There is a peculiar British genius that means we garden, we create something lovely with plants, in almost any location that one might think of. It goes back a long way. It is not always rational. The encroaching English were contemptuous of the Irish in the 17th century because the Irish grew practical vegetables rather than ornamental flowers in their gardens. The 'deserving poor' who obtained decent housing from a local council in the early 20th century often had large plots around their houses so as to demonstrate their moral worth by cultivating a garden. The National Garden Scheme (NGS) was set up in 1927 to raise money to fund district nurses 20 years before the foundation of the National Health Service and it still publishes the annual 'Yellow Book'. More than 3,600 private gardens are now open to the public, many gems just once a year for a single afternoon, to raise funds for nursing and caring charities. In 2018 the NGS raised £3.1 million. Picking up the yellow book at the start of the year, reading about the gardens, checking the dates, planning a visit is a simple joy. Finding the open garden involves map work (often being off the GPS grid), some debate, a hunt down small country lanes for a glimpse of the yellow sign perched in a gate way or a hunt down a suburban street for the correct driveway, and then the delight of wandering around the garden. Owners vary: some welcome visitors in person, answer questions, speak with pride: some hide away in a corner and shyly observe the strangers in their small kingdom: some owners open regularly, others are persuaded by the county organising committee: some are pressured by their neighbours to open up as one of several gardens in the same village. It is fascinating to see how each garden is imagined, designed, planted, how each deals with local environmental conditions such as wind, frost, geology, aspect or displays the unique passion of the gardener for a particular plant or family of plants - think snowdrops here. No garden is ever the same, though it is possible to see the influence of a particularly good local garden, or gardener, on the other ones open close by. Sometimes, one goes around a corner and draws breath in delight, or stand bemused by a combination of colour, shape and form, or think, smugly, "could do better myself". Then, literally the icing on the cake, many gardens, or an open group, will provide homemade teas, generally to raise additional money for a local cause such as the parish church. Such a simple, civilised pleasure: a cup of tea surveying a splendid herbaceous border eating a slice of coffee and walnut sponge cake in the sunshine. Visiting gardens is such a great British day out: being nosy, gardening and eating cake.