Did you know that the NGS are no longer going to feature gardens that
can only open by appointment? They argue that the publicity cost for
such gardens outweighs the income.
I think this is really a short-sighted action.
As a printer I would estimate that the amount of pages that the gardens
that come under this category would cost very ;little more than just
having a book with the gardens with "set days" in.
They say they will keep the gardens they already list but won't take any
more.
It's a certainty in my book that those gardens that are too small to
accommodate huge crowds on a Sunday are the gems of the gardeners world.
To be taken round by the owner is so much more pleasurable than just
wandering round without knowing the names of the plants that take your
fancy.
If these gardens open say 20 times in a year for groups then they must
take as much money as those that have small numbers on a set day!

Many small gardens are the very ones that reflect what can realistically
be done in a normal average sized gardens.
If this policy is adhered to only those gardens verging on National
trust sizes would be open, such a great shame, thought they have their
place.
People without a car parking area that can take the overflow from a
crowd the size of the Tesco Xmas shoppers will not be welcome, nor those
gardens that are too small to allow visitors en masse.

Does anyone know if the NGS committee listen to public opinion? We
thought we would write on behalf of out local gardening societies to
suggest they review this policy before the whole ethos of the NGS
changes.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
Did you know that the NGS are no longer going to feature gardens that
can only open by appointment? They argue that the publicity cost for
such gardens outweighs the income.
I think this is really a short-sighted action.
As a printer I would estimate that the amount of pages that the gardens
that come under this category would cost very ;little more than just
having a book with the gardens with "set days" in.
They say they will keep the gardens they already list but won't take any
more.
It's a certainty in my book that those gardens that are too small to
accommodate huge crowds on a Sunday are the gems of the gardeners world.
To be taken round by the owner is so much more pleasurable than just
wandering round without knowing the names of the plants that take your
fancy.
If these gardens open say 20 times in a year for groups then they must
take as much money as those that have small numbers on a set day!

Many small gardens are the very ones that reflect what can realistically
be done in a normal average sized gardens.
If this policy is adhered to only those gardens verging on National
trust sizes would be open, such a great shame, thought they have their
place.
People without a car parking area that can take the overflow from a
crowd the size of the Tesco Xmas shoppers will not be welcome, nor those
gardens that are too small to allow visitors en masse.

Does anyone know if the NGS committee listen to public opinion? We
thought we would write on behalf of out local gardening societies to
suggest they review this policy before the whole ethos of the NGS
changes.

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

This is not a defence of the NGS but I must say from our perspective (we
open 2 Sundays + "by appointment") in the last 10 years we have had zero "by
appointment" visits The last time we spoke to someone from the national
rather than county level they said a garden needed to earn £110 before they
cut even and that much of that cost was admin and publicity (posters etc)
plus insurance, the yellow book itself actually makes money. I know for this
year they have insisted that we increase the gate charges to £3.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea