Open Gardens 2022 – My Experience

You may recall that the weeks before my holiday were consumed with preparing my garden as we were taking part in the Open Gardens 2022. We then duly opened and after that, Mr F-W and I went off on our hols. As a result, I’ve not had a chance to tell you how it all went. So I thought I’d remedy the situation right now. Not least because I think it’s really interesting which bits of my garden and plants caught the visitors eyes.

Read more: Open Gardens 2022 – My Experience

Open Gardens 2022 – Overall

The day itself went incredibly well. Around 24 gardens in my little Cotswold village of Langford opened for the public, and over 500 people visited, raising a heap of money for charity.

Mr F-W and I live right in the middle of the village, and the car park for the event was some distance from us. Consequently there was an awful ‘heart in the mouth’ moment where I wondered whether anyone was actually going to come to the event – and if they were – whether they were actually going to reach our garden!

Then suddenly, I heard rumble of voices and a people flooded into our garden. What a relief! All that weeding and tidying hadn’t been for nothing.

However, the relief quickly changed to panic. As I then had the awful worry of ‘what would they think?’ I know my gardening style, which is rather wild in places, isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste. My lawn is truly dreadful and the sheds are an eyesore. What if these lovely visitors all hated my garden and made a rapid if polite exit?

I stood on my patio, which is the main entrance area into our garden, with my heart in my mouth, hoping people would be kind. Well they were. They were lovely, as they slowly meandered through the space. Some even sat and relaxed, which was wonderful.

The visitors were predominanly from the UK of course. But we had a large number from many parts of America too. They were on a holiday tour of the UK and our village’s open gardens were part of their itinerary. It was so interesting talking to them. Especially as many are gardening in very challenging conditions – such as the immense heat of Dallas.

Open Gardens 2022 – What Caught the Eye

People made observations around a wide range of things. However, there were a a few plants and garden features which I was regularly asked about.

Catalpa Trees & Annabelle Hydrangeas

I’ve always felt that my arc of 5 Catalpa bignonioides ‘Nana’ trees is eye catching. I planted it to divide up the garden a little. I also wanted to screen an ugly cricket net which we used to have in the garden. (More on screening a garden eyesore here.)

But it was really gratifying that so many people liked the trees too. The visitors also liked the idea of having 10 Annabelle Hydrangeas growing at the base of these trees. They have a leaf shape which complements the trees.

When our gardens were open in mid-June the hydrangeas hadn’t started blooming. Now I’m back they’re kicking off. I only wish those visitors could see how lovely ‘the girls’ (as I call my hydrangeas) are looking.

Roses

The roses in my garden are definitely past their first flush of youth – and need a jolly good feed to give them some va va voom. But back in June they were looking completely fresh and pretty. I’ve four roses in my sunny bed. The two which garnered the most attention were Jacqueline du Pre and interestingly, my least favourite of the four – Little White Pet.

People liked Jacqueline for her old-fashioned loveliness. She has creamy curling petals and gold and rasberry detailing in the middle of her blooms.

I think Little White Pet was popular as it is so incredibly floriferous. The shrub is absolutely smothered with flowers. And while you are waiting for the flowers to open, its buds have a raspberry coloured zing to them. I did point out to people that Little White Pet is a deadheading nightmare once she gets going. Indeed, now I’m back from our hols I seriously expect to spend a good solid hour deadheading all those tiny spent flowers. And as she’s relatively low-growing it can be back-breaking work. So if you’re one of the visitors thinking of getting her, you have been warned!

Sweet Peas

My early sweet peas received a lot of comments too. I sowed a batch back in October and over-wintered them in my lovely neighbour, Desi’s greenhouse. The thinking was to have a head-start with a nice early crop to pick.

Well it worked. At open gardens 2022 I had towers of sweet peas on the patio creating the most gorgeous scent. And bunches of them on the table.

There’s nothing special about the variety I grew, I just think that back in mid-June it seemed novel to people to have such advanced sweet peas. So, if you can bear having your window ledges full of seedlings in Winter, I’d definitely recommend you starting off an early batch in October.

Veronicastrum Adoration

The Veronica in my sunny border received a lot of comments too. She’s called Veronicastrum Adoration and is a very tall variety. I think it was the impact of this plant which caught peoples’ attention. Not only is she statuesque – she grows about 1.2 metres tall, but I have a large swathe of the plant. I’ve about 9 of them in the border. This creates so much more impact than having odd small groups of plants.

