Being the first weekend in May, I’d normally be thinking about gardens to visit over the next few months – but not today, we’ve just got our own garden to potter in, sit in and savour. Feeling a little restless, I’ve been looking at photographs taken over the last few years in various gardens we’ve visited. Whilst enjoyable, this virtual tour did make me yearn for the freedom to get out and about; most of the time we don’t consciously appreciate how lucky we are. My six this week is a selection of my favourites, from our doorstep in Walsall to a garden with fabulous views over the Welsh Hills in Pembrokeshire.

Nearest to home is Maureen and Sid Allen’s award winning ‘Hidden Gem’ garden in Walsall, a favourite of Alan Titchmarsh, featuring in his books and also in the television series ‘Best British Gardens’. Maureen is a great plantswoman and has designed a truly beautiful meandering garden packed with plants in a relatively small space. For more pictures of ‘Hidden Gem’ click here…

Another award winning garden in Walsall is Tony & Marie Newton’s ‘Four Seasons’. This garden is meticulously maintained and is a feast of colour and structure – as promised in its name, all year round. For more photos of ‘Four Seasons’ click here

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A little further away and I’ve been drooling over the pictures I have of Grafton Cottage Garden in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire. This garden, which winds through several colour themed areas, usually opens under the National Garden Scheme several times over the summer months. Let’s hope there will be a way forward later this year for this and hundreds of other NGS gardens to open – their charitable contribution will be sorely missed..

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John’s Garden at Ashwood Nurseries in Kingswinford stretches over 3 acres and opens at regular intervals from March to September. It’s a masterpiece of a garden with many different areas to enjoy – and has surprising sculptures around every corner!

The Trentham Estate near Stoke on Trent has something for everyone – from the formal Italianate garden to the Piet Oudolf designed prairie and Nigel Dunnett’s wildflower meadows. There’s a fairy trail with the most amazing wire sculptures, a lakeside walk and great picnic areas to relax in. As a bonus, having toured the gardens there’s a shopping opportunity in a quaint mall and a choice of places to eat.

Finally to a wonderful garden in Wales, ‘Rhyd-y-Groes’ in Pembrokeshire – opening under the NGS, it’s panoramic views are a vital part of the design – stunning!

That’s my six this week – keep safe and well.

For more SoS please visit it’s home at: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/