Opening my garden for fund-raising, advice needed........

My daughter has been chosen to go with a group from her school to Calcutta to work with the street children there.She travels out on Boxing day for nearly 3 weeks,

As part of it, they all have to raise nearly £1,000 each ,and as a group loads more than that....

the gist of this is that I've been persueded to open my garden (I've secretly always wanted to do this but thought that no-one would be interested)

The date set is Sunday 29th July, and now I'm panicing!!!!....

I've only ever visited one garden before with my sister, and have no idea as to what people expect.

I certainly hope not perfection, as my garden isn't anywhere near that..

Part of the reason behind this is that I have ME, so there are days and sometimes weeks when I'm unable to go out and do anything in the garden, which means that I have a garden thats evolved to be able to look after itself if necessary. I guess it's a sort of low maintainance one, but without the gravel and decking, the plants crammed in do the weed supressing. I was going to make this a sort of point, about people still being able to garden even with difficulties,and how theraputic it can be, but would that sound as if I'm after the sympathy vote?

It's full of all sorts of plants and nooks and crannies, and people who come round say that they love the garden,'wild and wooly'is how one person described it!!!!(wasn't too sure how to take that one)

I'm thinking of charging £1.00 per adult for entry, accompanied children free.Does that seem an o.k. price, would you be willing to cough up a quid to view a suburban garden?>

Which brings me to my next query, I have a pond and above ground swimming pool, do I need to sort of state this as a warning? Also the gardens a bit bumbpy and slopey in places (I live on a fairly steep hill) do I need to make people aware of that too?

As I live in a residential area what happens about parking? Is it up to people (if anyones interested enough to come) to find a space in the surrounding roads?

now I've comitted myself to doing it, I'm thinking of all sorts of problems, not least of all persueding hubby that the next couple of weeks he'd so love to do some physical work out in it, rather than just watching sport.

I'm going to do teas and cakes, a raffle maybe, and a plants and seeds stall too,would that annoy people looking around?

A lot of my plants aren't labellled, or if they are, the labels are hidden under the foliage, so I was going to do a little booklet that gives the stories and names of the plants as people walk around, would this be o.k.? I just remember one person saying that they were annoyed as everything in a garden wasn't labelled! And if I'm honest, some of the things grown from seed, I'm nott too sure what it is exactly either.....
as some of the old timers on here would recall ...the amount of times I put in identification requests on [plants, especially ones like Geraniums.

I'm basically after ideas from people who've visited gardens as to what they enjoy in them, what are they looking for? I'd hate for people to go away dissapointed.

Also on the practical side, I'm trying to deadhead the flowers just coming out now in hopes that they'll flower instead when it's open. Salvias and Penstemons I know are o.k., but what about ones like daylilies and Agapanthus?They're only just starting to flower, If I take off all the flowering stalks, is that it for the year? or will they sprout some more?

Then all that achieved all i have to do is pray for some sunshine.......

I don't think you'll get anything like a thousand people, but equally, a lot of people would probably be happy to put in rather more than £1. I'd have thought £5 per family would be reasonable if it was explained what the money raising was for.

Parking will certainly be a problem - if you're advertising the event in local press, also include details of how to get there by bus. Might be advisable to consult with the police (they may also be able to help out with advice on what safety aspects should be considered). Check that your neighbours are OK with the 'invasion' too.

Watch out for plant thieves! (and house burglers 'casing the joint').

Resin

That is a lovely idea Sue. It is something I've thought about, but most of the time the paths are a death trap and I never get all the garden looking presentable at once.

I think £2 or £2.50 per adult is OK with accompanied children free. You should put a sign up warning about ponds, uneven paths etc at the entrance and perhaps suggest stout footwear on any advertising to cover yourself. You should also perhaps mention children should not eat any berries or touch plants in case they are poisonous.

I wouldn't worry about there not being labels on everything, but perhaps you could put some on the less well-known ones.

You could do a plant list with a bit of information, and perhaps people could tick them off as they walk round. I don't think you can take it all in anyway when you are walking round and it is nice to read through something when you go home.

You could put a paragraph on the information sheet about the garden being designed with low maintenance in mind because of your ME and the therapeutic value of gardening - It isn't asking for sympathy, just explaining your style. I have no excuses for mine being colourful and chaotic, bordering on out of control, but I love it like that. You'll just have to ignore the control freaks who don't let a blade of grass or leaf get out of place.

