NGS: Windy Ridge in Little Wenlock opens its garden this weekend

Shropshire Star

Windy Ridge in Little Wenlock will be open this Saturday and Sunday for the National Garden Scheme. It has much to offer with differing levels, many intersting trees and water features, and even some giant wellington boots that are seven feet tall.

Transcript

00:00So we're here at Windy Ridge and introduce yourselves guys.

00:07Yeah well I'm George and I'm Fiona. So Windy Ridge is it Little, where are we? Little Wenlock.

00:14Little Wenlock, that's it. Halfway up the Recon. Cool, without the sweat.

00:21And you've got a beautiful garden here. How long have you lived here?

00:25We've lived here for about 40 years and developed the garden mainly over the past 20-25 years.

00:31And you'll be sharing it with us, you'll be opening it to the public this weekend.

00:36That's right, yeah this coming weekend. So we're fingers crossed for some reasonable weather.

00:42Yeah that's what we want isn't it, dry weather at least. So it's part of the National Garden Scheme,

00:47how long have you been involved with them then and opened for them?

00:49Oh well almost 20 years now, so yeah it's a fantastic organisation. I mean where else can you

00:57raise money for good causes and give people a really nice time?

01:01Exactly, exactly yeah, there's always some decent cakes and a drink on hand.

01:08So did you, when you first viewed this property, were you keen gardeners then?

01:14You know, did you buy it thinking yeah we're going to really transform this garden?

01:18Or did the love of gardening kind of grow as you as you moved in?

01:21Well we've always been gardeners but Fiona used to work with a big garden centre group.

01:26So yeah over in the east of England and this was actually our third house so we had already

01:32created two gardens. One was very very small and the other was actually quite big but obviously not

01:38quite as much stuff here as there is now. So yes yes gardening has always been a love and still is.

01:46Yeah and I think we've managed to cram them at over a thousand species in the garden so hopefully

01:54there's something for everyone to enjoy. So it must have been difficult, I mean as you said your last

02:00garden wasn't as big but it must make it difficult to move on when you've created paradise in your back

02:06garden. Well our last garden, well we actually only lived there about five or six years so it had never

02:13really reached maturity. I mean I think what people like quite unusual about this, well two things blow

02:19my own trumpet, but a lot of gardens you either have someone who's very keen on design or someone

02:25who's quite keen on plants but you you don't often get someone who likes both so that's one thing. And the other

02:31thing is there's not that many gardens where the same people who started it 40 years ago are still

02:38here and still maintaining it. Without a gardener. Without a gardener. Yeah so I think that continuity

02:46is quite quite um quite an important thing. So when you've created something as beautiful as this

02:52is that the hard work that goes into it is it mostly always a pleasure or can it you know can

02:58it become like a bit of a noose around your neck? Well mainly a pleasure. I mean to be, I tell a secret

03:05here actually I hate housework. Yeah. So actually being able to go out in the garden and do something

03:12there to me that's a good excuse because it means I don't have to tidy the house. That sounds lucky.

03:17So the deal is you'll let the public in your garden but they're never looking in your house.

03:20Absolutely yeah. And we got so many plants in the garden that weeds don't have a chance.

03:25Yeah well I guess that's one way of yeah yeah get the plants to kind of... Well yeah that's um you

03:31know and really to be honest apart from self-seedlings mainly in the gravel um that's about it for

03:38weeding. If you sort of manage to get on top of them and George says have plenty plenty of plants

03:44then the weeds don't grow and obviously if you're not weeding the whole time then the other stuff

03:50you make it pruning. It's more of a pleasure. Pruning, cutting things back. Yeah. And they call it

03:55the green gym does it keep you fit and healthy then? Oh well. Or have you put your back out a

04:00few times? Getting up and down. Yeah yeah well that's yeah. Beginning to feel getting back up from the ground

04:07you know when you've done it for the hundredth time in one afternoon it's beginning to think oh that's a long way up.

04:11But no it's it's all good exercise. Well it is it's a beautiful garden so people get yourselves down

04:18you've got the Saturday and the Sunday this weekend I believe haven't you? That's right from 12 o'clock

04:22uh to five o'clock. Great stuff. And remember the Huntsman's also open. Ah that's the pub just down the way isn't it?

04:30They do some really good lunches. Yeah down the road. A lot of people who come here tend to

04:35just pop in and have a pint or have a light lunch. Sounds like a plan that's the day sorted isn't it?

04:40Makes a nice day. That's the day sorted yeah. Great stuff well thank you for letting the Shropshire

04:43star come into your little bit of paradise thank you. Well please do please come come and see us we'd like that.

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