes about 2 hours and includes
tea/coffee/biscuits at the beginning with Sarah Taylor’s introductory talk which will start
promptly at 11.00am. Very easy to find this property on the A239 (the road to Thame and
Aylesbury) just north of the M40.

Thursday 9th June 10.45 (Ref RYC)
Members £12.00 Non-Members£15.00
Near Thame Oxfordshire OX9 2PE 0
Maximum number 25

Hopefully, we may manage to make this visit which was planned for last year!

A spectacular display of tulips awaits us in the gardens around a private mansion south of
Newbury. Malverley’s Gardens have an imaginative series of garden rooms designed and
maintained with no expense spared. On previous visits we have been given an instructive tour
followed by generous tea. All will depend on Covid restrictions and we do hope it will go ahead
as planned but please keepan eye on your emails for any updates.

Wednesday 10th May 2.00pm
Members £10.00
Non-Members £13.00

Malverleys Gardens, East Woodhay, Newbury RG20 0AA Wednesday 10th May 2.00pm

We had a Zoom talk from Sarah Pajwani last year and we also had our Summer Social in her garden 2 years ago. This time it is a Talk & Walk with her around her garden in winter and enjoy refreshments in her home whilst listening to her talk ‘The Winter Garden’

St. Timothee was voted “The Nation’s Favourite Garden’ by the NGS for 2021.

The visit is limited to 30 people on the garden tour. To avoid overcrowding in the
Games Room, it may be necessary to restrict numbers to 20. Masks should be worn in anycase.

Thursday 10th February 1.30 pm
St.Timothee, Darlings Lane, Pinkney’s Green, Maidenhead SL6 6P9

Members £15.00      Non-Members £18.00

Directions:- Leave the M4 at J8/9 onto A404M. Take the exit 9 onto A4 into Maidenhead.Left at the 1st r’about on to A4130 Henley Rd. After ½ mile turn right on to Pinkney’s Drive. AtPinkneys Arms Pub, turn Left into Lee Lane and follow the narrow lane for quite a long way. Look out for NGS signs 

Cost        Members £ 7.50
                Non Members £10.50

Transport by Private Car

The Walled Garden, Whitchurch-on-Thames, Pangbourne, RG8 7RD
Time 2.00 pm

Hardwick Gardens in Whitchurch. Ian Tolhurst’s Farm of several acres by the Thames is a magnet for environmentalists and organic growers internationally. Completely organic, stock free and carbon neutral. He has agreed to give us a condensed tour of the walled garden area, so we don’t need to walk too far!

The entrance to Hardwick Estate is through black metal gates next to the farm shop (Lin’s VegShed) RG8 7RA. Follow the tree-lined drive through fields. After 700 yards, take the first turning on right down a short steep hill to the Packing Shed.

Parking is in our yard maximum 10 cars but additional parking will be available 150 yards away.
Access is possible for wheelchair users if accompanied and the weather is not wet.

Cost                Members £8.00
                         Non-Members £11.00

Transport by Private Car

Priory Lane Freefolk, Whitchurch Road, RG28 7FA

Time 2.00pm

Well known to us Rosie Hardy supplies plants from her nursery in Whitchurch, Hampshire to gardens and garden designers across the country. She has won many gold medals at Chelsea and other shows. An inspirational plants woman who gave an excellent Zoom talk which members of Reading Gardeners were able to access last year.

Again, assuming Covid regulations allow, we should be offered refreshments.

Cost Members £ 7.50
Non-Members £10.50

Transport by Private Car

Baliffs House, Little Stoke, Wallingford, OX10 6AX

Time 2.30pm.

Run by Rachel Siegfried and her partner Ashley Pearson, Green & Gorgeous farm has two acres of flower fields, orchard, herb and vegetable beds. It is buzzing and singing with life. When Rachel is not working in the fields, she is creating bouquets or arrangements for sale/weddings etc. She is driven by a belief in sustainability and has a wealth of hard-earned knowledge to draw on. She goes to great lengths to coax the very best blooms and
scents from each plant.

Rachel has agreed to give us a tour of the flower fields/polytunnels and hopefully, refreshments.

She will have flowers and plants for sale.

Cost                 Members £15.00
                          Non-Members £18.00

Transport by Private Car. Parking is very easy once you have found the venue which is well signposted off the B4009.

