HIGH BEECHES GARDEN EVENTS 2012

High Beeches Woodland and Water Garden is a beautiful, tranquil and historic garden of some 27 acres. It was begun more than 100 years ago and is full of rare and important plants and trees. High Beeches Gardens is situated just outside Handcross, in the heart of mid-Sussex, close to the A/M23 and within easy access of London, the South and South East. Please find below a list of events for the 2012 season.

 

 

The garden offers seasonal interest, with glorious spring and early summer colour and fragrance including magnolias, camellias, bluebells, azaleas and rhododendrons. High Beeches Gardens has been recommended in the RHS Rhododendrons, Camellias and Magnolias Group Handbook as the best garden in the UK in which to see Rhododendrons growing. David Millais, a member of the RHS Rhododendrons, Camellias and Magnolias Committee and owner of Millais Nurseries is a recognized authority on the plants. He wrote “go to High Beeches Gardens in Sussex to see (Rhododendrons) plants on a good spacing, where they have room to develop and show their true characteristics.” In June the wildflower meadow is at its peak. The Willow Gentians are a spectacular blue in August and High Beeches has magnificent and sumptuous autumn colour.

Sarah Bray says “In 2012 we are looking forward to the colourful Rhododendrons and Azaleas in spring - they have been much praised by the RHS Rhododendrons, Camellias and Magnolia Group.

Goat and Monkey Theatre Company is developing spectacular site specific, immersive theatre performances here at High Beeches on 23/24 June as part of the Ahead Of The Game Festival. The performances will be based on plant collecting in China and the history of High Beeches and the other member gardens of Great Gardens of Sussex – Wakehurst, Nymans and Borde Hill.” Further theatre performances will take place at the other three gardens and there will also be an online game.

New for 2012 Plantlife is organising, Wildflower Walks which will be led by expert botanists on Sunday 17 June.

The Garden reopens 17 March 2012. Enjoy the sight of thousands of daffodils together with Camellias and the early Magnolias. Visit the Daffodil Field of Hope.

gardens@highbeeches.com www.highbeeches.com

High Beeches Gardens
High Beeches Lane
Hand Cross
West Sussex
RH17 6HQ

A day ticket costs £6.50. Accompanied children aged 14 and under enjoy free entry. The garden will open everyday except Wednesdays, from 17 March – 28 October during 2012. Opening hours will be 1- 5pm. On special events days, the garden usually opens at 11am.

The Licensed Tea Room and Tea Garden offers a delicious choice of home-cooked snacks, lunches and cream teas. There is also a picnic area.

Guided tours and groups visits are welcome by prior appointment. For pre-booked groups, we will open the garden out of season and out of hours.

EASTER MONDAY 9 April - Spring Flowers, the garden opens from 11 am (usually 1pm). Enjoy colour and fragrance including native bluebells, colourful azaleas, rhododendrons and magnolias. Stephen Rapkyns of Rapkyns Nursery will be here with a plant stall. Stephen is one of the best nurserymen in the country and specialises in hardy plants. Sarah Raven of the Daily Telegraph has written about Rapkyns Nursery under the heading, one of ‘the best nurseries in Britain for year round inspiration”.

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY, 7 May, the garden opens from 11 am (usually 1pm).

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND, 26 and 27 May, BONSAI WEEKEND, garden open from 11am (usually 1pm) on Bank Holiday Monday 28 May.
The display of outstanding Bonsai will include Gold Medal Chelsea exhibits. Learn how to make your own Bonsai from a small, native sapling. Expert advice and demonstrations will be available and Bonsai materials will be for sale.

Sunday, 20th May, High Beeches Gardens opens in support of the National Gardens Scheme.

Plantlife WILDFLOWER Walks Sunday 17 June, open 11am – 5pm (usually 1pm). Expert botanists will lead several walks on behalf of the charity Plantlife. Explore the best, natural, acid, wildflower meadow in the south east, while it is full of flowers and find out about the rich local flora and fauna.

The meadow has not been ploughed in living memory and has an outstanding variety of wild plants. More than 200 species of wildflowers have been recorded throughout the garden.

The National Collection of Stewartia Trees flower at the end of June.

Sunday 12 August, HEAVY HORSES from the WORKING HORSES TRUST, harrow the wildflower meadow. The garden will open form 11am (usually 1pm). Plants and crafts for sale and craft demonstrations. Get close to the gentle giants and see how much they enjoy working the land.

The stunning blue Willow Gentians will be in full flower. High Beeches Gardens is the only site in the UK where these plants are naturalised.

NEW; Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June, THE SEED. A site specific promenade performance by the theatre group Goat and Monkey, part of a series of theatrical performances taking place throughout the summer in the Great Gardens of Sussex as part of ‘Ahead of the Game’ and the Cultural Olympiad. Please see websites for details: www.goatandmonkey.co.uk.

Sunday, 23 September, High Beeches Garden opens in support of the National Gardens Scheme.

Sunday 21 October, AUTUMN GIFT FAIR in aid of PARKINSON’S UK – Horsham branch. The garden opens from 11am, (usually 1pm). The Gift Fair is always a popular and enjoyable occasion with interesting gifts for sale and the opportunity to wander through the garden when it is looking particularly magnificent. High Beeches has the most glorious autumn colour in Sussex with sumptuous displays of crimson, gold, orange, lime and dark green

Stalls will be selling plants, pewter and pashminas as well as cakes, jams, cards and small gifts. Money raised will be used to support local people and helps fund a community worker as well as physiotherapy sessions at the local hospital.

30 October, the garden closes, reopening March 2013.

High Beeches is home to a number of champion trees, and it is the only UK site where the magnificent blue Willow Gentian is naturalised. High Beeches has the National Collection of Stewartia and also the finest natural acid wildflower meadow in Sussex with more than 200 varieties of wild flowers as recorded by the Botanical Society of the British Isles. High Beeches is one of the top gardens in the country for autumn colour and has the best autumn colour in Sussex

The Bray/Boscawen gardening dynasty has cared for the garden for fifty years. Their great passion is the ‘species’ forms of plants - the original, wild forms from around the world. The garden is fully catalogued and contains thousands of specimens including numbered plants collected by famous plant hunters such as Ernest Wilson.

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