Visitors can see spectacular displays of flowers and lovely landscaped plots on selected days until September. Proceeds will go to the National Garden Scheme which hands over thousands of pounds every year to good causes such as Marie Curie and Parkinsons UK.
A newcomer this year is a garden in the grounds of the original manor house of Dronfield on the town’s High Street which will be open on Sunday, April 21, from 10am to 4pm. Dronfield Barn’s garden was a muddy field and has been transformed to a much loved community space with mixed native flower beds, veteran trees, woodland border, small herb garden and a lawned play area. Admission is £3 for adults and £1 for each child. Refreshments will be sold in aid of Dronfield Heritage Trust.
Gorsey Bank Gardens in Wirksworth is a new addition to the calendar and offers visitors the opportunity to see four gardens on June 9 from 11am until 4pm for a combined admission price of £7 and free entry for children. At 2 Brooklands Avenue, Philippa Cooper has used a naturalistic planting style, with interesting and unusual plants. At Fern Bank, Scott Thompson and Beccy Owen have created a cottage garden set in a small former quarry. At Mill Cottage Kirsty and Andy Lyne offer a secluded cottage style garden with mill stream and architectural features. And at Watts House, Sue and Robert Watts have created a tranquil cottage garden.
Another newcomer is 9 Hawkins Drive, Ambergate where a small garden has flowering shrubs and evergreens, perennials and annuals. There is a terraced patio with planters and two small ponds which are home to toads and frogs. Open days will be held on July 31 and August 11 from 11am to 4pm. Cream teas will be available. Admission is £3.50, free entry for children.
Head over to Yew Tree Bungalow on Thatchers Lane, Tansley on April 21, June 30 and September 1 from 11.30am to 4pm to see a cottage style garden planted on a slope that has been created by the present owners over 30 years. There are mixed borders planted with unusual trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Home-made teas available. Admission £5, free entry for children.
Check out a delightful small garden packed with a wide variety of plants including tropical planting and herbaceous borders at 72 Burnside Avenue, Shirland. An animal safari around the garden ensures plenty to keep all ages entertained. There are open days on July 25 and August 25 and 26. Admission £3, free entry for children. Pre-booking essential at www.ngs.org.uk
Lovely farmyard views can be enjoyed from a hilltop garden at 9 Main Street, Horsley Woodhouse, Ilkeston. Terracing, lawns, a large wildlife pond, a bog garden and a small formal pool give plenty of interest. Old-fashioned roses, herbaceous perennials and shrubs thrive in this garden. A wide collection of plants will be on sale at the open day on August 4. from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Cream teas and soft drinks available. Refreshments sold in aid of The Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre. Admission £4, free entry for children.
A beautiful large garden with wonderful countryside views is on offer at Greenacres, Makeney Road, Holbrook, near Belper. Wander among pines, weeping birches, acers and oaks. Look at the lily pond, rock garden, cascades and sweeping lawns. Admire camelias, shrubs, hellebores and colourful patio plants at an open day on August 21 from 1.30pm to 5pm. Admission £6, free entry for children.
Travel to the heart of the Peak District National Park and look at the garden at The Nightingale Centre in Great Hucklow, near Buxton. Attractions include living willow structures, a rock garden and plants for sale An open weekend on on August 31 from 10.30am until 3.30pm and September 1 from 10.30am until 4.30pm will focus is on activities for children including making a bug hotel and seed bombs and a garden quiz. Pre-book children’s activities on www.thenightingalecentre.org.uk or call 01298 871218. Admission £3 (adult) and £1 (child).
For information on gardens further afield in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, visit https://ngs.org.uk
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1. Charity open days
Gardeners in Temple Normanton, Ambergate and Chesterfield, clockwise from top, will open their gates to the public in return for donations to the National Garden Scheme which supports health charities. Photo: Nick Rhodes, Amanda McConnell, National Garden Scheme
2. Chesterfield
The Paddock at Manknell Road, Whittington Moor, Chesterfield, S41 8LZ, is a half-acre garden which has a stream with a bridge across, a koi filled pond and a small copse. Cream teas available. Open days on April 21 and July 28 from 11am to 5pm. Admission £3.50, free entry for children. Photo: Amanda McConnell
3. Bonsall
Cascades Gardens at Clatterway, Bonsall, DE4 2AH has secluded garden rooms for relaxation and reflection which are inspired by Japanese gardens and Buddhist philosophy. There is a wide collection of unusual perennials, conifers, shrubs and trees, a Bonsai centre and nursery among its four acres. Cascades Gardens opens to the public on April 20, May 17, June 16, July 21, August 17 from 12 noon to 4pm. Admission £8 (adult), £4 (child). Photo: Amanda McConnell
4. Ashover
Brierley Farm, Mill Lane, Brocklehurst, Ashover S45 0HS is a hillside site with a two acre garden and three acre woodland, with a bridge over a stream connecting the two. There are three linked ponds and raised stone-walled beds containing hellebore, geum, azaleas and rhododendron in the spring. This horticultural haven was awarded Garden of the Week in Garden News of May 2023. Open days will be held on April 24 and June 12 from 12 noon to 4pm. Home-made teas. Admission £6. Photo: National Garden Scheme