12 Ansell Road - One Year On!

Just about this time (day before Christmas Eve) last year I was writing “Winters and the Garden” - http://www.ngs.org.uk/news-features/local-news/winters-and-the-garden---12-ansell-road.aspx - for the NGS news section, in the middle of some of the worst snow in my lifetime and only 16 weeks or so before my first ever NGS opening.  I was very worried at that time in case the winter turned the garden into something unfit to open.

Now I’m sitting looking at the Christmas Tree and reflecting on a very enjoyable and, I think, successful year with my first three garden openings successfully passed.

The enjoyment has come in several forms: hearing visitors comment and ask questions is certainly one of them and the effort that goes into baking what seems like endless cakes as well as making sure the garden is in tip-top order has been very enjoyable too. But perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of starting to open for the NGS has been all the new people I have met – visitors and other Garden Openers – who share the passion for gardening and sharing their gardens with others. The support offered, seemingly without end or condition, from fellow openers has been both overwhelming and greatly appreciated: there is a true sense of family amongst the garden opening community!

Opening the garden has also provided yet more evidence for what a small world we live in. Visitors who turned up included a very sprightly 90-something lady who spotted the brass plaques with my grandparents’ names on the garden bench and recognized them: it turned out that she attended Chapel with my grandparents during the war and last saw the garden when she visited after chapel one day pre-1940, when the house and garden were only about 10 years old. Long-lost school acquaintances also arrived not having a clue that it was my garden and much catching up on the intervening years took place.

Now I’m looking forward to welcoming visitors to not 3 but 5 open days in 2012. In particular, because many visitors to my garden commented upon the wildlife, I thought I’d try an afternoon / evening opening, when hopefully visitors might see bats and also enjoy the various lights that I have. The dates are already available on my website (which has moved a few days ago to a much easier address: www.poptasticdave.co.uk ) and will be on the NGS listing when the January updates take effect.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all and hope to see you in 2012.