Don Baker - Snowdrops Garden

 At the end of February’s social meeting, I was approached by Don Baker, who invited myself and members of the Committee to visit his garden to view the snowdrops. Well, I jumped at the chance as I had been some years earlier when he and his late wife Mary used to open their garden for the National Garden Scheme, or as it is commonly know the Yellow Book Garden scheme. So on 16th February, a few of us duly met at 2 p.m as arranged and what a treat we had. So, so many lovely snowdrops. So many varieties, tiny ones, huge ones, green, yellow, doubles, singles, common ones and not so common ones and rare ones. It was a veritable feast for our eyes and senses. I think Don told us he has around 250 varieties.

Don also showed us a tree he has, a Lyonothamnus Asplenifolious and I think I am also right in saying that Don told us it is quite rare. It had a splendid trunk.
It turns out Don and Mary opened their garden for 33 years for the scheme and were given a lovely sun dial in commemoration of their achievement. Sadly, I don’t seem to have taken a photo of it, but may be Don will let me pop back and take one as I am going to send some photo’s with this to Denise and Jonathan so that they can be included with the newsletter and go on the website.

Don, then very kindly invited us in and made us a drink, which we accepted and had a lovely chat and looked at his extensive array of books on Snowdrops, whilst sitting in his conservatory. We even had a chat with Dave Baggot on Facetime when he called Don to discuss the arrangements for his own open garden for the yellow Book Scheme that coming Sunday. ( I visited there too).
Many thanks Don, we all really enjoyed it.

Linda Barratt