People love plant sales (and cakes) so make sure you get plenty of people to help you.

It will be a lot of work, but I'm sure will be well worth it.

Good luck
Pat

Hi Sue,
I have been to a number of "open gardens" when I lived in London.
Each was quite different some formal and some relaxed style - the only advise I would say is that you HAVE to have plants / seedlings for sale...After seeing lovely plants I was always disappointed if I couldn't take at least one plant home! (I'm sure this is where you would make most cash)

Also - start the reason for you collecting funds...have a board with pictures of the children in Calcutta on it ....I am far more willing to part with cash, if it's for a good cause.

I really wouldn't worry about the things you mention, most people don't have good gardens and are always open to ideas & inspirations and visitors don't expect it to be Kew!

Good luck...I wish I could visit...perhaps you could take pics and post them for us?
Sue

Thanks for the reassuranes and advice , have had hubby furiously working in the garden all weekend, under strict supervision of course!!!...allowed him 2 hours off yesterday to see grand prix of course, think he's looking forewards to going back to work for a rest!.

Also got in a trip to lovely higgly piggldy garden centre that I could spend hours wandering around. It's full of polytunnels and nooks and crannies, and you're left to wandef at your ease...in fact when we went it was lunchtime ,and she said if you need us we'll be eating in the caravan...but if you do need help, they're brilliant.

I'm potting up stuff furiously, and as I've gone up through the garden I've found loads of plants that have seeded themselves too, including some Salvia uglinosas in a pot of an Abutilon..brilliant.A few more finds like that will swell the ranks.

I'm going to design the poster today, that'll be fun, as I'm not too brilliant at these things.

Took on the note about security, we can lock off the rest of the house, as theres a toilet downstairs near where we'll be doing the teas, and the entrance will be round the back, so they won't have to go through the house. Neighbours seem fine about it.

All I have to panic about now is the weather, in which case people won't come...and that nobody comes..........

This message was edited Jul 9, 2007 2:40 AM

I really admire you taking this on Sue and wish you very good luck with it all.
The idea of a little booklet to describe the plants is fab - but a lot of hard work. Just labelling a few more of the unusual plants might be easier and quite acceptable.
Willow's right about having plants for sale - always what I look for LOL - if you have any.
All the practical points seem to have been covered.

If you could post a few pics of the garden/plants/events I'll be very happy to donate as well (or even if you can't lol). After the event of course - you'll need all your time and energy concentrated on that for now!

All the best to everyone involved with the project.

My only addition to the ones above is make sure you don't take offence by the garden critics... yep... you wouldn't believe the "advice" people will give and how rude people can be.... just remember that they are some strange people out there and they don't know when to keep quiet!

The plant stall will make you the most money... if you are in a rural area then most people will be interested in plants and interested in picking up a plant gem on the cheap..

Ask you local garden centre if they will put up a poster advertising... they will have your audience as there customers!
I wouldn't bother asking the big chain stores as they are funny about that kind of thing.

That was more than one addition but hey oh well!

Sue
There is a program on BBC2 today at 1.30 pm..about people opening their gardens as part of the RHS Open Gardens scheme.

I hope you catch it....it may be interesting to you....I will video it just in case!

Thanks folks, I've been potting things up like mad, sat on my little stool down the side drive...that is in between showers , or rather downpors...I must look like a little gnome to my neighbours...surrounded by bags of compost, pots and plants!

I will try to remember to take pics philomel, or rather I'll delegate someone to be the official photographer!

Mike, I guess I'm waiting for this one (comments) i was talking to hubby about it the other day that I'm sure there'll be all sorts , things I've pruned wrong, planted in wrong place etc!!!...but I'll just smile sweetly and say 'oh thats a good idea' or the like. used to that when I was working and had to deal with the public.

Never thought about advertising at the garden centres, my sister works there, so I'll nominate her for that one.

Willowandspike, I missed that program, but not too sure whether it'd amke me more nervous ,seeing that time and eneegy thse people put into it.Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that my gardens a tip!! it just means that it's a bit more flow and ebb, and I'm not overly fussy about a few weeds here and there either.