Cedar Lodge, Dyson’s Wood Tokers Green, RG4 9EY
Time 2.00pm

We had our Summer Social here on very hot August day in 2015 (I can’t believe it was so long ago). Richard (our Vice President) is a horticulturist who lectures at Kew. His private Garden, north of Reading, set on a chalky hillside is a plant person’s delight. He is very generous and patient in sharing his knowledge which is greatly appreciated.

Refreshments will depend on Covid regulations at the time.

Please Note: Parking is very difficult at Cedar Lodge so, if possible, do car-share. Please therefore park in Rokeby Drive and walk the 250 yards along Dyson Wood Lane to Cedar Lodge. Anyone unable to walk that far could be dropped at the gate before the driver returns to Rokeby Drive. There are lots of seats in the garden.

Cost                 Members £5.00
                         Non-Members £8.00

Transport by Private Car

By Coach to

Sandhill Farm House, Rogate, Petersfield, GU31 5HU
Chawton House, Chawton, Alton, GU34 1SD

Rosemary Alexander founded the English Gardening School in 1983, has many awards, has judged and lectured world wide as well as writing books and being a Trustee of Great Dixter. We are privileged to pay a visit to her own ‘teaching’ garden at Rogate which she began in 2001 after leaving her tenancy at NT Stoneacre in Kent. Although only approximately 1 acre it is packed full of wonderful plant combinations. She confesses not always to practice what she preaches as she is a plantaholic and is constantly making improvements.
Rosemary will give refreshments and a personal tour of her garden.

It is not far to Chawton House where Jane Austen lived in a cottage on the estate owned by her brother Edward. We have arranged for a self-guided tour of the house and garden here and although the gardens may not be spectacular we think it will be an interesting afternoon visit. The house is a charity with many treasures, including Austen heirlooms and an extensive collection of early women’s writing.

Cost                    £39.00
Non-members £42.00

Pick up points: 8.15 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields
8.30 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading 8.50 Village Car Park Theale

Private cars to St. Timothee Darlings Lane, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 6PA

Sarah Pajwani has very kindly agreed to host our Summer Social & Plant Sale in her 2 acre garden. She opens regularly for the NGS and all proceeds will go to this charity. Some of you may have been here before and it is ideal for us as there is plenty of parking space and she has an area where she can provide tables for our plants and, most importantly, a delicious tea!

Through the spring and early summer do remember to pot up and carefully label some plants to donate and bring plenty of cash to spend.

Directions:- Leave the M4 at J8/9 onto A404M. Take the exit 9 onto A4 into Maidenhead.
Left at the 1st r’about onto A4130 Henley Rd. After ½ mile turn right onto Pinkneys Drive. At Pinkneys Arms Pub, turn Left into Lee Lane and follow the NGS signs which Sarah will put out.

Cost                    £10.00
Non-members £13.00

By Coach to

Sandhill Farm, Newtown Road, Sherfield English, Romsey, Hants SO51 6JY
NT Mottisfont, Near Romsey, Hants SO51 0LP

Andy McIndoe is probably best known for the 37 years he spent with Hilliers Nursery. He was awarded the Veich Memorial Medal by the RHS in 2017 for ‘Practical Horticulture’ the principles of which are the mainstay of the 2 acre garden and meadow he has created with his wife Rosamond on a sloping hillside site. He now offers private consultancies, lectures and writes books. The visit will commence with coffee etc followed by a garden tour with ample opportunity to chat, ask questions or explore the garden individually. There will be Andy’s books for sale and also plants.

Following this we shall drive to nearby Mottisfont, the NT property which needs little introduction to, hopefully, see the roses at their peak, have lunch and wander at your leisure.

Do not forget your NT card and indicate whether or not you are a member on the booking form

Cost                   £31.00
 Non-member £34.00

Pick up points: 8.00 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields
8.15 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading 8.35 Village Car Park Theale

Private Car 

A private return visit to Malverleys on Wednesday May 13th at 2.30. As before, this will be a visit by car to:- Malverleys, Fullers Lane, East End, Newbury RG20 0AA (near East Woodhay)

The cost is £10.00 for members and £13.00 for non members and includes a tour with one of the gardeners followed by tea & cake. Weather permitting, we should see a good display of tulips.

