Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors we’ve donated over £77.8 million to leading nursing and health charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Parkinson’s UK, Carers Trust and The Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing. In 2025 alone, we made a record donation of almost £3.9 million.
We’re only able to donate these life‑changing amounts thanks to the wonderful gardens that open their gates to visitors each year. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for beautiful new spaces to share!
Whether you’re part of a group of small gardens or opening on your own, we’d love to hear from you. Rolling acres, cosy cottage borders, wildlife-friendly havens, or even a thriving community allotment—every garden has its own charm and each one offers visitors a unique, personal experience.
“Our open days are a community event, widely appreciated in many ways and by many people.” – Garden owner
You can help…
One of the most rewarding ways you can support the National Garden Scheme is by opening your much loved garden to visitors. It might feel a little daunting at first, but if you’re passionate about your outdoor space—and friends are always telling you how lovely it is—chances are others will feel the same way too.
By opening your garden, you’re giving people a wonderful day out while helping to raise vital funds that genuinely change lives. You’ll also become part of a welcoming community of fellow garden owners and volunteers who share your love of beautiful spaces. When you join us, your garden will be featured in our prestigious yellow Garden Visitor’s Handbook and on our website. Plus, our county volunteer teams are always on hand to offer friendly support.
So, whether your garden is big or small, packed with character, full of charm, or simply a reflection of the care you’ve poured into it—we’d love to hear from you and arrange a visit. Your garden could be the next to inspire visitors and make a real difference.
You can email [email protected], call us on 01483 211535, or contact Maggi Hooper – NGS W. Sussex County Organiser 07793 159304who will be able to answer your questions.
Alternatively visit some of our lovely gardens this July and chat to our wonderful garden owners.
The Old Vicarage
The Street, Washington, RH20 4AS.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/21793/the-old-vicarage
Every Thur to 1 Oct (10-4). Adm £10, chd free. Pre-booking essential, please visit www.ngs. org.uk for information & booking. Self service light refreshments on Thurs (cash only) & picnics welcome.
Mon 31 Aug (10-5). Adm £10, chd free. Home-made teas. Purchase ticket in advance or at the gate on the day.
A truly creative garden, nurtured over 35 yrs to become
a visitor favourite. Spanning 31⁄2 acres, it features formal topiary, seasonal borders, a contemporary water sculpture, an Italianate gazebo, specimen and mature trees, a Japanese garden with waterfall and tea house, a large copse with a stream, a stumpery and treehouse, and a kitchen garden with fruit trees. With 4000 tulips and bulbs planted annually, the garden also opens in Feb for snowdrops. WC available. Featured in RHS The Garden magazine, March 2025. Regional Finalist, The English Garden’s The Nation’s Favourite Gardens 2021. Wheelchair access to front garden; rear garden is on a slope.
Apuldram Roses
Crouchers Farm, Birdham Road, Chichester, PO20 7EQ.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/47429/apuldram-roses
Fri 3 July (2-3.30). Adm £12.50. Pre-booking essential, please visit www.ngs.org.uk for information & booking. Tea, coffee & cake.
Spend a delightful afternoon listening to an informative talk on keeping your roses thriving. You will then have time to explore the rose garden, a summer paradise, especially from June to August when the roses are in full bloom. The garden transforms into a vibrant display of colours and fragrances during these months. The roses, meticulously cared for, showcase a stunning array of varieties, each
Old Well Cottage
High Street, Angmering, Littlehampton, BN16 4AG.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/42976/old-well-cottage
Sun 5 July (11-4). Adm £5, chd free. Tea, coffee & cake.
A 1⁄3 acre walled garden surrounding a C16–C18 cottage (not open) in Angmering Conservation Area. Formalareas, perennial borders and topiary create structure, with splendid holm oak and bay, espalier apple trees and a small kitchen garden. Rich in purples, whites and pinks, this is a harmonious mix of formality, productivity and seasonal colour.
Lynwood
Holland Road, Steyning, BN44 3GJ.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/47227/lynwood
Sun 5, Fri 10 July (1-5). Combined
adm with Saffrons £8, chd free. Tea, coffee & cake at Saffrons.
