We are delighted to give you details of a really exciting GMG visit to some lovely gardens, both large and small, in West and North Yorkshire.
Our trip begins on Thursday July 6 with a visit to to York Gate, the delightful one-acre garden near Leeds designed in the Arts and Crafts style. Now in the hands of horticultural charity Perennial, the garden has recently been restored and developed. At 11am we will get a tour from the head gardener Adam Bowley and learn about the behind-the-scenes running of the garden.
After leaving York Gate at 2pm we will visit the magnificent Harewood House near Leeds. With its Capability Brown parkland and over 100 acres of gardens, this is a really spectacular estate, with different garden areas including the Himalayan Garden, the Lakeside Garden, the Terrace Garden and the Walled Garden. Starting at 2.30pm we will get a tour with head gardener Trevor Nicholson.
Following the visit to Harewood House, we are invited to early evening drinks with Biddy Marshall, NGS county organiser for West Yorkshire, who lives about 25 minutes' drive from Harewood. She is keen to tell us about some of the wonderful gardens in her area, and show us round her own lovely 3/4 acre flower garden at the Old Vicarage, Whixley (open under the NGS).
The following morning we are heading to Newby Hall near Ripon. The gardens were first created in the 1920s and although there is much to see, the undoubted highlight is the amazing 172-metre double herbaceous borders which slope down to the River Ure. They will be reaching their peak in July and we can expect to see something really special. Our visit starts at 10.00am and we wil have tea and coffee on arrival with head gardener Mark Jackson, followed by a guided tour with Mark and Lucinda Compton, the Hall's owners and garden curators, followed by complimentary lunch in the Garden Restaurant.
In the afternoon we have been invited to visit two NGS gardens which are both ten minutes from Newby (though in opposite directions, so allow 20 minutes to get from one to the other). Serenity, ten minutes south of Boroughbridge, is a colourful quarter of an acre garden planted in cottage garden style. Just down the road at Rainton, ten minutes north of Boroughbridge, GMG member Martin Fish has invited us to see his 3/4 acre garden, Thornycroft, created from scratch over the past eight years, which includes an orchard planted with heritage varieties and an ornamental kitchen garden. Martin will show us round the garden and offer a restorative cup of tea.
As you will see we are packing a lot into this visit - and we haven't even allowed any time to visit RHS Harlow Carr, which is just down the road! You are welcome to come to just one day, but we will give priority to people who can do both days. There are no restrictions on photography at any of the gardens. The visit is free to GMG members; there is a £20 charge for non-members. If there is high demand for this visit, we may limit the places for non-GMG members on the tours, although of course they are free to visit the gardens at their own expense.
To book your place, e-mail Kate as soon as possible. Once you have booked, we can offer suggestions on where to stay in the area.