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Open Your Garden For Charity!
Join a long tradition of supporting charity by sharing your garden with others. Garden Openers throughout Scotland have raised over £1 million for charity over the last five years by sharing their beloved gardens, raising funds through entrance fees, refreshments and plant sales. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to meet many people who share your passion for gardening and the opportunity to inspire others.
We’re looking for all types of gardens of horticultural interest; large and small gardens, community gardens, allotments, kitchen gardens and seasonal interest such as snowdrops and autumn colour. You might also consider opening as a village or even as a group of local gardens.
We’d love to hear from you!
If you would like to know more about opening your garden please contact us with your name and address, as well as a short description of your garden. Email info@scotlandsgardens.org or call 0131 226 3714. Once we receive your details we will arrange for a local Organiser to contact you to discuss further arrangements and schedule a visit.
The Support You’ll Receive
You will benefit from our many years of experience in opening gardens and receive our promotional support which includes:
Listed in our Guidebook (10,000 copies distributed each year) as well as on our website.
Listed in our District and Regional free flyers and calendars.
Posters for your opening, available in a variety of sizes
Various road signage (arrows and banners) to advertise your opening day
Useful signage and materials to support the actual opening
Social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Press releases and editorial opportunities
We welcome gardens of horticultural interest regardless of their size. We support Openers with regularly updated guidance.
What our Garden Openers say?
Excerpts from the article by Penny Orpwood, Garden Opener at Middle Cairncake for 'SAFAS Floral Roundabout summer 2021
‘For the last eight years Nick and I have opened our garden to visitors through Scotland’s Gardens Scheme (SGS).’
‘Over the years we have given all money raised to SGS charities and our chosen one - Parkinson’s UK. Our homemade teas are usually run by a local group raising much needed funds for local causes: one year it bought a special chair for the Radiotherapy Department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.’
‘The first year we opened the garden was truly nerve-wracking! Would anyone come?’
‘Opening the garden has become less frightening over the years and we really enjoy meeting visitors and talking with them. I have many happy memories of visitors and I appreciate the enjoyment the garden gives to people. And, of course, the visit is rounded off with a homemade afternoon tea in the wintergarden. I am grateful for those friends who bring homebakes or set the tables or make sandwiches with the homegrown cucumbers or who star at washing up.’
