Archived News - Open Gardens
Cancelled: Open Gardens 2023
I'm sorry to inform you that this summer's Open Gardens event has sadly been cancelled due to there being too few offers of gardens to visit. One explanation for this may be the serious damage done in December by 10 days of the temperature being 14 degrees below zero. This has been compounded by the subsequent wet spring followed by the current period of hot and dry weather. If you have a lovely garden and would like to help ensure the Open Gardens event takes place next year please contact Gordon Gray.
Open Gardens Festival 2012
Sunday June 10th 2012, 12 - 5pm
You may remember that last year's Open Gardens Festival took place on the wettest day of 2011 – a day of torrential rain. We can't promise a better forecast, but we certainly hope for a pleasant sunny afternoon this year. This is one of the social events of the year in our villages. Come and join other like minded people in a tour around the villages to see some beautiful gardens. As well as gardens from last year, which many people would have missed because of the rain we have at least four that have never been opened to the public before.
Roving tickets, providing access to all the gardens, can be obtained from Eaton Bray Village Hall from noon on 10th June, priced £5 – children go free. In the hall, as well as refreshments, toilets, and a substantial plant stall, you will find an exhibition of art by local artists and there will be musical entertainment, again by local musicians.
Given reasonable weather this is a great afternoon out. Do come and join us!
If you are a local artist who would like to display your art please contact Kay Griffiths.
Open Gardens - 12 June 2011
Nine gardens will be open next Sunday (12 June 2011) to raise money for St Mary's Church. In addition, there will be an Art Exhibition (including work by Leigh Glover who is currently exhibiting in the National Portrait Gallery) and live music in the marquee.
Do come and enjoy what has proved, in previous years to be a most enjoyable afternoon - Roving Tickets are £5.
Any help that you can offer would be appreciated - helpers will have their own private tour of the gardens on 14th June. We would welcome donations of cakes/raffle prizes.
Open Studios 2010: Art In The Garden
Throughout June 2010 Bedfordshire Artists will be opening their workshops and studios to the public in the Beds Open Studios Event. Three local artists Christine Gallagher, Andrea Girling and Victoria Johns will be taking part.
Christine Gallagher will be holding her Open Studio event during this year's Open Gardens event on 13th June 2010.
Wanted - Gardens in Eaton Bray, Edlesborough, Northall
The parish Open Gardens will be on Sunday 13th June.
We have some offers of new gardens to open on the day but would like more, if you would be interested please contact Kay Griffiths on 222849.
Please could I also ask local gardeners to think of growing on a
few plants for our popular plant stall.
This is a very popular community event getting lots of people out and about in the villages on the day and raising funds for local charities.
Source: Focus, April 2010
Open Gardens 2009 - Photos
Some photos from this year's Open Gardens event (14 June) are now available online in the Open Gardens 2009 photo gallery.
Eaton Bray Lower School
On Tuesday, four Parish Councillors visited our School, and had a lengthy tour, encompassing both buildings and grounds. They were impressed by our thriving allotment; newly refurbished pond; bird hide; and wonderful gardens.
We have two new additions to our School - Barry and Betty, our sculpture snails, designed and made by Badgers class! If you come along to "Open Gardens", on Sunday 14th June, between 12 o'clock and 5 o'clock, you will be able to meet the snails personally, and experience our immaculate and colourful grounds as you tour our School. We will be serving cream teas too. Look forward to seeing you.
It will be a hectic weekend, as our Summer Fayre is on Saturday 13th June, 12 - 2.30pm. come along and experience fun and games; stalls; tasty lunches and many other attractions.
Please support us this weekend. We always welcome new faces!
Source: Eaton Bray Lower School Blog
Open Gardens 2009 - Sunday 14 June
We have 12 gardens on display, most of which are opening for the first time. Do encourage friends and relatives to come and join in this lovely social event.
To make the day a success we do need your help, especially in Eaton Bray Village Hall to sell tickets, help with refreshments, sell plants and raffle rickets. Donations of plants would be gratefully received.
Update: Photographs from this year's Open Gardens event are
now available in the Open Gardens 2009 photo gallery
If you can help, please contact Gordon Gray or Kay Griffiths. If you do help, you needn't miss the gardens - a tour will be arranged for early evening, Tuesday 16 June, for helpers and those who have opened their gardens.
Open Gardens - British Red Cross Bedfordshire
Do you know the difference between a rose and a radish?
Would you like to show others your pride and joy?
