Eagle-eyed garden visitors in search of snowdrops or hellebores may have noticed that the National Garden Scheme has had a face lift. Offically, however, the new brand wasn’t launched until earlier this week at the Royal Festival Hall in London, alongside the announcement of this year’s record donations of £3 million.
Investec sponsor the scheme, hence the zebras awaiting the audience
To top it all, 2017 is the 90th anniversary of the scheme – it must have been quite an occasion. Since its foundation in 1927 the organisation has donated over £50 million to charity and is the most signifanct funder of nursing charities in the UK. If you’d like to see how this year’s donations were distributed you can read about it here.
The rebranding was announced to some 3800 garden owners who volunteer to open their gates on behalf of the scheme in the run up to Christmas. The news came in the form of an interesting video presention by our Chief Executive, George Plumptre, and brand consultants from Big Fish. Quite a few changes have been made to freshen up our image and so, we hope, will encourage a wider range of people to visit our gardens. My first glimpse of the 2017 Garden Visitor’s Handbook came earlier this month just as Narcissus pseudonarcissus burst into bloom.
Mia, our ever curious cat is always keen to see what’s new in the garden
Last week, our South Gloucestershire County Organisers made their annual rounds to drop off the large pack of publicity material which includes the year book, county pamphlets, posters and signs. Garden owners like me spend time checking that details are correct, but, this year, I was also curious to see how the new look compared with the old. Superimposed upon the new gate logo, in uniquely stylised lettering, is the name ‘National Garden Scheme’ and the word ‘Open’. Significantly, the name has been simplified and the ‘s’ has been dropped in what was ‘Gardens’. The background colour is still yellow but of a richer, warmer hue. Then there’s a raft of playful icons designed to inject personality into the brand, everything from teacups to plant sales ….
Ganesha, the god of change and new beginnings presiding over the new sign for teas
Perhaps I shouldn’t mention that albeit ‘trendy’ colloquial contractions like ‘Fancy a Cuppa’ just make me cringe, but, hey ho, they do!
The new look of the National Garden Scheme website
Of course, the website has been given the same professional treatment too, and looks to me like a real improvement on what we had before. Let’s face it, in this day and age, website information is probably becoming the main portal for visitors in search of an open garden. In addition, the National Garden Scheme Find a Garden app can be downloaded which saves scrabbling around for a book in the glove compartment of your car.
In celebration of the scheme’s big birthday, there will be a special open garden Anniversary Weekend on 27th – 29th May. Of the 400 gardens that will be opening, 12 originally opened in 1927. Keen photographers might like to check out the competition that will be launched from May 27th, details of which are available here.
© Andrew Crowley, The Telegraph, 13th June, 2015. Mary Berry, the queen of cakes, in her beautiful garden, Penn, which she opened for more than twenty years.
There are some great prizes to be won and, as President of the scheme, the wonderful Mary Berry says “I am looking forward to welcoming the winner to my garden”.
Posters old (2016 left) and new (2017, right)
Greenfields and Barn House are proud to be opening their gates again this year on Sunday 25th June, as well as by appointment from June to September. The question of how to raise the profile of this marvellous organisation is a good one. Perhaps we shall quiz a few of our garden visitors about this over a cup of tea and slice of lemon drizzle cake?
Barn House Garden 
My mission this year is to visit 90 NGS gardens and so far I have visited 14. https://thegardengateisopen.blog/. I am getting used to the New Look; Bright and Fun. Perhaps I can come and visit your garden.
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Wow, that’s quite a target, but you’re doing well especially for so early in the year. Of course, it would be lovely to see you here as a garden visitor. I’m pleased to hear you like the new look.
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Earlier this week my eye was caught by a new ‘yellow book’. The new design seems much more friendly the old and much less village-hall-fete-ish.
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Oh, that’s good, I think a ‘friendlier face’ was what was intended so it’s great to hear that browsers/buyers of this year’s handbook appreciated the difference. Tallies with the enthusiastic feedback I recently encountered from sales asssistants in my local Waterstones!
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My Yellow Book arrived in the post but the publicity material will be distributed at the Staffs & West Midlands lunch this coming Sunday which is also an opportunity for new openers to meet others from the county (and presumably ask a lot of questions!). I am most impressed with the new look – it came across well in the presentation but having the book in my hands really showed the potential impact it will have but I shall hold fire on an opinion on the publicity material till I see it though! You may have noticed that we are both open on the same Sunday :)
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Yes, I recall we’re open on the same day – how excited you must be about your first open day! Great your county get-together isn’t a week day – ours is, so maybe not so good for those still working. I think the website looks a great improvement, the design, typography etc come together really well on screen.
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Definitely excited! How odd that your lunch is a week day. I haven’t looked at the website since it changed but noticed the app had changed on my phone.
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Hope you enjoy the get together. It’s always great to meet other open garden owners.
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We did indeed and I shall write a little about it later
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Would love to visit you this year Kate. Will contact you nearer to June.
