The Garden Club May meeting has been subsumed into Open Gardens’ Day in Ovacık which takes place on Sunday, 1^st May.

For new members who haven’t been previously involved in an Open Gardens’ Day we should explain that it is a day when owners open their gardens to the public, there is an entry fee of 2TL which gets you admission to four gardens, and funds are raised which are shared between the Garden Club and, this year, Ölüdeniz Hash House Harriers.

The actual ‘ticket’ is a map showing location of gardens which are open, and maps are checked at the entrance to each garden, where they are also on sale.

Garden Club members volunteer to act as ‘gatekeepers’ and check/sell maps; to help with sale of refreshments; to donate cakes/plants which are also sold.

Refreshments are 1TL per item and there are also 1TL plants donated by members, as well as a wide range of ‘posher’ plants sold by Nil Peysaj from Göcek.

Whilst most ‘jobs’ on the day are already allocated we still need people to cover the gates on two of the gardens, and we would love to receive more donated cakes/plants.

With regard to gate-keeping, experience has shown it is better shared as a job between two people so you can take it in turns to sit at the gate (often in full sun) or float around the garden inside.

Our lead photo shows two gate-keepers at last year’s Open Gardens’ Day in Çalış.

If you would like to be a gatekeeper or make a donation please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  If necessary I can collect cakes/plants the day before the event.

If you don’t volunteer on the day you need to buy a map to visit the gardens, and they will be on sale at next Sunday’s Boot Sale in Çalış, later that day at the Ölüdeniz Hash House Harriers meeting, or you can turn up on 1^st May and buy your ticket/map at the first garden you visit.

Three of the four open gardens have hosted Club meetings in the past and are mature, interesting and colourful gardens.

Hope to see lots of you out and about in Ovacık on Sunday, 1^st May.