Radcot House, Radcot OX18 2SX, lunch at Aston Pottery Bampton OX18 2BT and
Finally Ashbrook House, Blewbury OX11 9QA

By coach £37.00 Non-members £40.00

Radcot House is renowned for its spectacular autumn display, dahlias abound. Approximately 3 acres of dramatic yet harmonious planting in light and shade. Extensive use of grasses and unusual perennials with interesting sculptural surprises. Formal pond, fruit and vegetable cages. Convenient seating at key points enables relaxed observation and reflection. DIY coffee & tea.
We follow this with a visit to Aston Pottery. There are 5 very large borders here set around the Gift Shop and Café. We will email those intending to come with the menu so light lunches can be pre-booked. The borders here are certainly ‘in your face’ with riotous colour but nevertheless, worth inspection. This ‘garden’ has featured in the Saturday Telegraph and RHS magazine.
We round off the day with a visit to Ashbrook House on our way home, notable for its connection with Kenneth Grahame who read ‘Wind in the Willows’ to local children and where he took inspiration for his description of the oak doors to Badger’s House. 3.5 acres of chalk & water garden in a beautiful spring line village. Mrs Barrett will give us tea here.
Pick up points: 8.15 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields
8.30 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading 8.50 Village Car Park Theale

Bottom House, Bix, Henley, RG9 6DF
By private cars £7.50 Non-members £10.50

A well tended September Garden, the perfect venue for our Social & Plant Sale.
Immaculate lawns surround large borders full of colour with many different Salvias. Spectacular large pots of Datura (Brugmansia) fill the terrace which surrounds the house. Also a small Victorian Garden edged with clipped yews. Several large greenhouses and a Kitchen Garden.
Tea is included and tables for all our plants! Bring lots of well labelled plants and money to buy!

Parham House, Pulborough RH20 4HR

By coach £46.00 Non-members £49.00

Another full day visit. We start here with refreshments and a guided tour of the house. Lunches are available and those choosing to come will be emailed the menu as Parham would like to know catering requirements in advance. The gardens here are romantic and consist of pleasure grounds and a 4-acre walled garden where they frequently trial plants in their nursery area. There are dynamic and diverse herbaceous borders, a rose garden, herb garden, glasshouse, vibrant potager-style vegetable garden and an orchard with a 1920’s Wendy House. Lots to see and do.
Pick up points: 8.30 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields
9.45 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading 9.00 Mereoak P&R Grazeley

Wolverton Plants, Wolverton Common, Tadley, Hants RG26 5RU
and Old Camps, Headley, RG19 8LG

By Car £10.00 Non-members £13.00

Join us for a look around this very good nursery 10.30-11.00ish. Bring some lunch and we can picnic on their lawn if it’s good weather or find a nearby pub. About 10-15 minutes away we are booked at 2.00pm to visit Adam Vetere’s garden just off the A339 near Headley Tyres. Adam’s garden was featured on Gardeners’ World earlier this year and he will show us around and also offer us tea and cake.

Bowood House, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0LZ

This visit has been cancelled.

 Dalesford Slade Farm, Kingham OX7 6TF & Kingham Hill House OX7 6TE

Coach Outing         £45.00     Non-member £48.00     

We are priviledged to be invited to view this large garden. Although there are substantial distances to be walked, there is a buggy if help is needed. (We may need to swap places!)
Magnificent landscape grounds created 1790 for Warren Hastings, greatly restored and enhanced by the present owners Lord and Lady Bamford. Lakeside and woodland walks within natural wild flower meadows. Large walled garden planted formally, centred around orchid, peach and working glasshouses. Trellised rose garden. Collection of citrus within period orangery. Secret garden with pavilion and formal pools. Garden Designer Rupert Golby is very much involved. NB: No beveridges here.
We shall stop at a local Pub for lunch.
In the afternoon we drive a short distance to Kingham Hill House. Blending into the Cotswold countryside, the layout of this 6 acre walled garden was designed some 20 years ago by Rosemary Verey and has been brought into the 21st century by Rupert Golby, an eminent local garden designer. At its peak in June, we are fortunate to be offered a tour by Mr Golby, highlighting its main features. For detailed description search the Country Life article (Kingham Hill House a Verey masterpiece). Tea will be served here after the tour.
Pick up points:
8.15 Mereoak P&R Grazeley 8.30 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading
8.45 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields

Fibrex Nursery, Pebworth, Stratford upon Avon CV37 8XP
NT Hidcote Gardens, Bartrim GL55 6LR

