With record donations in 2024 the power of gardens and garden visits for good causes is evident. 2024 was another landmark year for the National Garden Scheme with the charity donating a record £3,501,227 from the 2024 garden opening season. The impact of these donations to our major nursing and health beneficiaries means that thousands of people who live with health conditions such as cancer or Parkinson’s, who have poor mental health, or who struggle financially as unpaid carers, have been supported by our funding of the nurses, health professionals and case workers who support them. Our funding has also provided support to those in the Gardens and Health sector along with Community Gardens and supported gardeners through traineeships.
Kate Harrison, NGS West Sussex Publicity Officer and Geoff Stonebanks East & Mid Sussex NGS Publicity Offer have got together to highlight some beautiful spring gardens opening throughout Sussex this April.
Every Thursday in April and Monday 21st April 10am-4pm
Gardens of 3½ acres set around 1832 Regency house (not open). The front is formally laid out with topiary, wide lawn, mixed border and contemporary water sculpture. The rear features new and mature trees from C19, herbaceous borders, water garden and stunning uninterrupted views of the North Downs. The Japanese garden with waterfall and pond leads to a large copse, stream, treehouse and stumpery.
The Garden House, Brighton
Friday 11th and Sunday 13th 1pm-5 pm
One of Brighton’s secret gardens which aims to provide year-round interest with trees, shrubs, herbaceous borders and annuals, fruit and vegetables, two glasshouses, a pond and rockery. A friendly garden, always changing with a touch of magic to delight visitors. Above all, it is a slice of the country in the midst of a bustling city. Plants for sale.
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April 2pm-5pm
Walled and other gardens surrounding C15 stone house (not open). Featuring bulbs, flowering shrubs, roses, ponds, and potager, and many unusual and rare trees and shrubs. In late spring the wisterias are spectacular. Hybrid musk roses fill the walled garden in June and in late summer the garden is filled with dahlias, sedums, late roses, sages and Japanese anemones.
Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April 1pm-4pm
Front and rear gardens broken up into garden rooms inc small kitchen garden. Front garden with small woodland area, planted with early spring flowering shrubs, ferns and bulbs. White and green garden, large leaf border and terraced area. Rear garden has rose borders, small decorative vegetable garden, red border and grasses border.
Sunday 13th April 2pm-5.30pm
Beautiful C17 moated house (not open). Gardens and woods full of bulbs and wild flowers in spring. Herbaceous border and lawns. Moat flanked by water plants. Mature trees, wild garden, ducks, and fish.
The Old Rectory Warbleton
15th and Wednesday 16th 11am-4 pm
Nestled in the High Weald AONB, The Old Rectory garden was re-imagined by renowned designer Arne Maynard. His vision blends formal elements like yew and beech topiary, a knot garden, and herbaceous borders with wild flowers and rambling roses. A stream separates the formal garden from an orchard interplanted with roses and wild flowers. Over 3000 tulips bloom in spring. Other features include a cutting garden, pond, copse, meadows, pot displays and gravel garden.
Judy’s Cottage Garden, Worthing
Friday 18th April 10.30am-3.30pm
A beautiful medium sized cottage garden with something of interest all year-round. The garden has several mature trees creating a feeling of seclusion. The informal beds contain a mixture of shrubs, perennials, cottage garden plants and spring bulbs. There are little hidden areas to enjoy, a small fish pond and other water features. There is also a pretty log cabin overlooking the garden.
Fittleworth House, Pulborough
Wednesday 23rd and 30th April 2pm-5pm
3-acre tranquil, romantic, country garden with walled kitchen garden growing a wide range of fruit, vegetables and flowers inc a large collection of dahlias. Large glasshouse and old potting shed, mixed flower borders, roses, rhododendrons and lawns. Magnificent 115ft tall cedar overlooks wisteria covered Grade II listed Georgian house (not open). Wild garden, long grass areas and stream.
Duckyls, East Grinstead
Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th 12pm-4 pm
A recently renovated 15-acre garden with wonderful views across Sussex. Consisting of a rhododendron woodland, a newly planted orchard, ponds and a more formal secret garden. Mostly laid out in the 1920s and 30s by a dedicated plant collector and orchid breeder. Delight in the blazes of spring colour to be seen. Please note this garden inc steep slopes and many climbs. Suitable footwear is required.
Kotimaki, Heathfield
Saturday 26th 10am-12pm
This is a large creatively planted garden featuring a long double border within yew hedging, rockery, shade garden, exotic garden, pot garden, wildflower meadows and a kitchen garden. There is a real emphasis on continuity of interest through imaginative mixed plantings of shrubs, climbers, perennials, bulbs, annuals and self-sowers. See a varied collection of wisterias trained as shrubs on trellis work and on a pergola.
Banks Farm, Barcombe
Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th 11am-4pm
A 9-acre garden set in rural countryside with extensive lawns and shrub beds which merge with the more naturalistic woodland garden, set around the lake. An orchard, vegetable garden, ponds and a wide variety of plant species add to an interesting and very tranquil garden.
Denmans Garden, Fontwell
Sunday 27th April 11am-4pm
Created by Joyce Robinson, a horticulturalist and pioneer in gravel gardening and former home of influential landscape designer, John Brookes MBE. Denmans is a Grade II registered post-war garden renowned for its curvilinear layout and complex plantings. Year-round colour, unusual plants, structure and fragrance in the gravel gardens, faux riverbeds, intimate walled garden, ponds and conservatory.
Manor of Dean, Tillington
Sunday 27th April 2pm-5pm
Approx 3 acres of traditional English garden with extensive views of the South Downs. Herbaceous borders, early spring bulbs, bluebell woodland walk, walled kitchen garden with fruit, vegetables and cutting flowers. NB under long term programme of restoration, some parts of the garden may be affected.
To find out more about the gardens and book a visit, learn more about the National Garden Scheme or find out how to open your own garden, visit ngs.org.uk
Click on this link to look at the interactive