On Saturday 19 July, some of the National Trust’s finest gardens will open their gates to raise funds for The National Gardens Scheme and to highlight the Trust’s gardening ‘Careership’ – which enables the charity to ‘home grow’ heritage gardeners of the future.
Despite being a nation of garden lovers, there seems to be a real crisis facing horticulture in Britain with the number of skilled gardeners in sharp decline. In 1991, the National Trust set up a three-year Careership training programme, which it has continued to champion successfully ever since. This is all thanks to the support of The National Garden Scheme, which in the last seven years alone has donated around £190,000 a year to the programme.
Catherine Mobbs, has been taking part in the Careership programme at Ickworth for 2 years;
'The careership programme is a fantastic opportunity to not only learn the practical skills of gardening but also the theory behind it. It can be hard work at times but I know it will be worth it and hopefully in the future I will be able to use my training to benefit the National Trust by working within it, just like many others have done before me.'
Saturday 19 July, is a great opportunity for visitors to find out more about how the National Trust cares for its historic gardens and the importance gardening teams and its volunteers play in this role.
Come and discover the vibrant summer borders at Blickling Hall, or the beautiful French parterre at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk. Felbrigg Hall’s decorative and productive walled garden, orangery and orchards are a gardener’s delight at this time of year, as is the stunning walled garden retreat at Peckover House. Relax in the seasonal beauty of the shady and delightful Wooded Pleasure Grounds at Ickworth in Suffolk, or in contrast enjoy the formality of the property’s Italianate garden.
|