Back in June for our village’s open gardens 2022 the Veronica wasn’t even in bloom – but she still received lots of comments. I think if those same visitors saw her now, they’d be doubly wowed. During the past three weeks she has sprung into flower and oh, the blooms! They are a shimmery, almost metallic pinky purple. Absolutely lovely.

Achillea Moonshine

On my patio I have a container rammed full of Achillea Moonshine. And it really stopped a few visitors in their tracks. I’m not surprised. It is an eye watering yellow colour. So if you’re after a high impact yellow plant, it’s brilliant. And the pollinators love it too. Also it’s an incredibly easy plant to grow and divide. Indeed, I divide this perennial every few years. I pop the spare plants around my garden. The way this container is looking, it will definitely need dividing in the Autumn as it’s really full to bursting!

Erigeron

A lot of people commented on our heavy use of Erigeron too. I think some privately felt it’s a weed and didn’t approve (though they didn’t say so). But others were very flattering about it. They understood the ‘wild grotto’ effect we’re going for. Someone even said ‘it’s like a magical fairy kingdom.’ I was chuffed as that’s exactly the look I’m trying to achieve. I could have kissed them!

One person said they really struggle to grow Erigeron. As you can see I really don’t have that problem and wasn’t sure how to help them. Full sun is definitely part of the solution.

Clematis in Pots

I’ve over 10 different clematis in the garden. Many of them are in pots. For some people this seemed quite a novelty. I think they hadn’t considered growing them in this way. As a result many asked me how I look after them. As I told people, the secret is to water and feed them regularly. After all the plants’ roots can’t head off elsewhere for their nutrition and water. They’re completely dependent on what’s in the pot! At this time of year I will feed mine every couple of weeks, if not weekly, with good old easy tomato feed. I also replenish the top few inches of soil in the pots when I prune the clematis to set them up for the season.

Clematis Fligree, which is very unusual as it’s a low growing clematis which creates a mound in a pot, surprised three or four people. I definitely think I should be on commission as they were going to go out and buy one for themselves! I’m not surprised as it’s very lovely.

However, the one clematis which caught the eye the most was the very one I can’t for the life of me name. Isn’t that typical! I felt such an idiot but I’ve had it for years and years and lost the label way back when.

Open Gardens 2022 – Ensete Chat

People were also very complimentary about the slighlty exotic look I’m trying to achieve in one corner of my patio. I think there were a few fern and heuchera enthusiasts among the visitors. I had a big chat with one visitor about how we look after our banana plants (Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’). Rather than cutting it back and putting it into dormancy, he brings his into the house over winter and keeps it going! So interesting. I’m not sure Mr F-W will want to spend the winter living with an ensete in our sitting room….mmm.

Ensetes grow fast and can reach 2 metres tall. However, mine is probably in too shady a spot to reach its full height. I also think being in a container limits it. But I think that works for me, as I don’t really want it towering over things, instead I want it’s lovely lush, exotic leaves working with the ferns and grasses around it.

Hostas

A lot of people visiting us as part of open gardens 2022 were also interested in how I look after my hostas. In particular, how I stop slugs and snails munching their leaves. The truth is I don’t. I have plenty of hostas with leaves peppered with holes. However, I don’t worry about it too much. As I explained to people, I put Strulch – a sort of marmitey flavoured natural mulch you can buy – around the base of the hostas. This deters some slugs and snails. Otherwise, I leave nature to sort them out. By not using any chemicals in the garden I think we attract a lot of birds and other wildlife which deals with them.

It’s definitely the case that the thicker leaved hostas do best when faced with the threat of slugs. They’re just physically tougher to eat. One classic example of such a hosta is Sum and Substance. He sits very loud and proud on my patio and lots of people commented on him and his size.

As I pointed out to people, like the Ensete, he’d get even bigger if he was grown in the ground rather than in a pot. I believe the leaves can reach dustbin lid size!

Open Gardens 2022 – thank you for coming…

So that’s it. The main plants and things people asked me about when visiting us as part of open gardens 2022. It was nerve-wracking but a really joyous experience to share my garden with so many real garden enthusiasts, and chat with them about what works in their gardens. If you were one of the visitors, thank you for joining me – and for your kind words. Happy gardening x