Medium sized garden with three distinct areas around an Edwardian house. Recently replanted, the garden features colour-themed mixed borders of perennials and annuals, inc flowers for cutting, eating, and scent. Two lawned areas and two pot-filled patios, plus a cedarwood greenhouse where many of the plants are raised from seed. Wheelchair access.
Saffrons
Holland Road, Steyning, BN44 3GJ.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/21653/saffrons
Sun 5, Fri 10 July (1-5). Combined adm with Lynwood £8, chd free. Home- made teas.
Planted with an artist’s eye for contrast and complementary colours. Vibrant late summer flower beds filled with salvias, eryngiums, agapanthus, grasses, and lilies that attract bees and butterflies. A broad lawn is surrounded by borders containing maples, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and mature trees, interspersed with ferns and grasses. The large fruit cage and vegetable beds comprise the productive area of the garden. Level garden with good access, except in very wet conditions.
Peelers Retreat
70 Ford Road, Arundel, BN18 9EX.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/23227/peelers-retreat
Tue 7, Sat 11, Tue 21 July (2-5). Adm £5, chd free. Home- made teas. Refreshments in aid of Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice.
This inspirational space is a delight with permanent gazebos and comfortable seating to sit and relax, enjoying delicious teas. When cold we light the fire for our guests. Interlocking beds packed with year-round colour and scent, shaded
by specimen trees, inventive water features and a range of quirky woodland sculptures.
Sullington Old Rectory
Sullington Lane, Storrington, Pulborough, RH20 4AE.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/33990/sullington-old-rectory
Tue 7, Wed 8 July (9.30-5). Adm £12, chd free. Pre- booking essential, please visit www.ngs.org.uk for information & booking. Home-made teas. Two hour timed slots at 9.30am,12pm & 2.30pm.
With a backdrop of stunning views of the South Downs, the naturalistic style of this beautiful country garden sits perfectly into the surrounding landscape. This rarely opened garden inc a potager, orchard, herb garden, mature trees and shrubs, a South African themed border, newly extended large perennial borders, a profusion of grasses, and experimental planting in the moist meadows. A range of home-made cakes, biscuits and light snacks, along with fresh coffee,
a variety of teas, and home-made apple juice. The Head Gardener will be available for any Q&As. Wheelchair access to most areas.
Five Oaks Cottage
Petworth, RH20 1HD.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/14137/five-oaks-cottage
Fri 17, Sat 18 July (2- 4.30). Adm £7, chd free. Pre-booking essential, please visit www.ngs.org.uk for information & booking. Home-made teas (cash only).
An acre of delicate jungle surrounds an Arts and Crafts style cottage (not open), with stunning views of the South Downs. Our unconventional garden is designed to encourage maximum wildlife, featuring a knapweed and hogweed meadow on clay that attracts clouds of butterflies, along with two small ponds and plenty of seating. An award-winning, organic garden with a magical atmosphere.
53 Cedar Drive
Chichester, PO19 3EH.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/48728/53-cedar-drive
Sat 25, Sun 26 Apr, Sat 18, Sun 19 July (10.30-5). Combined adm with 25 Parklands Road £7, chd free. Tea, coffee & cake.
This garden behind a 1937 semi plays host to a venerable Bramley. Other trees, such as Tibetan birch and Photinia‘Red Robin’, were chosen for their colour, which is carried through the seasons by tulips, Geum, Alstroemeria, dahlias, cannas, roses, and penstemon. Cotinus and Heuchera enrich the palette. Hard landscaping and a potting shed, added in 2022, helped to pull the plant collection into a cohesive
51 Carlisle Road design.
25 Parklands Road
Chichester, PO19 3DX.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/48595/25_parklands_road
Sat 25, Sun 26 Apr, Sat 18, Sun 19 July (10.30-5). Combined adm with 53 Cedar Drive £7, chd free. Tea, coffee & cake. Visits also by arrangement 18 Apr to 7 July for groups of up to 6. Developed from rough grass in 2020, this exuberant gravel garden was created by its artist owner. Contrasting foliage, less common plants, and effervescent flowers linger long. Many plants self-seed, increasing a natural look.
This west facing town garden is loosely divided into three sections, with a fine greenhouse housing fascinating cacti and succulents.
D & S Haus
41 Torton Hill Road, Arundel, BN18 9HF.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/36964/d-s-haus
Sat 18, Sun 19 July (12-5). Home-made teas. Evening opening Thur 20 Aug (7-10). Light refreshments. Adm £7, chd free. Refreshments in aid of Keep Me Breathing.