Coach outing          £29.00.  Non-members £32

Fibrex are well known for their National Pelagonium Collection, National Hedera Collection and Fibrex Fern Collection. They exhibit at most RHS Shows and many others. Following an introductory talk and refreshments we will be free to wander around the nursery to see these interesting plants and, hopefully, find a few to purchase!
We shall arrive at Hidcote in time for lunch and spend time looking around one of England’s great Arts & Crafts gardens at a time of year when we have not visited before. Created by the talented American horticulturist, Major Lawrence Johnston, it is famous for its rare trees and shrubs, herbaceous borders and unusual plants from all over the world.
People who are not NT members might get in free if an NT member has no partner with them otherwise they will have to pay an entry fee of £12.70.
Do not forget your NT card and indicate whether or not you are a member on the booking form
Pick up points: 8.15 Village Car Park Theale 8.40 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading
9.00 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields

Heale Garden Middle Woodford north of Salisbury SP4 6NT
Westcroft, Boscombe Village SP4 0AB

Coach Outing             £30.   Non-members £33.00

It’s early in the year but we hope to see swathes of hellebores and spring flowers at this lovely garden. The eight acres have been tended by generations of the Rasch family, each leaving their mark, the latest a collection of magnolias. Criss crossed with sparkling tributaries of the river Avon, a trout filled stream crosses under the authentic Japanese tea house and below the red Nikko bridge to meander through the woodland garden. There is a kiosk for those wishing for refreshments, not included in the price.
In the afternoon we shall visit Lyn Miles’s garden. She’s renowned for her snowdrops but is also a stalwart member of HPS Pulmonaria group and has many varieties of these and other spring flowers in her garden. She promises a scrummy tea which can be inside if the weather is poor.

Pick up points: 8.15 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields
8.30 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading 9.00 Village Car Park Theale

An opportunity to join the September Open Day at Bury Court in a delightful location.
By kind permission of John Coke; Phoenix Perennial Plants hosts this full day event.
Following a welcoming coffee, Marina Christopher opens with a lecture, followed by a 2 course lunch and in the afternoon Marina will guide us on a tour of the front garden at Bury Court which was designed by Christoper Bradley-Hole. Throughout the visit there is unlimited access to the gardens with an opportunity to view the walled garden, planted in 1997 as the first naturalistic garden designed by Piet Oudolf in Britain.
There will be seasonal plants and bulbs for sale throughout the day.

COACH TRIP RICE £45
Pick up points: 9.15 Mapledurham Playing Fields 9.30 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading
9.45 Mereoak Park & Ride

2.00pm The Priory, Beech Hill, Reading RG7 2BJ
Directions:- M4 Junction 11, take the A33 south towards Basingstoke. At the traffic lights turn left to Spencers Wood. After 1.5 miles turn right for Beech Hill. After approx. 1.5 miles turn left into Wood Lane, then right down Priory Drive.
By kind permission of Mr & Mrs C Carter who are allowing us to set up our plant sale within her grounds. The mature gardens surround a former 12th century priory (not open), rebuilt in 1648. This is a very attractive setting beside the river Loddon. There is a large formal walled garden with espalier fruit trees, lawns, mixed borders, vegetables and roses. Also a woodland with fine trees, lake and Italian style water garden.
The sale will take place after we have explored the garden and taken tea with her on the terrace.
It is important for us to let Mrs Carter know numbers intending to come to this garden.
PLEASE make every effort to donate well potted, labelled plants as this is an important fund raising event for Reading Gardeners. Also, bring lots of small change to BUY too!

PRICE £7

Chivel Farm Nr. Chipping Norton OX7 5TR
Mr & Mrs Rosalind Sword have lived on the farm for 40 years and the garden of about 2 acres is in the middle. High up and exposed it is a late garden so roses should still be going strong. There are also many unusual perennials including salvias, phlox, penstemons, agapanthus and the borders are colour schemed. The planting gets more natural as the garden merges into the farmland, with grasses and daisy type flowers in oranges and yellows.
Coffee/tea & biscuits will be served in the conservatory.

Meadow Farm Nursery & Garden, Feckenham near Droitwich B96 6RU
Rob & Diane Cole moved from Birmingham to Meadow Farm in 1998 to seek a more rural way of life and to enable them to develop a nursery in part of the 2 acre meadow. The 1 acre garden to the rear of the house has been developed as a showcase of their mainly herbaceous plants for sale. The adjoining nursery is not open to the general public as most of their sales are through Plant Fairs and private visits such as ours so we will be most welcome to browse & buy!
We are to be treated to one of Diane’s famous teas included in the price.

