Events at Hill Close Gardens

Spring/Summer 2012

Monday, 4 June, Queen's Diamond Jubilee
11.oo am to 5.00 pm, entry free
For this very special event to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, entry to the gardens is free. A celebratory tea will be available in the afternoon.

Thursday, 7 June, Creepy Crawly Creatures
10.30-12.00 noon or 2.00-3.30pm, £3.50 per child, accompanying adult free
Join us for a fun-filled session in our gardens looking for minibeasts.  Enjoy some craft-related activities and discover why bugs like to live in our gardens. Booking essential. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

To book your place call the Centre Manager, tel: 01926 493339.

Friday, 8 June, Gardener's Walk - guided tour
2.30 pm to 3.30 pm, £2 plus normal entry charges
Come and join the Gardens Supervisor in an informal walk round Hill Close Gardens, which are under his professional care. The focus of the walk is on plants of seasonal interest as well as the new developments in both planting schemes and layout of the different individual gardens. The walks are tailored to match the interest of the participants with plenty of time for discussion and questions. Old varieties of vegetables are grown and are for sale when in season. The Gardens also have a valuable collection of more than 60 different varieties of apples and pears.

Saturday, 23 June, Celebrating Civic Day
11.00 am to 5.00 pm, normal entry charges
Discover more about Warwick’s historic buildings and open spaces.

Tuesday, 3 July, Hill Close Gardens Volunteers' BBQ
6.00 pm to 9.00 pm
Each year all Hill Close Gardens volunteers are invited to a barbeque in the gardens to thank them for all the hard work they put in to make Hill Close Gardens a successful enterprise.

Friday, 13 July, Gardener's Walk - guided tour
2.30 pm to 3.30 pm, £2 plus normal entry charges
Come and join the Gardens Supervisor in an informal walk round Hill Close Gardens, which are under his professional care. The focus of the walk is on plants of seasonal interest as well as the new developments in both planting schemes and layout of the different individual gardens. The walks are tailored to match the interest of the participants with plenty of time for discussion and questions. Old varieties of vegetables are grown and are for sale when in season. The Gardens also have a valuable collection of more than 60 different varieties of apples and pears.

Wednesday, 18 July, Drama in the Gardens: Much Ado About Nothing by Heartbreak Productions
Gardens open for picnics at 5.30 pm. Perfomance 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm, tickets: adult £12.50, concs (adults 60yrs and over, children 16yrs and under) £10
Hill Close Gardens are delighted to be the chosen venue for William Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' by Heartbreak Productions, based in Leamington Spa. They started life 20 years ago in the Cultural Quarter and now run school workshops and performances nation wide. As their website explains:

'The company's policy is to present the text of the plays clearly and give the production values innovation and a zing factor that sets us apart. This means that our performances are noted for their imaginative and original production style whilst also being fused with a clarity and accessibility which is crucial for new audiences'.

So, it should be a really good evening's entertainment in beautiful surroundings. Bring your own picnic; drinks and cakes can be purchased at the Centre cafe. To learn more about the production and to book tickets more> or call the Centre Manager, tel: 01926 493339.

Friday, 10 August, Gardener's Walk - guided tour
2.30 pm to 3.30 pm, £2 plus normal entry charges
Come and join the Gardens Supervisor in an informal walk round Hill Close Gardens, which are under his professional care. The focus of the walk is on plants of seasonal interest as well as the new developments in both planting schemes and layout of the different individual gardens. The walks are tailored to match the interest of the participants with plenty of time for discussion and questions. Old varieties of vegetables are grown and are for sale when in season. The Gardens also have a valuable collection of more than 60 different varieties of apples and pears.

Saturday and Sunday, 11-12 August, Victorian Weekend
Normal opening times and entry charges
Join the re-enactors in Victorian costume playing croquet on the lawn and listen to stories of life in Victorian times. The Centre cafe will be serving tea, coffee, cakes and other light refreshments.

For other children's events and information about the children's trails more>

For a list of all the events this season more>

Weekend openings 2012
The gardens will open on Friday, April 6 until Sunday, October 14, 2012.

Groups of 10 and over can visit the gardens at any time throughout the year for guided tours. The charge is £7 a head to include entrance, a guide and tea and cake in the Centre (minimum charge £70). This is an opportunity to learn about the history and restoration of the gardens with their rich variety of Victorian fruit and flowers, the design and building of the sustainable Hill Close Centre. For further information contact the Centre Manager on tel 01926 493339 or email Centremanager @ hcgt.org.uk

Apple, apples, apples.....

Autumn and Apple Day (Sunday, 14 October) always bring visitors to see the historic apple collection
Since 1856 apples, pears and plums were known to have been grown in the Gardens as well as soft fruit. Now there are more than 60 different varieties in the Gardens. By the 1990s, the trees were totally overgrown with swags of ivy and brambles. Noreen Jardine, assisted by Geoff Croft and many volunteers, started a programme of clearing and restoring these trees to bring them back to growth and fruit bearing.

The next task was to identify them and this was pursued with energy and persistence by Noreen and eventually most of the trees were named. There is one which has yet to be named. More varieties were planted in 2002 and subsequent years.

The season starts with the earliest dessert apple ‘Beauty of Bath’ 1864, followed by the small deep-red ‘Devonshire Quarrendon’ 1676. The early cookers include ‘Arthur Turner’ 1850 and there is the dual purpose ‘James Grieve’ 1893.
Some of the mid-season apples are ‘Queen’ 1858, ‘Newton Wonder’ 1870 and ‘Peasgood Nonsuch’ 1853, a very large dual purpose apple.  'Lord Derby’ 1862 and ‘Wyken Pippin’ 1703 are late in the season, which finishes with the russets ‘Golden Knob’ 1600s, which last well into the New Year.