Celebrate National Gardening Week at special Ragley Open Day
Ragley Hall is celebrating National Gardening Week with a special Open Day on Wednesday 17 April from 11am – 3pm. National Gardening Week, which is led by the Royal Horticulture Society, takes place from the 15 – 21 April and aims to keep Britain beautiful. Visitors will be able to enjoy seeing the gardens including a new Crevice Garden for alpines, a Prairie Garden and a new contemporary Rose Garden plus see how Ragley works to optimise habitats and food resources for insects, birds and small mammals.
Special guest will be Val Bourne, an award-winning garden writer, photographer and lecturer who will be speaking about the Rose Garden in the 21th Century. Helen Picton, Manager and co-owner of Old Court Nurseries and an expert in Michaelmas Daisies, will also be talking about late summer colour. In addition Ragley Head Gardener, Ross Barbour and his team plus local garden experts Robin Pearce, Mary Thorp and John Hill, will be on hand to advise visitors. There will also be demonstrations, the chance to ask questions, a free prize draw and the opportunity to buy plants from local nurseries including Cotswold Garden Flowers, Golls Nurseries, Old Court Nurseries, Worlds End Nurseries, Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants and Hoo House Nurseries.
Ragley now offers a regular Garden Walk series on select Thursdays throughout the year giving garden lovers the opportunity to marvel in the changing seasons. Visitors can stroll around the gardens between 11am & 3pm. The gardening team will explain why and how the gardens were created and answer questions at a presentation at 1pm. A Tulips & Daffodils walk will take place on the 14 & 21 March and 11, 18 & 25 April. An Alpines & Spring Meadows walk will take place on the 2, 16 & 23 May. A Rose Garden walk will take place on the 6, 13 & 20 June and a Summer Bedding & Prairie Garden walk on the 5, 12 & 19 September. Admission is £5 per person or £4 for RHS members.
Ross Barbour, Head Gardener at Ragley said: “We’re delighted to be holding this special Open Day within National Gardening Week and showcasing our Gardens. We aim to have something of interest 365 days of the year for the public to enjoy. April is the perfect month to get stuck into the garden and get some real work under way. Things are bursting into life and colour is blooming all around”.
The price is £5 per person / FREE to RHS members (membership card to be presented at kiosk on arrival). FREE admission for Ragley Park & Gardens to members. Teas, coffees and light refreshments will be available. There is also free car parking.
For more information on Ragley, visit ragleyhall.com.
