Page 30 - Oundle Life May 2024

FLORAL
TREATS
Oundle Open Gardens
As warm summer days approach, what could be lovelier than spending time in a garden? Or better still, in a variety of gardens, each with their own character and charm and within walking distance of each other? This year’s Open Gardens is the opportunity for a great day out, visiting some of the exquisite private gardens in Oundle.
Organised by Creative Oundle, a registered arts and cultural charity, the event offers a wide variety of gardens, owned by local residents who work hard to cultivate these horticultural gems. As it takes place in June this year, rather than May, there will be a different array of blooms to enjoy, with wonderful displays of roses expected to take centre stage in a number of gardens, along with poppies, delphiniums, hydrangeas and many others.
Some of the gardens are as notable for landscaping and sculptural features as for plants, and their owners are proud to share the design journey with their guests. Some even have the ‘before and after’ photographs which chart the transformation.
For visitors, even those who live locally, it is a rare chance to explore a series of courtyards, arbours, herbaceous borders and lawns that
lie behind the house frontages in this historic Georgian town. As one visitor commented last year: “It’s amazing to discover the delights on the other side of the fences and limestone walls
– like entering a secret world which you would never have guessed was there.” One example is the large formal garden at Cobthorne House, belonging to Oundle School, which is not usually open to the public and cannot be seen from the road.
At the other end of the scale are properties with small secluded patios, bursting with colourful container-grown plants, or the tranquil sound of water trickling into a trough. For some properties across the town, their front gardens are the star attraction. It’s the variety which adds to the enjoyment. What all the gardeners have in common is a passion for sharing their gardens and their knowledge with others.
Of course, looking round gardens can be thirsty work, so a couple of the gardens are providing refreshments, in addition to the cafes open in the town.
Open Sunday 9th June 2024, 11am–5pm. Tickets will be £5 in advance and £7 on the day, see the website: www.creativeoundle.co.uk. Wristbands and programmes will need to be collected from Queen Victoria Hall on West Street. Please note that dogs and picnics are not permitted in the gardens.
Creative Oundle are also hosting a range of other cultural events this spring and summer, including Outdoor Theatre on 29th May, jazz singer Jacqui Dankworth on 6th July, and Party at the Wharf on 13th July.
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