TWO well-known gardens in the district reopened their gates to the public for the first time since the start of the coronavirus lockdown to raise money for charity.

Capheaton Hall’s garden opened to a reduced capacity on the weekend over August 8-9 and sold out quickly.

Visitors were treated to a stunning garden and abundant produce in a beautiful setting crafted by gardener Jane Armstrong.

In addition, The Beacon, Stocksfield, open eight times during June and July, becoming one of the first in the country to sell out.

A spokeswoman for the National Garden Scheme said owners Patricia and Derek Hodgson “could not have been more welcoming and worked hard to achieve huge success.”

The gardens were open as part of the National Garden Scheme, which was established by the nurses of the Queens Nursing Institute in 1927.

The scheme is the biggest annual charitable donor to Macmillan, Marie Curie and Hospice UK (amongst other charities) – has risen to the challenges presented by the coronavirus lockdown with virtual tours, online appeals.

However, more recently the scheme has enabled garden owners, who wanted to open their gates to the public, to do so.

Many enterprising garden owners took the initiative and sold plants from their garden gate in order to raise funds.

Many owners were keen to receive visitors as soon as possible. The NGS set up on-line ticketing and issued guidelines, including limiting numbers of visitors so that social distancing could be achieved.

The traditional home baked cakes could not always be offered but in the larger gardens picnics were welcome.

The spokeswoman for the scheme continued: “The National Garden Scheme relies on the generosity of the garden owners.

“It was clear from the comments of visitors that they greatly appreciated the opportunity to visit the gardens.

“Many, who had been isolating during lockdown, said it was the first time they had been out of their own home and it was such a joy to be able to do so in safe and very beautiful surroundings.

“A number of visitors had discovered gardening during lockdown and had also discovered the National Garden Scheme, which gave them the opportunity to get ideas from other gardeners and to buy plants, many of which they could see growing in the garden.

“Some generous garden owners even dug up plants for visitors.

The NGS has now launched “The Great British Garden Party”, appealing for people to invite friends to a socially distanced party in their gardens to raise funds for NGS health charities.

The idea is that anyone who supports the NGS beneficiary charities could have their own little gathering in their garden and ask for donations.