01572 813 200

Summer Sundays at Barnsdale Gardens

It's all happening at Barnsdale! Every Sunday during July and August, we're offering family events, free with Garden entry.

Fairy Weekend: 3rd & 4th August, 11am - 4pm

Dust off your fairy wings and join us for some magical children’s activities with Rutland Book Nook. We’ll be making wands, magic painting and sprinkling some fairy dust.

 

Browse our range of high-quality Usborne children’s books, including fairy favourites, while the children are busy.

 

Free with garden admission.

Barnsdale’s Question Forum: 4th August, 11:30am & 2:30pm

After last years success we return with our gardening question time, join Nick Hamilton, Matt Biggs, David Hurrion and Barnsdale’s Head Gardener Jon Brocklebank on either of these question and answer sessions.

Free Nursery Walk, 'Hot Plants for Summer interest': 9th August, 11:30am

We are running a programme of 20 minute free walks and talks on our nursery, covering a range of topics. These short but informative sessions will be given by Emma, who runs our nursery. There is no need to book, just turn up.

 

In the event of rain, the sessions will go ahead in Emma's big poly-tunnel.

Summer Vegetable Weekend: 10th - 11th August, 11am - 4pm

If you love growing your own food then Barnsdale is the place to be this weekend.

 

We'll be opening up the productive areas that are normally off-limits to visitors, and our expert grower will be available to advise you on your own veggie production and chat about her favourite subject.

 

If you’ve visited us earlier in the year you’ll enjoy seeing our crops coming to fruition, and if you come along on Sunday, Susie will lead tours of Barnsdale's veg and fruit growing areas, at 12pm & 2pm.

 

The Helenium Tea Room kitchen will provide tasty bites to try all made from our produce and we will have a selection of children's activity sheets and vegetable sowing for those budding gardeners.

Productive Area Tours: 10th - 11th August, 12pm & 2pm

Our vegetables grower-in-chief, Susie, will lead tours of Barnsdale's fruit and veg growing areas, at 12pm & 2pm.

Barnsdale Gardens; behind the scenes: 18th August, 12pm-4pm.

Join Nick Hamilton on short walks while he talks about the what's looking good in the gardens and the history behind them.

Free Nursery Walk, 'Best Plants for Pollinators': 23rd August, 11:30am

We are running a programme of 20 minute free walks and talks on our nursery, covering a range of topics. These short but informative sessions will be given by Emma, who runs our nursery. There is no need to book, just turn up.

 

In the event of rain, the sessions will go ahead in Emma's big poly-tunnel.

Dahlia Fortnight: 25th August - 8th September, 11pm - 4pm

It's all about Dahlias for the next couple of weeks. Come and see these beautiful plants in all their glory. A great plant for this time of year, providing interest right into the autumn.

 

On the 25th August, Karen Gimson will be hosting talk/walks throughout the day on everything Dahlia's: from growing; storage; cuttings; varieties and flower arrangements.

 

Karen Gimson has been a garden designer and travelling head gardener for large gardens for 25 years and writes a weekly column for Garden News Magazine. She also appears on the BBC Radio Leicester gardening show.  She is an ambassador for Rainbows Hospice for children and young people in Loughborough and is a member of the county team for Leicestershire NGS.   She lives in Leicestershire and gardens a one-acre plot, focussing on attracting wildlife and growing as much fruit, vegetables and cut flowers as she can.

Just want to come for a spot of retail therapy and a great lunch or afternoon tea? Entry to the Barnsdale Gardens Gift Shop, Nursery and Tea Room is free.