Can my Garden
be in The Yellow Book
Our local volunteer teams visit
new gardens to advise them on
whether they should open for the
NGS.
Their local experience is the most important factor in determining whether or not gardens are likely to attract visitors and raise money.
You can find out about your local team and current volunteering opportunities by clicking here (link to County Team page)
Advice on Opening
County Teams visit all potential new gardens to discuss the practicalities of opening with the owner. Here are Carol Klein's tips to gain acceptance into the NGS
- Health & safety - one of the first things the NGS looks at is the safety of the public.
Signs, fences and handrails are common additions even it is just temporary for the opening.
- Your garden must provide enough interest (including plants, design and refreshments) to engage the visitor for at least 45 minutes.
- Plant interest - a wide range of interesting and well-grown plants are among the most important elements in an NGS garden.
- Design - nine out of ten county organisers say plants are more important than design. However, design should enhance the planting.
- Edges - if you do nothing else to your lawn, clip the edges.
- Keep the garden weed-free. Minimal weeds are tolerated so long as they fit in with the style of the garden, ie natural or wild flower meadows.
- Your garden must be made with love and care - money doesn't buy you love!
- Undeveloped areas must be interesting - areas under development can be informative to visitors but they must be progressive.
- Working areas must be tidy. Every garden has a compost heap but it mustn't distract from the overall quality of the garden.
- Parking, an often overlooked practicality, is needed for visitors on a successful NGS open day.
Other advice - are you happy to welcome and chat with visitors, can you offer plant sales, do you support our charities and are you happy to donate the money that you raise to the NGS.
The county team will also go through our paperwork with you and brief you on health and safety, insurance and publicity.
If we decided we can not accept your garden, please do not be disappointed. There are very many lovely gardens which are not able to open because it is simply not practical to allow a large number of visitors around them. We very much appreciate all contact form potential garden openers.
To download our information pack click here ....
Click here for your local contact