THE first garden to open for the National Gardens Scheme Open Gardens to open in West Yorkshire for 2009 is Julie and Tony Peckham’s garden in Skelmanthorpe.

This small garden is packed with interesting features and wonderful plants that will give you a springtime lift.

The garden opens tomorrow afternoon, April 19, between 2pm and 5pm. The address is Highfields, Manorstead, Skelmanthorpe, HD8 9DW – follow the signs from the village.

Visit www.ngs.org.uk for more details of this garden and all the other gardens across the country.

^The Allotment Experience – are you just beginning your first year of growing your own fruit and vegetables on an allotment or in a corner of your garden?

If so, you will enjoy this new book, written by Ruth Binney and published by How To Books Ltd. It tells a series of short stories about crops and activities on an allotment in Chiswick from an allotmenteer’s point of view.

It is priced at £10.99. ISBN 978-1-905862-26-9.