Welcome to the gardens at Yewbarrow House

For details of the Evening Mail Dahlia competition click on Dahlia trial beds.

In this sheltered corner of Grange-over-Sands we have growing conditions which are closer to Cornwall than Cumbria. So we have had a lot of fun experimenting with weird and wonderful exotics, waiting in dread for the next hard winter. We hope you enjoy this tour of our garden. Have fun!

Many thanks to all those who braved the extreme weather conditions (fierce heat and torrential rain) on our open days in 2006. We have raised nearly £4,000 for the NGS, which is a new record for Cumbria. Our open days for 2007 are the first Sunday in the month between June and September (June 3rd, July 1st, August 5th and September 2nd). Cream teas will be served! Hope to see you then! Please come if you get the chance. Organized groups are welcome on other days, by arrangement.

The Team

Ken Postlethwaite - Ken is in charge of the productive side - the kitchen garden and flower cutting garden

Carl Taylor - Carl has made all the structural changes including building more than a quarter of a mile of limestone walling

Jack Parkinson - Jack and Kate come here every Tuesday and look after the decorative gardens and very decorative they are too

Jonathan Denby - That's me - the lucky owner. Note the absence of a spade

Kate Parkinson - Kate (Jack's sister-in-law) is a budding designer as well as a talented gardener

My special thanks to:
Christopher Holliday,who made Grange world famous with his flamboyant garden, whose advice has been invaluable and who is responsible for many of the planting ideas at Yewbarrow House.

Tim Longville. My guru. The sage of Cumbria. No one knows more than Tim and he has been immensely kind in sharing his wisdom with me.

Val Corbett and Margaret Goodwin. Val and Margaret have taken some wonderful photographs and have kindly allowed me to use them here.

The Nurserymen. Inglefield Plants, Staveley

Beth Ham and Paul , Beetham Nurseries

Ben Sanderson, Heaves Nursery We are very fortunate in having three outstanding nurseries so close to hand, whose owners have been immensely kind and helpful

Linda Orchant, the charismatic organisor in Cumbria of the National Gardens Scheme, whose invaluable advice has seen my tree ferns through their first winters to perfect health.