Pictured, The Old Rectory, Cottered open in September
The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,300 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, and raises impressive amounts of money for some of the UK’s best-loved nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.
Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors, they have donated more than £74 million to their beneficiary charities, and in 2024 made donations of over £3.5 million. Founded in 1927 to support district nurses, they are now the most significant charitable funder of nursing in the UK and their beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Parkinson’ UK, Carers Trust and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
The National Garden Scheme doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity – they are passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens too, funding Community Gardens and projects that promote gardens and gardening as therapy. In 2017, they launched their annual Gardens and Health Week to raise awareness of the topic in May each year. Their funding also supports the training of gardeners and offers respite to horticultural workers who have fallen on difficult times.
Visits to National Garden Scheme gardens have always represented good value for money. The average admission price in 2025 to a National Garden Scheme garden is £6.13 for an adult and, in most cases, children under 16 go free.
“From the first opening in 1927, when admission was a shilling a head, the National Garden Scheme has always endeavoured to provide affordable access to gardens for all,” says Chief Executive, George Plumptre. Many gardens also have plants and produce for sale at prices below the usual nursery price and homemade cakes and teas also offer excellent value for money.
The complete Garden Visitor’s Handbook, and the full list of gardens, is on the NGS website: www.ngs.org.uk
We are lucky enough to have many gardens local to us that are open for the season.
These include Alswick Hall, Brent Pelham Hall, Benington Lordship, Great Becketts, near Saffron Walden and The Old Rectory, Cottered.
NGS Gardens local to you are listed in our Events Calendar at https://bit.ly/LCMBuntingfordEventsCalendar