Would you enjoy meeting other, like minded people, whilst raising money for the British Red Cross Bedfordshire?
If so British Red Cross need you and your garden.
British Red Cross Bedfordshire are looking for new gardens to take part in our Open Gardens 2009 scheme.
Gardens do not have to be huge and they would only be open for half a day in the summer.
If you feel you can help by opening your garden in 2009, or would like further information, then please call Julie Allum, Senior Fundraiser on 01582 589083 or email [email protected]
Alternatively, if you would like to help at other British Red Cross Open Gardens within Bedfordshire in 2009, please let me know.
This is a great way to make new friends at the same time as raising valuable funds for the British Red Cross.
The British Red Cross Society Incorporated by Royal Charter 1908 Registered Charity number 220949
Open Gardens - Sunday 8 June
Next Sunday, 8th June, 12.00-6.00pm.
Eaton Bray and the surrounding villages are looking forward to another enjoyable afternoon of Open Gardens in aid of St Mary's Roof Fund and Macmillan Cancer Support - our Parish from project for 2008.
Update: Photographs from this year's Open Gardens event are
now available in the Open Gardens photo gallery
The event will be based at Eaton Bray Village Hall from 11.30 to 6pm and ten gardens will be open to the public, including 4 from members of our congregation and the gardens at Edlesborough School, from 12noon; six of the gardens are being opened for the first time.
There is still time to offer your help on the day - doing so need not mean missing the gardens as helpers may attend a private viewing, with those who have opened their gardens, on 10 June. So if you can offer your help (selling programmes, refreshments, plant stall, raffle etc) please talk to Gordon Gray.
Source: St Mary's Church, Eaton Bray
Open Gardens - Sunday 8 June
Until now we have made a low key request for people who would be willing to open their gardens to the public for the afternoon of 8 June. At the time of going to press this has yielded eight offers and it would be a real help to have two or three more. Please, if you enjoy your garden and like to share it with others, consider taking part in this event, which has been incredibly popular for the past two years.
Your garden can be large or small - it certainly doesn't have to be up to Chelsea Flower Show standards. And by opening your garden you will contribute to a major fund raising effort that will support the Macmillan Cancer Support and the repair of St Mary's roof.
If you can offer your garden please get in touch with Gordon Gray or Kay Griffiths.
Source: Focus, April 2008
Open gardens raise over £6,000
Photography by Alison Grant
The parish church has adopted the MS centre as its main charity fund-raising project this year and church members will be hoping to raise more money later in the year.
The gardens on show ranged from a tiny, beautifully-tended plot to rampant, semi-wild areas and even one with a medieval moat.
Hundreds of visitors toured the gardens and returned, inspired to the Memorial Hall, Edlesborough, to buy plants and refreshments as well as voting for their favourite garden.
Kevin Yeomans, owner of Garden Scene Garden Centre in The Rye, Eaton Bray, sponsored The People's Choice, voted for by visitors to the open garden event. Every one of the 10 gardens received votes and the winner, with 40% of the votes cast, was June Trott's garden in Moor End.
The event proved such a success that gardeners are already volunteering to open their gardens for next year's event on Sunday June 8.
Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 27 June 2007
June's garden is the top choice among open day visitors
A blooming good time was had by all at the open gardens event in Eaton Bray, Edlesborough and Northall.
And more than £4,000 for good causes was raised from the day, organised by members of St Mary's Church in Eaton Bray. Of that cash, £1,400 was raised for church repair funds, and £2,800 for the Chilterns MS Centre.
Hundreds of visitors toured 10 open gardens, which ranged from tiny, beautifully tended areas to some with rampant semi-wild sections - and even one with a medieval moat.
The visitors could also drop by at the Memorial Hall in Edlesborough, to buy plants, enjoy refreshments and vote for their favourite garden.
June Trott's garden, pictured, in Moor End was The People's Choice winner, attracting 40 per cent of the votes cast.
All of the gardens involved received votes in The People's Choice event, sponsored by Kevin Yeomans, of the Garden Scene garden centre in The Rye, Eaton Bray. It was only the second year that the open gardens event had been run, but it has already become an important date on the local calendar.
Villagers are already volunteering to open their gardens for next year's event, which will take place on Sunday, June 8.
St Mary's has adopted the MS centre as its main charity fundraising project this year, and church members hope to raise more money for the centre later this year.
For more photos, see Open Gardens 2007.
