Organised
by Eynsham in Bloom, the Open Gardens
Weekend started with the
village's entry into the Britain in
Bloom competition in 1981 and
continued through the years with
support from The Eynsham Society
then the Eynsham
Horticultural
Society.
"The
open gardens weekend is a chance for
people in the village to share
the pleasure they get from their own
gardens and to provide ideas to
other garden lovers," says
organiser Pat Whitlock. "It is a
very special tradition for the village
and creates a great
atmosphere."
The
community spirit in Eynsham has always
been very strong and
historically the villagers have opened
their gardens in times of need
to help raise money.
"In
1974 five villagers opened their
gardens to raise money to help the
trees in Eynsham against Dutch Elm
disease," says Pat. Although
money was raised the trees didn't
survive.
Then
in 1982, some of the village's larger
gardens were opened as part of
Britain in Bloom, and the Open Gardens
Weekend became a regular
feature in Eynsham. Coinciding with
this weekend in July, the Front
Garden Competition is also a village
affair. Started approximately 23
years ago, residents are encouraged to
enter the competition to
improve the look of the
village.
"This
year we're awarding trophies for the
first time, which are
old-fashioned brass and copper watering
cans mounted on wooden bases
made by a local wood turning
enthusiast," says
Pat.
The
awards have been sponsored by local
businesses FlowersTalk,
Evenlode DIY and JHW
Gardens; and Fieldfare Nurseries in
Church Hanborough.
Blenheim
Colour Ltd have also provided
support with leaflets, posters and
programmes for the
event.
"We're
separate from the National
Gardens
Scheme as we organise our event in
the village, but in true Open
Gardens tradition we will be serving
teas and homemade cakes with the
proceeds going to the charities we're
supporting," says
Pat.
Visitors
to the 18 gardens involved in the Open
Gardens Weekend will also be
able to benefit from the expertise of
local businesses FlowersTalk
and their dynamic approach to flower
arranging, and Evenlode DIY,
whose knowledge and customer service is
legendary in the
village.
"This
year we are supporting Cancer Research
(Lymphoma section), the
British
Heart Foundation and
Eynsham Day Centre," says
Pat.
The
importance of the work of Cancer
Research is close to the hearts of
the residents of Eynsham as the
village's Garden Club chairperson
Phillis Pimm contacted Lymphoma and
died last year.
"She
was a very active member in many
organisations in the village and she
was instrumental in supporting the Open
Gardens from the very early
days," adds Pat.
"Each
garden that is open to the public has
something of interest that
visitors can take away with them and
use in their own gardens,"
says Pat, who has opened her own garden
to the public for over 20
years. Standing in a third of an acre
the garden has developed over
the years, incorporating elements from
other gardens to create a
relaxing and enjoyable space. A
parterre, large pond, large native
trees, vegetables and fruit all feature
in the garden, which is also
enjoyed by wildlife nesting in the
poplar trees.
"We
like to think that the Open Gardens
Weekend is an Eynsham tradition -
it is a great part of the village and,
like the
Carnival in Eynsham,
brings the village
together."
Other
gardens around Oxfordshire will also be
opening to the public as part
of the National
Gardens Scheme, which
welcomes over half a million
visitors each year across the UK,
raising £2 million every year
for nursing, caring and gardening
charities.
Founded
in 1927 to raise money for the nurses
of the Queen's Nursing
Institute, the NGS enjoyed such
overwhelming success from its first
year it became a regular feature and
has remained a national pastime
ever since.
For
gardens to qualify they are visited by
a county team which looks for
a number of criteria including health
and safety, points of interest,
a wide range of plants, tidiness and
parking for visitors.
Run
by volunteers, the NGS is always keen
to welcome more willing members
to help open thousands of gardens each
year, as well as promoting the
NGS locally and finding new
gardens.
click here to register your interest in participating in the community
