IF YOU'RE in the mood for garden visiting this weekend, then you're in for a real treat. Firstly Diane Hewitt and David Kinsman are opening their garden at Windy Hall in support of the Royal Horticultural Society's Bicentenary Glasshouse Appeal, and secondly the village of Crosthwaite has no fewer than 16 of its best gardens open in aid of the church organ fund.

The fellside garden at Windy Hall seems much larger than its four acres, consisting of a series of discrete areas, each with its own particular style of planting. Faced with thin, acidic soils and strong winds, conditions that most of us might have given up on, Diane and David have used the varying soils and microclimates to create homes for woodland plants, alpines, bog garden plants, trees, shrubs and wildflowers. There is a productive kitchen garden, a quarry garden, a waterfowl garden and a formal area in front of the house appropriately named the Best Garden.

When I visited Windy Hall last week the gardens were looking wonderful, packed full of unusual and interesting trees and shrubs, underplanted with a profusion of herbaceous plants. For anyone struggling with a similarly exposed site there is a wealth of knowledge and ideas to be gleaned here.

Sturdy shrubs like yew, camellia and azalea create shelter for more fragile specimens - common plants like comfrey and London pride are used just as often as the rare or unusual, and to great effect. Thick planting cuts down on weeding while the problem of thin soil is solved in some parts by simply removing it and exposing dramatic areas of rock. There are stunning vistas over Windermere to the fells beyond, together with plenty of opportunities to sit and enjoy both the garden and the view.

In contrast, the gardens of Crosthwaite have either a riverside setting or look out over the Lyth Valley. Each of the 16 has its own character, some are well established while others are still under development'. There are cottage-style borders, pond plants, vegetable plots, free-range hens, plants for sale and refreshments available.

To my mind, one of the best bits about garden visiting is the opportunity it provides to talk to the garden owners. Take some time out from your own gardening to pick up ideas and see how others have dealt with their horticultural problems. Whether you prefer to help restore the church organ or fund a new glasshouse, enjoy your garden visiting.

Windy Hall is open on Sunday, May 29, from 2pm. It is off the Crook road one mile from Bowness.

The gardens of Crosthwaite, six miles west of Kendal, are open on Sunday and Monday, May 29 and 30, from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

Jobs for this week: _ Plant out summer bedding if there are no frosts forecast. Put out hanging baskets, pots and tubs from this week onwards.

_ Clip box hedges.

_ Sow runner beans, sweet corn and courgettes in the vegetable patch.