Coach Trip  Price   £38

Pick up points: 8.15 Village Car Park, Theale 8.30 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading
8.45 Caversham – Mapledurham Playing Fields

Sudeley Castle & gardens, Winchcombe GL54 5JD
The ticket to Sudeley includes a visit to the castle and we strongly recommend this as there are 1000 years of royal history to be had here. It is now a home to Lady Ashcombe and her family although the Dent family in Victorian times did much toward the restoration work and to St Mary’s Church which includes the tomb of Queen Katherine Parr. However, the gardens are very extensive and a complete delight, so if the castle does not beckon you the gardens will certainly not disappoint. There is a good visitor centre and café where refreshments can be had at your leisure and there should be time to see and do everything at your own pace.
Nearby Stanway House GL54 5JD
We shall hopefully arrive here just in time to see the amazing water fountain. At 3000ft, the highest gravity fed fountain in the world which, drought permitting, will display at 2.45 – 3.30. The water garden has seen gradual restoration of the original 18th century one which was probably designed by the greatest of British landscape gardeners, Charles Bridgeman. The formal Canal, on a terrace above the house, the striking Pyramid and eight ponds have been reinstated. The Jacobean manor house is still lived in by the Earl of Wemyss and our ticket allows entry to the house with its fascinating furniture.

COACH TRIP   PRICE  £38

Pick up points: 8.15 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields
8.30 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading 9.00 Theale Car Park

10.00am Waltham Place Organic Farm & Gardens, White Waltham SL6 3JH
We have a maximum of 24 places booked here for this organised tour of the Ornamental gardens, the Kitchen Garden the Woodlands and their farmland. Groups of 8 people will be shown around and this will be followed by a delightful light lunch using their own organic produce. There should be an opportunity to buy some of their produce in their own shop.
2.00pm Northbury Farm, Ruscombe RG10 9XJ £10.00
In the afternoon, a short distance away; we are very fortunate to have been able to arrange a visit to Sir Colin & Lady Southgate’s garden. Northbury Farm is a beautiful 16th century farmhouse that was restored in the late eighties. The gardens have been developed over the last 20 years when an ancient oak and a venerable Cornus mas together with a few other mature trees and an abundance of Leylandii (all gone!) were all that were noteworthy. The garden is now broken up into several separate areas, the cottage garden, the herbaceous garden, the rose garden a shrub & general area and a modern section with grasses and a Japanese garden. Behind this the garden opens into a less formal area with woodland and a stream and pond. Althogether there are over 1500 different species of plants spread over the 12 acres.
Our hosts are kindly offering tea within the entry price.
We have a maximum number of 32 places available here so you may opt for both or one of the above but we must have firm numbers.

BY PRIVATE CAR

The Coach House, Ampney Crusis, Cirencester GL7 5RY
Mel & Nick Tanner manage this 1.5 acre garden together with minimal help. They began to work on it in 1988 with inspiration from their many visits to neighbouring and far flung gardens. There are no vistas here so they have developed a set of internal views, divided mostly by yew hedges, which make the most of the space and keep the eye within the garden’s boundaries. The borders are overflowing with herbaceous plants contrasting the calm of the rill and green garden.
Coffee/tea & cakes included.
We plan to stop en-route to the next garden for lunch/picnic etc.

Eastleach House, Eastleach Martin, Cirencester GL7 3NW
An introductory talk from Mrs Richards and leaflet will start our afternoon visit here to this 14 acre traditional garden. On a wooded hilltop, with long views south and west this garden has everything. A lime avenue leads to a yew roundel encircling the statue of a stag, a minature arboretum leading to a croquet lawn, a walled garden with fastigate Irish yews, roses & clematis to name a few of the delights that await us.
Regrettably no refreshments here.

COACH TRIP PRICE £37

Pick up points: 8.15 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields
8.30 Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading 8.50 Village Car Park Theale

Canons Ashby near Daventry NN11 3SD
This National Trust property dates from Elizabethan times and remains virtually unaltered so it may well prove interesting to visit the mysterious wall-paintings, plasterwork and fine furnishings of the house itself if the weather is inclement. The restored formal gardens, originally created by Edward Dryden around 1710 (the design attributed to Geo.London & Henry Wise, gardeners to Queen Anne) contain topiary, a fernery, herbaceous border and fruit & vegetable terraces. We are told the spring bedding should be at its peak for our visit.
Coffee/lunch can be had here before we leave for the next visit.
PLEASE remember to bring your NT membership card or, if you are not a member, tell us so we can hopefully pair you with a life member, otherwise entry will be an extra cost of £8.50.