Source: Dunstable Gazette, 20 June 2007
Open Gardens 2007
Did you see it? There deep in one of the gardens was a single simple, perfect rose. It caught my eye - not literally, of course - and summed up the day for me. We had taken a simple concept, opening gardens for the public, and turned it into something beautiful with a wonderful atmosphere that can only be found when hundreds of people with a shared interest come together and enjoy themselves.
For a full write up, see Open Gardens 2007.
Update: Photos from some of the gardens are now available.
Source: St Mary's Eaton Bray
Open Gardens - Sunday 10 June 2007
Following last year's wonderful day exploring the gardens of Eaton Bray, Edlesborough and Northall it is time to start preparing for this year's event. Once
again various garden owners and allotment holders have been kind enough to agree to open their gardens for our delight, with more from Edlesborough than there were last year. The money raised will be shared between Chilterns Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre and St Mary's Roof Fund.
There will be tiny gardens, huge gardens, gardens for picnicking, gardens to admire, water features ranging from small ponds to lakes. Please get the date in your diary and purchase your Roving Programme tickets when they become available in early June.
At this stage the organisers are keen to receive offers of help from Focus readers.
- To help with refreshments in Edlesborough Memorial Hall - both making cakes and selling
- To help with organisation on the day, selling programmes, organising traffic, helping on stalls etc
- Donations of plants for a Plant Stall
- Donations of Raffle Prizes
- There is still time to add your garden to the list of those that will be open
If you would like to contribute to this very special day please contact Gordon Gray.
Source: Focus, May 2007
Open Gardens - 10 June 2007
Following last year's wonderful day exploring the gardens of Eaton Bray, Edlesborough and Northall it is time to start preparing for this year's event. Once again various garden owners and allotment holders have been kind enough to agree to open their gardens for our delight, with more from Edlesborough than there were last year. The money raised will be shared between Chilterns Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre and St Mary's Roof Fund.
Please see Open Gardens 2007 for full details.
Source: St Mary's, Eaton Bray
Gardens on show to raise hospital cash
Forget Chelsea.
The only place to be this Sunday is Eaton Bray for an opportunity to look at and discuss all things horticultural.
From the lowly to the grandiose, houses in the area are throwing open their gardens in the first of what the organisers hope will become an annual event.
A total of 11 gardens in the area are up for viewing between midday and 6pm, and their owners will be on hand to answer questions.
The open gardens event which includes a plant sale from 11.30am in Eaton Bray Village Hall, is part of the St Mary's parish project to raise funds for a Ugandan hospital.
There's a chance to tour both St Mary's Churches in Eaton Bray and Edlesborough and enjoy a cup of tea among the foliage in the village hall.
Visitors can either look for signs around the villages to see which gardens are open or pop to Eaton Bray Village Hall for directions. Admission is £3 (accompanied children free).
More information about the parish project can be found on www.stmaryseatonbray.org.uk
Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 6 June 2006
Open Gardens - 11 June
Please come along and support the inaugural village Open Gardens event on the afternoon of Sunday 11 June - 12 to 6pm. Tickets for adults, price £3, will be available from 11.30 on the day from Eaton Bray Village Hall where there will also be parking, refreshments and stalls. Alternatively you can get tickets in advance from Gordon Gray or Sally Taylor or from St Mary's church at 11.15 on Sunday 4 June.
Ten gardens will be open to the public during the afternoon, six are located within a few hundred yards of St Mary's church; of the remaining four two are on the outskirts of Eaton Bray and two in Northall. In addition, it is hoped that we will have permission from the Parish Council for access to an allotment garden in Edlesborough. The gardens range from small plots to plots of several acres - you will see a range of garden features from traditional herbaceous and perennial borders to more unusual scree gardens, lakes and woodland and the occasional 'secret' garden.
Refreshments, toilets and plant sales are located at the Village Hall but will also be found at some of the gardens you will visit. Wheelchair access is available at most of the gardens. We would be grateful for donations of plants or cakes, brought to the Hall on the day.
A walk and cycle route taking in all ten gardens will be available from the Village Hall during the event. We do hope many of you will take advantage of these to explore the local countryside.
All the money raised by the event will go to St Mary's Parish Project for 2006 - Kagando Hospital in Uganda. No doubt many of you will by now be familiar with Rebecca Baldock's letters in Focus from there. The needs at the hospital are enormous but the intention will be to use money donated to procure intensive care equipment and beds.
Hopefully this event will become an annual event in the village calendar. Do come along and support us and pray for good weather.
For full details, see the Open Gardens pages.
Source: Focus, June 2006