RHS curator given garden opening honour

17:25 4th August 2010

The curator of the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) Garden Harlow Carr has spoken of her delight at being asked to officially open an historic attraction.

Elizabeth Balmforth was invited to perform the grand opening of Yorkshire's Goldsborough Hall garden attraction.

The site has been closed to the public for eight decades, but opened its gates for a single afternoon on July 25th.

In just five hours, the attraction had welcomed more than 2,700 visitors and made £10,000 for charity, with the cash going towards Macmillan Nurses and Marie Curie Cancer.

Ms Balmforth noted how the current owners Mark and Clare Oglesby had created a horticultural legacy that will help generations of garden and greenhouse enthusiasts in future.

"Clare has a real passion for gardening and has embraced the challenge of breathing new life into the grounds, which have seen so many changes since Princess Mary lived at the hall," she told the RHS.

In other news, the RHS recently reported that the Garden Museum in London is seeking a second intern after last year's venture was deemed a success.