Put photo of pots on sunken patio, they've grown a biy since then

Photo of gazebo entrance, under a fair amout of growth!!!...have trimmed this back slightly, but i want to keep the hidden away feel to it

Sue
Good job you didn't see the program...they featured two couples applying to be included in the NGS scheme...the first had to chop down her ancient conifers and the other had to build steps and a handrail!
The whole program felt too much like being "judged"....I never knew that people who opened their gardens had to go thru such hoops!...no fun whatsoever!

Good idea Resin, that'll work for us both, I was hoping that they'd donate something for the tombola or raffle, the fact that I'm promoting them should be an incentive.

Willowand spike, glad I didn't see it then!!!...guess they'd find a lot of health and safety aspects in my garden that'd need seeing to! Perhaaps I need to put warning posters up everywhere,'please mind your head!', 'beware steps!' 'beware frogs crossing!' etc.

Why would they make someone chop down their conifers? Surely it's up to the person what they have in their garden. I know that someone tld me that they're quite strict with what they want in a garden. I'm sure they said that you'd need at least 20 minutes of interest to be elligible.

Maybe its because conifers are just sooooo yesterday! lol

Not just comments about how you grow plants but everything from how you dress to how you hang your curtains! lol People will come just to be nosey round your house... imagine blanch from coronation street.. yep you got it! lol

Don't worry too much about the signage.... but do check with your house/home insurance to see if your covered. They will advise on signage to be covered and make legal. As signs like "beware of the steps" are not good enough anymore if someone trips on a dodgy step then no signage will be able to stop them taking you to court. But if you are covered on your home insurance then no need to worry. They will do all the legal stuff for you.

I had one a couple of years ago that climbed through a shrubbery and fell in a hole and twisted their leg. Claimed for a broken leg would you believe? wouldnt mind but i saw her a few days latter walking around! Luckily the insurance said not to worry and just settled out of court. They are used to dealing with stuff like that!

Mike

Cheers Mike, will do that then ,check insurance policy.I'm betting that they'll say that because it's an event it's not covered ,and I'll have to pay extra.

They asked for them to be cut down as they were in a bed near to the front of the house and were cutting out the light - so they made a flower bed instead (For anyone who saw the programme...I loved how the judge was distinctly unimpressed with the efforts!)

I can't see the "future" for conifers myself...maybe I'm getting old!

Yeah if the future is conifers i'll be going bust soon! lol
Next people will be planting standard rose bushes.

Mike

Hey...don't say that...roses are making a come back...and in a big way I suspect.

Every mag has them in, just bought Garden Heaven mag today (very trendy Irish gardening mag) and they have three Rose features.
One with Suzannah York showing her favorites, PLUS an article on climbing roses PLUS an article on rose gardens throughout Europe.

I quite fancy a climber...but it might make me want an arbor....Hmmm...

There's nothing better than a good conifer!

Resin

Hey Resin i have one of those... its just over 100ft tall (measured by a guy who went up last year)
Thats not a conifer in my eyes... its a tree... conifers are those scratty horrid things that are so 70's lol

One down from roses must be .... wait for it...... heathers!

Mike

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

They have TONS of them here in Ireland....and people actually part with hard earned for them! ....mind you garden centres here also sell flag iris and gorse bushes....perhaps its for the tourists or people who don't get out much!

I don't understand them at all.......Aren't they just bonsai conifers in disguise?

Those are real conifers! They have cones – which an awful lot of those hideous dwarf things, and lousy leylands in hedges, don't.

BTW they are about 45-50m tall, half as much again as yours.

Here's another real conifer, Abies grandis, 53m tall. Like the Sequoiadendrons above, at Kyloe Wood in Northumbs. Superb place, with real grandeur. There's something very special about walking under 50+m conifers. You get a sense of awe that you just don't find with smaller trees.

Resin

Even worse, my neighbour bought some heathers that had been sprayed with some sort of paint and were blue, orange and purple!!! She thought they grew like that.

I would suggest that she takes the back to the shop and asks for a refund...no shop should be allowed to sell them....along with cactus that have plastic flowers pinned into them!

Ah Willow, I agree with all you say apart from adding gorse to the no no list
I planted some in my suburban garden in the UK - in the hope that long-tailed tits etc might eventually take up residence. They are a wonderful plant with much to offer wildlife and, when in flower (when they are not, love is out of fashion my Mum tells me), the scent is yummy.

