EHS MINI HOLIDAY - SUMMER 2007

GARDENS OF THE NORTH EAST

See also the picture gallery

This was the first of our 4-day holidays and its success led to it becoming a regular event in our calendar. I think everyone was surprised and delighted at the variety and quality of the gardens in an area not renowned for its horticulture.

 

On 3rd August, 28 enthusiastic members boarded our 52 seater coach (so lots of room for plants) for a long weekend visiting 8 gardens in the North East and what a wonderful trip it turned out to be. At most gardens we had a guided tour or an introduction from the owner, which personalised the visit. Everyone got on well together with many friendships made or strengthened. Even the hotel service at dinner left us all with some amusing anecdotes! All the gardens we visited had their own character with different styles, ranging from the big scale of Alnwick Castle Garden to the smaller, privately developed gardens, such as the Garden Station at Hexham.

Alnwick is a modern garden on a grand scale with fascinating water sculptures, fountains and a wonderful tree house with restaurant, but perhaps the most interesting was the Poison garden. I think we all felt wary in our own gardens after that experience! Perhaps the unexpected delight of the trip was the tranquil Crook Hall Gardens in Durham, close to the city centre. It was divided into separate areas, each with its own theme. The owners were very trusting allowing people to browse around their 13th century home unattended. There was also a tea garden with everything homemade – what more could we want!

Other memories are: - Cragside with its deep, wooded valley and the innovative house; the extensive walled garden at Wallington Hall; the quiet, secluded, country setting of The Cottage Garden with its mass of planting and dry riverbed feature; Herterton House and garden where the owners had prepared precise records of every plant and its position in the garden! and Bide-a-wee Cottage (no toilets!) with a garden created from a field and quarry.