Garden designer and television presenter Joe Swift has taken on a new job as volunteer Ambassador of the National Garden Scheme. The charity which sees members of the public open their gardens to the public has raised millions for nursing and caring charities. Joe Swift spoke to Ken Crowther about his role.
Three years ago Parkinsons UK was picked as the National Garden Scheme’s guest charity. Keen cyclist and Director of Fundraising Paul Jackson-Clark was the set challenge in 2015 to see how many of the NGS gardens he could visit by bike in one day. Paul and his friends managed to get around 15 gardens as he told Ken Crowther.
Lord Michael Howard, Chairman of Hospice UK, is one of the beneficiaries of the National Garden Scheme and without their support they would not be able to carry out the valuable work they do. Despite not being a keen gardener, Lord Howard enjoys spending time being in the garden and visiting them as he explained to Ken Crowther.
This year, 2016, is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability Brown’, a garden designer who changed the landscaped of the English Countryside. Some of the rarely-opened Capability Brown landscapes are opening to the public as part of the NGS. Carol Evans, festival director spoke to Ken Crowther about his work.