NGS Gardens this year

I seem to have done less NGS gardens this year and, in the main, those I have done have left me underwhelmed.  This may just be that I am getting spoilt the more I see and so I get more and more picky.

We have just spent a week in Alston, Cumbria and on the way there we took a break in the journey to visit an NGS garden in Milnthorpe (Sunnyside).  It would have been a paradise I 've no doubt for someone interested in growing dahlias.  The chap there had given over a large part of the garden to growing show-standard blooms - row upon row of specimens tied up sticks.  You had to admire the skill involved even if, like me, you weren't all that fussed about the flowers themselves.  The whole garden as always with NGS gardens was testament to the couple's hard work and love of gardening but I didn't come away with a single new idea/thought/inspiration and it was all very nice but no WOW in sight.  As I said I think I am just getting jaded.

The second NGS garden we did (the next day) was actually in Northumberland not Cumbria. Thornley House, Allendale.  This offered a good deal more to see with a series of small gardens dotted around the house on three sides rather than one cohesive design.  It was filled with bits and bobs from all over the world it seemed which culminated in a huge statue.  I'll let you see it for yourself in the photo album. The artist is Star Liana York if you want to see more of her work.  The interesting thing about this garden in particular was they way that every little garden enclosure had some sort of seating (or lying) area - the garden was meant to be enjoyed.


Don't let my whining put you off doing all the NGS gardens you can do.  Firstly it will support a couple of charities which is good, you always get a great cup of tea/coffee and cake and often a lovely place to sit and enjoy it and most of all you get to see someone else's  garden which helps you get even more out of your own.