Pettifers Garden, Nr Banbury OX17 1RU
This 1.5 acre garden was started in 1984 when The Honourable Mrs Gina Price moved here and the garden was a blank canvas. She says her knowledge was virtually non-existant and she began with shrubs & roses but soon realised, when her friends from Kiftsgate came to offer advice, that she wanted much more than that. What a treat awaits us now, 34 years later and with input from the head gardener Polly Stevens who will be introducting the garden to us and answering questions. (She often writes articles in Which Gardening so some of you may know of her).
Tea is included.

COACH TRIP PRICE £30

Pick up points: 8.30am Theale car park: 8.50 am Valpy Street Bus Stop, Central Reading
9.00 Caversham – by Mapledurham Playing Fields

This will be a full day visit to Kew Gardens which probably need no introduction.

There is so much to see and do here that you will be able to decide what interests you most of all. We have included in the cost the use of the ‘Hop on/Hop off train which covers a large area of Kew and will enable you to visit areas which may normally seem too far to walk.

There are several restaurants/cafes so coffee & lunch can be your own choice.

Meet 10.30 at Haseley Court, Great Haseley, OX44 7LL

The former home of Nancy Lancaster where she created a stylish and elegant English garden. There was topiary here in 1543 and the ancient topiary chess set still in excellent shape, miraculously survived the Second World War. Since 1982 Desmond & Fiona Heyward have lived here initially sharing the garden with Mrs Lancaster who died in 1994. Since then, Mrs Heyward has continued to develop the garden, making it very much her own A entrancing walled garden with hornbeam tunnels and a mix of perennial plants continues to keep the garden alive and well worth a visit. We shall be given a short talk on the history and the gardener will give us a tour. Coffee & biscuits included.

We shall then drive individually (approximately 15 – 20 minutes) to :-

Adwell House, Thame, OX9 7DQ                         

The gardens here cover 4 acres and have been developed by many generations of the Birch-Reynardson family. The broad sweeping lawns are surrounded with impressive specimen trees. A large mixed border in the front of the house is planted with shrubs, roses and perennials (including large plantings of salvias) which lead on to more subdued plants around the church. The walled garden is more formal with box edged beds with roses and perennials together with arches and trellis covered with roses and clematis. We are hoping to have a tour of the garden with Colin the gardener.

2.00pm at Pyt House, Ashampstead, Berkshire  RG8 8RA  and Willow Tree Cottage.

Pyt House Gardens

By kind permission of Hans & Virginia Von Celsing.

A beautiful 4 acre garden around a C18 house. Virginia has designed this garden herself over the last 10 years with the benefit of existing mature trees she has added Yew, Hornbeam and Beech hedges to create several garden rooms. There is a delightful pond area, perennial borders and pleached limes with an orchard and separate vegetable garden. A lovely old barn will give us shelter for Tea and cakes plus our own plant stall.

Willow Tree Cottage, originally built for the gardener of Pyt House, is right next door and will welcome us too. Katy Weston tells us she hopes her husband will be on hand to play the piano as we wander around their cottage garden. 

Please support Reading Gardeners and donate well potted and labelled plants.

DIRECTIONS

This property is 4 miles west of Pangbourne, leave the M4 at Junction 12 and follow signs to Yatterton and Ashampstead. It should be signed on the road as parking is usually in an adjacent field.

Covertside, Perrott’s Brook, Nr Cirencester GL7 7BN

Our first visit is to the beautiful hillside garden of Lyn & John Sales. John was Garden Adviser to the National Trust before his retirement. The garden is full of gems, with herbaceous borders full of lilies, campanulas and hemerocallis. There is a gravel garden with silver leaved plants, wonderful iris and his meadows are full of orchids. Coffee & cake included.

