Gorgeous gardens in Shropshire and Mid Wales to open gates for charity
As summer draws to a close there is still time to visit one of the many gardens opening for charity in Shropshire and Mid Wales.
The National Gardens Scheme is a hugely popular initiative which raises money for cancer and caring charities.
Windy Ridge at Little Wenlock is one garden opening its gates to visitors this weekend, with people invited to explore the surroundings between noon and 5pm in Sunday.
The multi-award winning garden stretches across two thirds of an acre and features more than 1,000 species of plants, mostly labelled so visitors can note their favourites if they wish to introduce them to their own property.
Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm: Whitlenge Lane, Hartlebury, Worcestershire, DY10 4HD. Admission is £4, children are free. Light refreshments are available.
Sunday, 12pm to 5pm: Windy Ridge, Church Lane, Little Wenlock, Telford, TF6 5BB. Admission is £5, children are free. Teas are available.
Sunday, 1pm to 4.30pm: Pont Faen, Farrington Lane, Knighton, LD7 1LA. Admission is £3.50, children are free. Home-made teas available.
The grass and perennial gravel gardens at Windy Ridge have also created a lot of interest and versions are now appearing in gardens all over the country.
Another garden open to visitors this weekend, just across the Shropshire border, is Pont Faen, which can be visited from 1pm to 4.30pm on Sunday. The colourful half-acre garden is packed with flowers, which surround the house.
Visitors can also enjoy walking along paths through arches and gazebos which lead from shady, ferny corners to deep borders filled with a large range of colourful perennials, annuals, 40 varieties of roses, rhododendrons, azaleas and hydrangeas.
The garden is also home to a number of water features and a fish pond while views of the hills can be enjoyed from many seats in the flat garden.
Just south of the Shropshire border lies Whitlenge Gardens in Hartlebury, a three-acre show garden from a professional designer with more than 800 varieties of trees and shrubs.
It will also be open to visitors from 10am to 5pm on both Saturday, and Sunday.
The garden features a twisted pillar pergola, waterfalls, ponds and streams, and mystic features of the Green Man, Sword in the Stone and cave fernery.
People visiting the garden can walk the turf labyrinth and take refreshments in The Garden Design Studio tearoom.
There is also a 400 square metre grass labyrinth and a pet corner. Visitors can also take advantage of locally sourced home-made food in the tearoom.
