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Visiting National Garden Scheme Gardens is an affordable and thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an afternoon or morning. In many of the gardens you can chat to the garden owners, enjoy a home-made tea and in some you can buy plants.

Beautiful West Sussex National Garden Scheme Gardens to visit this August.

The Old Vicarage, Washington

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. Opens every Thursday in August (pre-booking essential) and on Monday 28th August.

Whitehanger, Haslemere

Set in 6 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park surrounded by NT woodland, this rural garden was started in 2012 when a new Huf house was built on a derelict site. Opens Sunday 6th and Sunday 27th August, pre-booking essential.

Peelers Retreat, Arundel

This inspirational space is a delight, with plenty of areas to sit and relax, enjoying delicious teas. Interlocking beds packed with year-round colour and scent, shaded by specimen trees, inventive water feature and rill, raised fish pond and a working Victorian fireplace. Opens Tuesday 8th, Saturday 12th and Tuesday 22nd August.

Fittleworth House, Pulborough

3 acre tranquil, romantic, country garden, walled kitchen garden growing a wide range of fruit, vegetables and flowers inc a large collection of dahlias. Opens Wednesday 9th August.

Champs Hill, Pulborough

A natural landscape, the garden has been developed around three disused sand quarries with far-reaching views across the Amberley Wildbrooks to the South Downs. A woodland walk in spring leads you past beautiful sculptures, against a backdrop of colourful rhododendrons and azaleas. Opens Sunday 13th August.

Colwood House, Warninglid

12 acres of garden with mature and specimen trees from the late 1800s, lawns and woodland edge. Formal parterre, rose and herb gardens. 100ft terrace and herbaceous border overlooking flower rimmed croquet lawn. Opens 13th August.

54 Elmleigh, Midhurst

⅕ acre property with terraced front garden, leading to a heavily planted rear garden with majestic 120 yr old black pines. Shrubs, perennials, packed with interest around every corner, providing all season colours. Opens Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August.

The Folly, Chichester

Colourful cottage garden surrounding a C16 period house (not open), set in pretty downland village of Charlton, close to Levin Down Nature Reserve. Herbaceous borders well-stocked with a wide range of plants. Opens Sunday 20th August.

Durrance Manor, Shipley

This 2 acre garden surrounding a medieval hall house (not open) with Horsham stone roof, enjoys uninterrupted views over a ha-ha of the South Downs and Chanctonbury Ring. There are many different gardens here, Japanese inspired gardens, a large pond, wildflower meadow and orchard, colourful long borders and vegetable garden. Opens Monday 28th August.

The National Garden Scheme was founded in 1927 by The Queen’s Nursing Institute to raise money for district nurses. Ever since then it has given annual donations to nursing and health charities totalling over £67 million. It gives visitors unique, affordable access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands and raises impressive amounts through admission charges and the sale of tea and cake. Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors we are now the most significant charitable funder of nursing in the UK. As well as the Queen’s Nursing Institute, our beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and Parkinson’s UK.

The National Garden Scheme doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity – we are passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens too. We fund projects which promote gardens and gardening as therapy, and in 2016 commissioned The Kings Fund Report Gardens and Health Our Gardens and Coronavirus 2020: The importance of gardens and outdoor spaces during lockdown report was published in September 2020.To date we have given out grants to almost 200 projects, with the total amount donated just shy of £400,000. The Hidden Garden received a grant in 2020.

For other West Sussex gardens opening for the National Garden Scheme over the coming months click on the following links

https://ngs.org.uk/west-sussex-gardens-in-september/

https://ngs.org.uk/west-sussex-october-gardens/

https://ngs.org.uk/west-sussex-by-arrangement-gardens/