I can see that this may not necessary where there is lots of wild gorse, but it was one plant I liked to encourage ..........

;o))

We are surrounded by thousands of acres of peat bog covered in wild grasses and wild flowers...quite beautiful at certain times of the year, one of the few trees that appears is gorse, so that's why I can't understand anyone buying it locally!

Also - have you ever fallen into a gorse bush...the prickles hurt like crazy!

Perhaps your mum has some Irish blood to know that - but there is ALWAYS some in flower somewhere (not sure how a plant can manage this).....so love will never be out of fashion!
In the spring the flowers are the strongest yellow you can imagine and the perfume is quite heady!

The smell of gorse reminds me of childhood days playing in the large playing field area ,where we made dens in amongst the bushes...aaahhhh happy days..

Yes, Willow, I can fully understanding the lack of need to plant gorse where you are. .......and yes, I have not exactly fallen into a gorse bush, but have fixed dormouse nest boxes to them and got to know them quite intimately LOL - very uncomfortable!!

No Irish blood, but that was a popular saying when she was a bright young thing, that still raises a chuckle now she is a bright but more mature thing *grin*.

Ouch Sue, you must have had to be careful in those dens! Yes, gorse scent is all coconutty and delicious :)

Nothing wrong with painted heather.... sorts out the idiots from normal people... and i'm a big believer of taking money from idiots! They don't deserve to have it... lol

Hey Philomel... just been organising my frech trip in september..fly into Limone and out of bergerac.. not been to france since hmmmm spring..lol Should be fun.. travelling to 4 nurseries in 3 days.

Mike

Next time you might like to try Gascony - we have nurseries here too and the Pyrenees LOL

Which nurseries are you visiting?

I don't know too well.... as i just buy through one at the moment, but the guy we use works for all of them.
We use Desmartis.. Derly blagon.

I guess these are just market their products into the Uk.

Mike

Found Desmartis by Googling, but I don't know them - Bergerac is about 3 hours from me

I figure they sell into other countries alot. We spent 40,000 euro with them last year but didnt go and buy from them as a first choice so this year could be bigger.
We will see...

Anyway hows this charity garden getting on?

Mike

Good luck for Sunday Sue. Let us know how you get on.

Remeber to take some photos....after seeing those programmes I'm really interested how you get on!
Good Luck
Sue

Weather forecast doesn't sound too nice, unfortunately

Resin

sueone...sneaking in here from the U.S. I recently had my garden on a charity fund raising tour as well, and was worried no one would come...and yes, I did panic over how it looked.

Trust me! THEY WILL COME !!!!!

No one is going to "judge" your gardens...and if they do, to heck with them.

I found it to be a very rewarding experience and the visitors were great and VERY generous. I had over 600 people come through that day, and was dumbfounded.

Just enjoy the day and you'll be amazed at the reception you get.

JD

JD, Bloomin heck!!!........I'd like a few people, not sure i could cope with 600, where would I put them all?

Weathers nothing I can do anything about unfortunately...thats in Gods hands.

Keep checking round the plot, getting more and more critical each time....spent a bit of money on a few plants too (any excuse) Bought myself a Red Baron(?) grass, always wanted one of those. Put it where it would be backlit, walked down the garden just as the sun came out, and it glowed....perfectamungo. Maybe I need to install a few lights on the day?

I've also had to stake up a few of the taller plants, as they were flattened in the heavy wind and rain last week.....I know, I know, they should have been staked anway...

One mistake I did make was in snipping back some plants a couple of weeks ago, thinking they'd be back in flower aggain by now, but unfortunately things are a bit slow to get going again!Never mind.

I have a few chairs and benches naturally around the garden, and a table and chairs on patio and deck, but I'm reluctant to start dotting too much furniture around in case it spoils the look and feel of the garden .hope these 'customers 'stagger theirselves time wise.

Spent this morning labelling and pricing all the plants, ready to go out on the stall out front. I've priced them from 50p to £1.00 depending on size and rarity...does that sound o.k?

Just got to figure out now how I get get rid of this duckweed, apart from installing ducks. As fast as I try to remove it, it's back next day. My problem is that the pond goes under the deck and I think that as soon as I go to remove it, the weed seems to know and hides under there, then drifts back out in the night....maybe I should borrow a couple of ducks!