In the afternoon the coach will take us the short journey to:-

Moor Wood, Woodmancote GL7 7EB                                                                   

The Robinson family have been at Moor Wood since 1911. The current Mr Robinson has established a collection of 150 rambler roses and since 1983 has held the National Collection of Rambler Roses. Mrs Robinson, with Mary Keen’s advice, has developed the perennial plantings among the established clipped yews around the house. Two acres of shrub, orchard and wild flower gardens, in a beautiful isolated valley setting looking over the ancient Moor Wood to the west. A semi-formal vista ends with wooden gates opening onto the landscape making the garden & landscape blend seamlessly.  The best time to visit this garden and tea is included.

Upton Wold, Northwick Estate, Morton-in-Marsh, GL56 9TR

We plan to stop on route for coffee before our visit to Mr & Mrs Bond’s 9 acre garden. Started in 1976 from a barren & neglected estate and with the help of several eminent designers they have achieved an unconventional garden on a complicated site. Trees are Mr Bond’s passion, he has an arboretum of 200 walnut trees of 14 different species and many other fine specimens around the main garden are underplanted with herbaceous perennials and rare/unusual plants which are Mrs Bond’s domain. She is an intuitive and skilful plantswoman. A canal and fountain garden at the rear of the early 17thC house look over a broad view. There are ambitious fruit & vegetable gardens, not to mention rose and sumptuous curving borders graded by height and colour.

(We strongly recommend bringing a packed lunch to eat on the coach before we arrive at the next garden)

Harrells Hardy Plants Nursery Garden, Rudge Rd. Evesham,WR11 4JR        

Entry to the nursery includes Tea/coffee & cake and a look around their beautiful 1 acre garden. Naturalistic in style and informally planted with an array of hardy perennials, grasses and a large range of hemerocallis. Accessed by bark paths with several seating areas giving views over the garden, so maybe we shall once again come home laden with plants we have seen growing there!

Coton Manor, Coton, Northants NN6 8RQ

We received a special welcome on arrival with coffee

At Coton Manor there was something for everyone in this delightful ten acre garden. The first impression was of enormous yellow tulips by the welcome desk (and for the less horticulturally-minded, a showroom-condition 1960s Rolls Royce). Much more was to follow.  We wandered the sloping garden where our senses were stimulated with the scent of the Lilac, Wisteria and Azaleas, with closely-manicured lawns and borders, many beside spring-fed rills. On each ornamental pond, equally ornamental exotic ducks. It was with some surprise that we came across four brightly coloured flamingos sleeping by one of the many ponds. Beautiful clematis and primulas were abundant, with a wide range of other plants for all tastes. Other glories included the bluebell wood, great wisteria, and a well-stocked nursery (which many of us couldn’t resist). 

Cottesbrook Hall & Gardens, Cottesbrook, Northants NN6 8PF

The second garden of the day was Cottesbrook Hall, a huge estate with a Queen Anne stately home (1702). The head gardener gave us an informative tour of the gardens on this vast, beautifully landscaped estate with formal gardens surrounding the Hall in a series of individually planted rooms.  Central was a magnificent Cedar of Lebanon.  The wild garden was very attractively laid out around a stream with many specimen Acers which were looking very bright and fresh at this time of year. The long vistas, ha-has, sheep fields studded with specimen trees, and workers’ cottages beyond the park gates, all spoke of a Capability Brown – style design, though no records exist of who laid it out. The formal and ‘wild’ gardens, developed during the 20^th Century contain the work  of a number of distinguished landscape designers – Robert Weir Schultz, Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and Dame Sylvia Crowe. The main inspiration came from the late Catherine Macdonald-Buchanan. In the recent past the gardens had been subject to designs from James Alexander Sinclair, Angela Collins and Arne Maynard.  The tour highlighted the work the new head gardener who with his team is reinvigorating the planting, exposing once again some of the overgrown features and told us us of the many interesting and expensive shrubs on order. 

Cottesbrook is a very fine park and garden, and promises to be even better in a year or two.

Thanks to Hazel and Valerie as ever for finding these gardens and organising everything for us.

The undoubted highlight of our visit to Dunsborough Park was the glorious display of well grown dahlias, which provided a kaleidoscopic range of colours. We also admired the carefully crafted landscaped areas, including a series of descending ponds. We were guided by a well-informed gardener, originally from Ukraine.

As at any time of the year, RHS Wisley had much to offer –surely one of the great British gardens. The twin mixed borders were a particular attraction with many plants of late Summer and early Autumn flowering in profusion. The rose garden was also well worth visiting, with many bushes in full bloom. Some of us were enticed by the wide spectrum of plants for sale in the Plant Centre.

