NGS News from Ashwell

It’s lovely and rainy outside today, but with luck the weather will be better on the weekend on 19-20 June when Bovey Tracey gardeners will open eight gardens, including Ashwell, for the National Garden Scheme. As you may know, this helps to raise funds for health charities such as Parkinsons, Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Carers Trust, Hospice UK and the Queen’s Nursing Institute. The Bovey group of gardens normally raises several thousand pounds, by selling plants, wine, jam etc as well as tickets.

Only three of the larger Bovey gardens were able to open last year, shortly after the first lockdown ended. That worked well with timed tickets and all involved enjoyed the experience of one big, sunny, relaxed (but socially distanced) garden party.

 

This year, timed tickets will again be in operation, but tickets will probably also be sold at the gate. Tickets will be available on the NGS website https://ngs.org.uk  from two weeks before the opening.

Julia’s ducks

Message from Julia

This pair of ducks arrived on my leat about a month ago so of course I fed them.  Now they are so used to me that they appear outside the kitchen door asking for food, in which case I give them seeded brown bread.  They have been known to peck at the glass!  The leat is flowing well at the moment and rather full so the ducks have a good length to swim.  Sometimes they see me quite a way up stream and cannot get to me quick enough.  Rather hoping that they will start a family soon.  Sheba has met them and her fur stands on end but otherwise we are getting along very well.  You may wonder about Mr Fox but he still visits me daily late at night by which time I trust the ducks are safely tucked up ….somewhere!

Remember that you can visit Julia’s and other local gardens on Saturday and Sunday 19th and 20th June. Have a look at the list of open gardens under the “News” tab.