Open Your Garden for Good with Scotland’s Gardens Scheme
Scotland's Gardens Scheme invites gardeners across Scotland to open their gardens for charity, where every visit gives back.
Images - Clockwise from top left; Helen Cross, Glasgow; Libby Webb, Edinburgh; Patty Kewney, Ayrshire; Colin Crosbie, Dumfriesshire
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme (SGS) is encouraging individuals, community groups, and entire villages or neighbourhoods to open their garden gates in 2027 and raise money for a charity or good cause close to their heart.
Launching its nationwide “Open for Good” campaign, SGS is encouraging anyone with a passion for plants—whether a seasoned horticulturist or an enthusiastic amateur—to get involved by opening their garden to the public for one or more days or joining forces with neighbours to create a garden trail in your village, street or local area.
“Your garden can do good,” says SGS Chief Executive Stewart. “It doesn’t need to be pristine or perfect, but it does have to be loved — every garden has a story, and by sharing yours, you can raise vital funds for charities and good causes across Scotland.”
Each year, hundreds of private gardens take part in the SGS programme, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities including private gardens of all shapes, sizes and style, as well as community and charity gardens. In 2025 alone, gardens across Scotland raised over £315,500 for charities and good causes. 60% of funds raised through SGS may go to a charity nominated by the garden opener, with the remaining 40% going to SGS charity and core charities, Perennial, Maggie’s and the Queen’s Nurses.
Alongside inviting individual garden owners to join in, the charity also welcomes towns, villages and neighbourhoods to get involved, with toolkits and support available for groups who want to organise a local “Open Gardens Day”.
The benefits of taking part:
Share the garden you love and inspire others
Raise money for charities and good causes you care about
Celebrate their local community and environment
Meet like-minded people and be part of a friendly national network of open garden hosts, generous gardeners and volunteers
Covered by Scotland’s Gardens Scheme insurance for garden openers
Your own listing in the famous SGS Yellow Book guide to gardens open for charity, national leaflet and website
Advice and support from our network of volunteers around Scotland
Signage, posters and materials for your open day
Opportunities to meet other garden openers at SGS special events
STORIES FROM THE GARDEN
Pattie Kewney
Pattie had previously opened her previous garden through Scotland’s Gardens Scheme but when she moved house, was keen to repeat the experience by opening her new Ayrshire garden, a tranquil and secluded suburban garden created in 2024.
“One of the nicest things about opening the garden was meeting my new neighbours for the first time, as they popped in to find out what was going on!”
Andy & Kim Leonard
An award-winning, hidden gem of a garden in Aberdeenshire, opening with SGS for nine years.
“Opening our garden has been great - it’s a fun team effort, you meet lovely people, many with helpful comments and ideas, you raise money for good causes and you get to talk about something you cherish to an audience that wants to hear!”
Colin & Pamela Crosbie
Rural garden outside Dumfries, owned by a passionate plantsman with lots of unusual plantings. Seasoned openers, having opened since 2018.
“One of the reasons I love opening our garden for SGS is how it benefits charities and it’s so important to understand that it’s not just the charities that Scotland’s Gardens Scheme supports but every garden owner can choose their own charity. This year we are supporting the Loch Arthur Community,” says Colin.
”When you’ve spent all those hours working in your garden, you want to share it wit people, and I love sharing my garden. And if by doing that and having people coming in and enjoying it, it helps to raise money for charity, it’s just a wonderful win-win situation. You hear the hubbub of people asking questions about your garden and I just love it. Opening your garden to help other people - what could be better!”
Libby Webb, (@docleaves on Instagram) small, urban walled garden in Edinburgh, opened for the first time in 2025 and chose to support CHAS and The Woodland Trust Scotland.
“There is something uniquely wonderful about sharing your garden with others. I opened my little city garden for the first time this year with the brilliant and supportive Scotland’s Gardens Scheme and was thrilled to share the joy of gardening with so many knowledgeable and interested people while raising much-needed funds for amazing charities,” says Libby.
“It’s a total win-win, if you love your garden, I highly recommend that you open it, as others will love it too. Take the plunge, you’ll thank yourself.”
Helen Cross, (@grow_cook_inspire on Instagram), Scottish journalist, author and presenter. Small urban family garden in the south side of Glasgow; oepened for the first time in 2025 and chose to support SAMH and a local primary school garden project.
”Gardens can be used as a force for so much good and Scotland’s Gardens Scheme allows people to come together for so many good causes, raising vital funds for charities,” says Helen.
“Gardening has proven to be a transformational tool for me personally, helping to lever me out of some pretty dark episodes due to poor mental health for the last 20 years. For that reason, I have chosen the mental health charity SAMH as my chosen charity. Gardens, like people, come in all different shapes and sizes and that is what makes each one so special. To bring people together through gardening is really special and can do so much good and spread so much joy and hope.”
OPENING AS A GROUP OR VILLAGE
Village in rural East Lothian, the bi-annual Open Gardens Day with nine neighbourhood gardens participating, raising over £4,500, supporting SGS charities and the local horticultural society.
“It brought the whole village together,” says organiser Roger Wilson, President of Gifford Horticultural Society. “We had visitors from all over the region and far beyond. People loved seeing what was behind the garden gates and enjoying the different styles that village gardens can offer. The funds raised will enable us to support a variety of good causes and projects in the village through the year, such as supporting our annual village show.”
Read about another successful garden opening - Duns Village Open Gardens here
Whether it’s a courtyard in the city, a community allotment, a wildlife garden or walled garden, or a country estate, SGS believes every garden can offer something unique and has a story to tell. And if you haven’t got a garden to open but would still like to get involved, there are lots of volunteering opportunities!
GET INVOLVED WITH SCOTLAND’S GARDENS SCHEME - FIND OUT MORE & REGISTER YOUR INTEREST THROUGH THE LINKS BELOW:
