News Article

 

Sign of the Times– New Mid Week NGS Open Garden

Lexham Hall is one of the National Gardens Scheme gardens that are opening mid-week this season, and for the first time, on Wednesday May 13th. Traditionally NGS gardens have always been associated with Sundays. When the NGS was formed in 1927 garden visiting was a shilling a head. Work-weeks ran from Monday to Saturday, Sunday was a day of rest, a family day and businesses were closed.

Lexham Hall is a fine C17/C18 Hall (not open). It has parkland with a lake and river walks. It is a formal garden with terraces, yew hedges, roses and mixed borders and a traditional kitchen garden with a crinkle crankle wall. It has a three acre woodland garden with azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, spring bulbs, and fine trees. Featured in 'Gardens Illustrated’, 'Country Life'. Popular for its snowdrop walk, it is a garden for all seasons.

NGS County Organiser Anthea Foster said “Times have changed and garden design and visiting too. The formal garden now competes with the vegetable and wild flower gardens for interest. Many people now work in businesses that include Sunday openings; consequently “days out” are the weekdays. People used to book holidays by the week or fortnight, now short breaks and mid week breaks are popular. To move with the times Lexham Hall is implementing the mid-week opening in May and in September. It is also hoped that other garden owners or new gardens will follow, supporting the worthwhile charities of the National Gardens Scheme. Visiting gardens has become a popular visitor attraction over the years. There are fourteen new Norfolk gardens this year, three open this May and Mannington Hall celebrates opening for the NGS for 30 years. The NGS are changing with the times to attract more visitors”.