This was a fitting end to what had been another excellent programme of Summer garden visiting by Reading Gardeners.

How: Car | Cost:£30 | Booking: Booking Form
10.00am group visit by private cars for a maximum of 16 people. This includes coffee and a guided tour of the gardens.

NB: This is a suggested date and we are keen to know in advance whether any members and their friends are interested in this very exclusive/expensive outing! Please e-mail or phone us to discuss further.

How: Car | Cost:£10 | Booking: Booking Form

An NGS opening but admittance is by ticket only. We have purchased 20 tickets and these have to be paid for in advance. Members only initially. Open 2 to 5p.m. A 10 acre garden in the grand manner with many separated gardens including a sunken Italian garden, white garden, large vegetable garden with central greenhouse. Newly designed front terrace with emphasis on self-seeding plants, herbaceous borders and many decorative pots and statues. Ticket price includes tea and cake.

Farley Hill Place for Members’ Summer Social and Plant Fair. By kind permission of Tony & Margaret Finch. Margaret is the Main Organiser for Air Ambulance and is also a florist. A 4 acre cottage garden which includes a 1.5 acre walled garden containing well stocked herbaceous borders, large productive vegetable area, dahlia and cutting flower beds and a recently renovated Victorian glass house. Tea and cake included

This memorable outing embraced the two significant Kentish gardens created by Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West – Long Barn and Sissinghurst. Long Barn’s present owner described for us the history of the house and garden before we strolled at will throughout the lovely garden. At both gardens, the original impressive structures have been maintained and enhanced with a profusion of rich, meticulously maintained planting. June proved again to be a particularly rewarding time for garden visiting and the weather was kind to us throughout. The highlight was probably the Rose Garden at Sissinghurst but others may well have preferred other delights. The outing organisers had said in advance: – “This will be a long day out and well worth it we think”. How right they were!

Chisenbury Priory
There was much of interest in this beautifully restful garden of 5 acres. The perfectly mown lawns in the walled front garden were surrounded by borders of purple flowered alliums which created a bright welcome on a rather overcast day. There were no end of delights as we wandered through a beautiful pergola, past a lake and into a vast meadow area with mown paths through buttercups and patches of dark blue camassia. We greatly appreciated the owner being on hand to answer questions. There was so much to see that many of us would have been happy to linger longer.

Ordnance House
Created from solid chalk with much back breaking work from August 2011 this garden was very thoughtfully planned and planted. We welcomed a talk from the owner about the history of the property. The curved beds, box balls and topiary gave structure to many informal plantings of a glorious mixture of spring plants such as Hesperis, white Alliums and Iris. Masses of lavender plants provided a more formal element. The raised vegetable beds were a very neat. The land having been used in the past to store ordnance for the Royal Navy brought to mind the saying ‘All shipshape and Bristol fashion’ which was mirrored in the garden. To create such attractive plantings in under half an acre from nothing in such a relatively short time is a very impressive achievement and it would be interesting to visit again in a few years’ time.

We visited three town gardens in Burford. Each of them was a visual delight and set in peaceful surroundings although situated in the centre of this bustling town. We received a warm welcome from all our kind hosts who took trouble to show us around, to point out plants of particular interest and to explain each garden’s history. Everything was enhanced by the glorious Cotswold stone. We were invited to see the ground floor of two of the elegantly furnished houses and two of the gardens afforded glorious views over the surrounding countryside. A memorable morning!

In the owner’s absence, the head gardener at ‘The Lime Close’ at Drayton was our guide. This garden has many things to offer in terms of shrubs, perennials, herbs and bulbs, including an amazing display of flag irises. But the outstanding feature was the extensive collection of rare trees, some dating over a century. Reading Gardeners were completely undeterred by the onset of a steady downpour of rain and showed their determination to see everything on offer.

On this year’s first Summer outing, before we had even crossed the threshold of Vann garden, near Godalming, we were greeted by a breath-taking array of fritillaries. What lay beyond the garden gate was equally impressive. The spirit of Gertrude Jekyll, who had been instrumental in its design and planting, still pervaded the garden. This was reflected in the old brick paths and relaxed planting around the pond, with self-seeding cowslips and a whole panoply of spring bulbs in profusion. The owner’s comprehensive introduction included the history and development of the delightful 16th century house.
At Saffron Gate, near Cranleigh, we were more likely to remember the selection of cakes than the planting. Later in the year, the 120 clematis in flower should be well-worth seeing.