Calling new gardens for 2025!
Hear from one of our village openers at Auchtermuchty Open Gardens, Toril Imrie, on why her local community chose to make opening their gardens a yearly event!
Love your garden? Someone else will too! Open your garden for charity with Scotland’s Gardens Scheme and share your passion for your garden with others.
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme has been raising money for charity for nearly a century, and now you are invited to become a part of that long-standing tradition! Open your garden for charity and join an amazing network of gardens, great and small, opening around Scotland.
Each year, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme invites new gardens to take part and is now seeking gardens to join in for 2025. By opening your garden, every admission ticket, plant, cup of tea or baked good sold will go towards supporting charitable causes. You choose where the proceeds go - up to 60% can go to a charity of your choice, with the remainder returning to support Scotland’s Gardens Scheme charity and its core charities. Opening your garden is a wonderful way to give back to your community and help fund the projects that matter to you!
This past year alone, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme opened over 500 private gardens to a crowd of around 77,000 visitors, helping the charity raise £230,000 for 242 chosen causes. This year, over 50 new gardens were unveiled in 19 Districts. Your garden could also be featured under the “New Gardens” listing in the Scheme’s iconic Yellow Book – join now and see what all the buzz is about!

Gardens of all shapes and sizes are welcome, from country estates and courtly homes to cottage gardens, urban oases, community gardens and allotments. School and sustainable gardens are also popular among visitors. Another great idea is to join in with friends and neighbours to create a group or village opening. The more, the merrier - get together and open as a group!
How you can make an impact
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme’s mission is to raise funds for charity by encouraging, promoting and supporting garden openings whilst making the whole experience inspiring, rewarding and enjoyable for all. The charity also aims to share good gardening practices, support volunteering and raise awareness of charitable impact.
Among other causes supported, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme has recently launched the Cattanach Bursary fund to support horticulturists in Scotland, helping them to grow their gardening careers. In addition, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme works to raise awareness of the good-gardening practices and knowledge of its garden owners, sharing stories on planting, propagation, wildlife-friendly gardening to help maintain the beauty and harmony of nature for years to come.
By opening your garden, you will be promoting efforts to make our world a greener and healthier place, furthering the work of hundreds of charities, supporting the Scheme’s three core beneficiaries and sponsoring a dedicated network of volunteers and gardeners across Scotland. Above all, you will share your love of gardening with other garden-lovers, meet new people and raise funds for charity, all at the same time.
The support you’ll receive
Gardens are promoted in Scotland’s Gardens Scheme’s famous yellow Guidebook, on its website and nationally distributed leaflet, in social media and weekly e-news, as well as with posters and in the press, all with advice and support from a wonderful team of local volunteers and Head Office staff.
If your garden has quality and character, consider opening with Scotland’s Gardens Scheme. Registering your garden with the Scheme costs nothing, brings people together and leaves a lasting impact! Gardens may open as a one-off event, as a series of openings, as part of a group or even by arrangement. Moreover, open days are covered by the Scheme’s Public Liability insurance.
For inclusion in our 2025 guidebook, please get in touch before the middle of September 2024. More details are available on the Scotland’s Gardens Scheme website via the link below. Alternatively, you may email info@scotlandsgardens.org or call 0131 226 3714 for an informal discussion regarding garden opening.
Find out how to open your garden here
Check out garden highlights on our social media
Twitter: @ScotGardens
Instagram: @ScotlandGardenScheme
Facebook: @ScotlandsGardens
YouTube: @ScotlandGardenScheme