A lush rainforest/jungle garden, which we have planted from scratch over the past 12 yrs. Both front and rear gardens contain a mass of palms, bananas, bamboos, and all manner of spiky, luxuriant foliage. Normal rules are not followed! Surreal sculptures and new features to delight. A visitor commented: ‘It is more spectacular than I have ever seen with the National Garden Scheme’. Tropical planting with lots of unusual plants, quirky sculptures and features.
THE Aviary Gardens
111 Aldwick Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 2NY.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/48596/the-aviary-garden
Sun 19, Tue 21 July (10-4). Adm £6, chd free. Pre- booking essential, please visit www.ngs.org.uk for information & booking. Tea, coffee, cake & cream teas. Refreshments in aid of St Wilfred’s Hospice & Chichester Stroke Club. Visits also by arrangement 1 June to 24 July for groups of 10 to 20. A south facing garden, just 300 metres from the sea. An exotic garden giving a tropical, jungle feel. Gravel paths with stepping stones are interspersed with planting to soften the journey. Large leaved plants, statues, seating, a 12ft giraffe, an Indonesian elephant, and a well-stocked aviary are amongst the surprises that await as you amble through the garden.
4 Hillside Cottages
Downs Road, West Stoke, Chichester, PO18 9BL.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/16613/4-hillside-cottages
Sun 19 July, Sun 16 Aug (2-5). Adm £5, chd free. Home-made teas. Refreshments in aid of St Wilfrid’s Hospice.
In a rural setting, this stunning garden is densely planted with mixed borders and shrubs. It features a large collection of roses, clematis, fuchsias, and dahlias, creating a profusion of colour and scent in a well maintained garden.
Fittleworth House
Bedham Lane, Fittleworth, Pulborough, RH20 1JH.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/14546/fittleworth-house
Every Wed 22 July to 5 Aug (2-5). Adm £6, chd free. Home-made teas. Refreshments in aid of Cruse Bereavement Support. Visits also by arrangement 23 Apr to 6 Aug for groups of 5 to 40. Parking for a coach available.
A tranquil, romantic 3 acre country garden with a redesigned walled kitchen garden growing fruit, vegetables, and flowers, inc a large collection of dahlias. A large glasshouse, an old potting shed, mixed flower borders, roses, rhododendrons, and lawns. A magnificent cedar tree overlooks the wisteria- covered, Grade II listed Georgian house (not open). A wild garden with long grass and a 70 metre naturalised stream with ferns and hydrangeas. Featured in The English Garden (Dec 2024) and Gardens Illustrated (April 2025) magazines. The garden sits on a gentle slope but is mostly accessible for wheelchairs and buggies.
The Folly
Charlton, Chichester, PO18 0HU.
Sun 26 July, Sun 23 Aug (2-4.30). Adm £6, chd free. Home- made teas.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/33229/the-folly
Colourful cottage garden surrounding a C16 period house (not open), set in the pretty downland village of Charlton, close to Levin Down Nature Reserve. Herbaceous borders are well-stocked with a wide range of plants. A variety of perennials, grasses, annuals, and shrubs provide a long season of colour and interest. The garden also features an old well, busy bees, and an art studio open to visitors. Partial wheelchair access with steps from patio to lawn. Visitors with mobility issues can be dropped off at the gate.
Architectural Plants
Stane Street, North Heath, Pulborough, RH20 1DJ.
https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/47186/architectural-plants
Sun 26 July (10-4). Adm £15, chd free. Tea, coffee & cake. Guided tours on the hour.
Architectural Plants is home to an ensemble of captivating garden spaces designed to inspire you. Explore the Mediterranean lake garden and surrounding bankside
walk tended by Head Gardener Colin and his apprentices. Italian cypress, olives, pines, hardy palms, spiky plants, and bamboo grove. The guided tour inc the large Acer house, the greenhouse of exciting and rare exotics, and a specialist Niwaki Production Zone. Prepare to enter exotica. The best cake in Sussex, so we hear. Hourly horticultural tours and some clipping demonstrations. Wheelchair access to the garden and lake view via grass lawns, and the plant nursery spans over a flat site.
Image: Saffrons, Steyning
