Open for Good - Scotland's Gardens Scheme calls for a nation of Garden Givers!
SGS encourages gardeners and garden lovers across Scotland to open their garden gates and volunteer for charity
Open for Good! Find out how to join in here
Picture shows: Gardeners opening for good in 2025; from top left: clockwise Helen Cross; Broadwoodside in Gifford; Port Ann in Argyll; Colin Crosbie; and Libby Webb.
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme (SGS) is calling on individuals, community groups, and entire villages or neighbourhoods to throw open their garden gates in 2026 and raise money for good causes.
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 well loved and cared for — 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, with gardens of all shapes, sizes and styles, as well as community and charity gardens, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities. In 2024 alone, gardens across Scotland raised over £290,000 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.
And as well as 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 in Scotland’s Gardens Scheme:
Share the garden you love and inspire others
Raise money for charities and good causes you care about
Celebrate your local community and environment
Meet like-minded people and be part of a friendly national network of open garden hosts, generous gardeners, garden-loving visitors and volunteers
Your opening covered by SGS insurance for garden openers
Your own listing in the famous SGS Yellow Book guide to gardens open for charity, national leaflet and website, as well as our social media and regular e-newsletter
Advice and support from our network of volunteers around Scotland
Signage, posters and materials for your open day.
STORIES FROM THE GARDEN
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.”
Chris and Anne Buckland, Lochgilphead, Argyll; opened for the first time in 2025
A tiered garden of half and acre, situated between a loch and a pine forest in Argyll; includes a wheelchair-accessible area for Chris, the owner, at the top level of the garden with a viewing platform to the garden and loch beyond.
Chris said after his openings: “To all of you, thank you so much for your support and help to us newbies in the Scotland’s Gardens Scheme. My wife and I were thrilled to be invovled and we met so many lovely, interesting people. A shame that storm Floris ruined our final day but I guess only in Scotland could you get a full-blown storm in August! We would love to take part next year and the whole event has inspired us to keep adding to the garden, so hopefully more things to see next year.”
OPENING AS A GROUP OR VILLAGE
Gifford Village in rural East Lothian, the bi-annual Open Gardens Day with 9 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 too and we’d love to hear from you!
GET INVOLVED WITH SCOTLAND’S GARDENS SCHEME - FIND OUT MORE & REGISTER YOUR INTEREST THROUGH THE LINKS BELOW:
