Teignmouth September Open Gardens

NGS Open Gardens event on Saturday, 11th September and Sunday, 12th September as garden owners open their gates to the public for the last time this year. Two special gardens and The Teignmouth Orangery will be open from 1pm to 5pm with live music at Bitton House, making this a festive event. £5.00 per person for combined entry, children free.

The first garden on the tour is in a tucked away location off Coombe Vale Road. Follow the yellow National Gardening Scheme (NGS) signs to 7 Coombe Avenue where you will find a small sheltered plantmans garden, developed from 1998 by the Chairman of the Teignmouth Gardening Club who had his career at Kew Gardens. This garden has many unusual plants and shrubs collected over many years during the garden owner's horticultural career.

The next stop is Lower Coombe Cottage, which can be found further down the valley on Coombe Lane. This chocolate box thatched cottage sits in a traditional country garden of just under ¼ acre. The South facing front garden includes a wide range of unusual trees, shrubs and newly-planted roses leading to the greenhouse and potager garden.

Teignmouth Orangery which lies in the grounds of Bitton House, is believed to have been built in 1842 for Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth. Admiral Pellew was the inspiration for C. S. Forester's Hornblower character in the ITV television series of the same name.

Live music on Saturday from 2 - 5pm by Modica (www.modica.co.uk) an acoustic band duo from Bristol and on Sunday at the same time, Derek Whitty, Organist and Choirmaster of St. Michael's church will be playing keyboards. Tea and cake for small additional charge, proceeds to The Teignmouth Orangery.