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It would be great to meet you and show you the garden, Jessica🙂.
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Sorry, I will probably be in the minority, but I think it is a backward step, I think the new poster looks old fashioned compared to last years. Posters need to catch the public’s eye as they are driving along, they need to have clear large lettering giving the information which can be read without having to get out of the car, the new poster has small letters and valuable space taken up by the new gate.
We opened for 5 years with the NGS but I think this change is unnecessary.
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Thank you so much for raising these important issues, Pauline! I showed the signs and posters side by side was because I hoped people might comment on the clarity etc.. As you know from your own NGS experience, catching the eye of busy passers by is very important so things need to stand out.
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I like to be positive but…having received ours and talked to several garden owners I have yet to meet one who likes the change. I agree with Pauline about the poster, the recognised NGS logo has gone and ‘Fancy a cuppa’ could have been thought up by a child! However we of a certain age do not generally like change, I hope very much the NGS see a positive benifit.
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How interesting, Brian, I agree with many of the concerns being raised, especially regarding the stationary. Maybe there’s a divide between garden owners and garden visitors, perhaps this showed up in the market research and ‘soft’launch feedback? At least we can use our 50 old road signs this year!
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My immediate thought on seeing the poster was that the new one was poor in comparison to the old. My experience of advertising local events is you need the minimum of words, as clear as possible so that cars etc passing at who knows what speed can take in the information. The new style might be OK as a door to door flyer but never as a poster. As for the rest, I hope they did not pay too much for the new design!
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Thanks, Steve, this seems to be an issue for garden owners publicising the event, doesn’t it? (I know no more than costs were not met by funds raised from the scheme’s gardens.)
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I like the new look but agree that the poster (if it’s meant to be read by a passing car driver) isn’t clear enough. Change can be a great thing and you’ll never please everyone. Designing by committee is always a disaster, in my opinion. The proof will be in the increased visitors (hopefully!). 😊
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Thanks for your comment, Sam. We all hope that the new look encourages more people to take an interest in this wonderful scheme, garden visiting is a great pastime for old and young alike.
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Well, I love the new poster and signs! It’s amazing how much more professional and up-to-date they look to me. Although the writing is smaller in places, I think it’s got a great hierarchy there so it grabs your attention to the fact there is a garden open and allows you to easily see the detail there after, rather than it all competing for your attention at the same time. What is your role, Kate? It sounds like you are more involved than simply (as if it were simple!) opening your garden?
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I’m glad that you like the new design, Janna – that’s a good sign. I’m just an amateur garden owner with a keen interest in how gardens/garden visiting are perceived/experienced. I think anything that raises the profile of gardens is always a good thing. By the way, I liked your recent article in Thinkingardens ‘The Ultimate Visitor Experience’ 🙂, http://thinkingardens.co.uk/articles/the-ultimate-visitor-experience-by-janna-schreier/
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Wish we’d have something like that in France as it’s great in many ways but alas, nobody will ever beat you guys for garden culture and appreciation. When I think of how much money is spend on ‘rubbish’ like military budgets etc. and when it comes to supporting gardens, even botanical gardens or promote education there’s never any money. Crazy world, wrong priorities. PS: I’ve been thinking about your dog, Kate, how is he doing? x
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Your viewpoint is interesting, and, you’re right we’re very lucky to have this scheme in the UK. Poppy is full of the joys of spring, blissfully unaware of her prognosis and we’re so grateful to still have her happy and well. Animals are remarkable, aren’t they? You’re very kind to ask after her.
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yes, they are indeed, they just live the moment, something we can struggle with at times
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Well Kate this is interesting to read. I like the look of the new format but think the font is wrong for trying to catch people’s eye. I intend to visit your garden this year so you have publicised well here.
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The new website is great, I think it looks much more individual, attractive, modern and feels more user friendly. See you sometime this summer!
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Good luck with the event, Kate!
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I like the new look. I was County Organiser for 7 years and I used to dread getting everyone’ s publicity material together at this time of the year. The dining table was out of action for days.
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We are appalled at the posters we have received in Wales. Although we are English, we live in a Welsh speaking area . The posters have been produced in Welsh and English, not amalgamated into one poster. The Welsh posters are a half-hearted attempt, containing a lot of English words, which must be deeply upsetting for our wonderful Welsh people here.
I am not resistant to change but prefer it to be for the better; the design is childish and unclear; goodness knows what the cost of re-branding actually was.
As for the books – our large book started to fall apart as soon as we opened it!
It is a bit of an insult to all of us who work so hard to generate money for charities to have it squandered in this way.
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Thank you very much for taking time to comment – I’m very sorry to hear how disappointed you feel, Carole and I do share your misgivings. Personally, given the launch hype I’d really hoped that NGS garden owners would see a bit of extra television PR i.e. what happened to the potential Mary Berry link (as NGS new President and a 25 year opener herself)on Chelsea last week just days away from the celebratory NGS weekend????
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