Totally banging pad and amazing garden
My first NGS visit of the year- Steppingley open gardens.
Hello my flower loving friends, I’ve just spent a wonderful afternoon strolling around one of my favourite open gardens for the NGS. This particular garden is an absolute belter! After delicious cake washed down with two cups of tea I decided to whip out the trusty iPhone and get snap happy- perusing the prettiest flower beds and interesting planting schemes. I always come away from this one inspired and feeling like I need to up my game, especially as the head of Bedfordshires NGS and owner of this garden has been to mine and expects it to be ready to add to the list for 2026! No pressure then.
There are pockets of interest at every turn and in every corner, it looks relaxed and yet you can tell that it is a labour of love, one of those gardens that looks admirably thrown together in an informal way yet also so very well thought out. It’s a space to meander through, work in and meditate. It reminds me of our old garden, not in size, more the rambling nature with its many sections- like individual garden rooms. I love that and it’s something I’ve been working on at our cottage garden. That’s the beauty of visiting National Garden Schemes- you always come away inspired, usually with some plants and if you’re lucky, full of good cake. Let’s not forget all the proceeds go to charities. I’ll pop a link to the NGS website at the bottom so you can search for gardens open near you. There’s usually something open most weekends from now till Autumn.
I adore the auricular collection and the mini orangery with its well and collection of sedums. It’s the textures of this garden that really intrigue me, both in the planting and the substrates. The antique plant stands, old terracotta pots and vintage cloches give it a feeling of informal grandeur.
Ok so the pad is also incredibly easy on the eye and I could quite easily move in, it blends seamlessly into the garden, in fact the garden seems to embrace the house, wrapping around it in a warm hug of old fruit trees with rambling roses entwined through them. Something I’m taking away and doing in my garden, I have an ancient apple tree that I’ve bought Rosa Madame Alfred Carrier to ramble up- originally I’d bought this rose for my studio but this will be a much better fit for it.
I’m in awe of the fruit cages but know I will never be the kind of gardener that is organised enough to grow fruit in a cage, so I will continue to share my currents with the birds and my kale with the cabbage whites.
Who doesn’t love a duckling, ok, so it should be Easter chicks but I’ll take these cute ducklings any day. When we bought our cottage I promised Lilly my daughter we’d get ducks, it hasn’t happened yet although we do get ducks on the river at the bottom, they never stride into the garden. I guess I should think myself lucky as they are rather messy. Our lone chicken is bad enough.
Did you have a chance to get in the garden this Easter? I did on Friday and Saturday and it was time well spent. I hope you enjoyed yours!
Till next time,
Emma
(All pics shot on iPhone 15 with Lightroom edits)