How National Garden Scheme open gardens will benefit your hospice

The event provides a non-intimidating way for people to visit the hospice, helping to dispel myths and change perceptions around end of life care.

A National Garden Scheme open garden attracts new visitors, including those who may not have previously considered paying a visit to a hospice.

St Cuthbert's Hospice, who have been holding their open garden since 2016, say that their event is well-loved locally and helps them build stronger community ties.

While entry fees go to the National Garden Scheme (to be distributed among its beneficiary charities, including Hospice UK), all other income from your event, such as café revenue, plant sales, stalls, lotteries and raffles is retained by the hospice.

Some hospices will be able to really think big about diversifying income streams for the open garden. This might include plant sales, selling homemade cakes, homemade jams, honey, apple juice, and fresh produce from the veg garden.

Because they bring new visitors, and other members of your community, through the doors of the hospice, it's a brilliant opportunity to sign up new lottery players and donors, creating long-term support.

Local businesses are often happy to donate plants or supplies, which is not only helpful strengthening partnerships, but could help you sell more goods on the day.

Gardeners and other volunteers at the hospice get the chance to showcase their work and feel valued. It's a perfect opportunity for them to chat to visitors to your open garden and tell them about what goes into making a hospice garden a place of beauty, peace and compassion.

St Cuthbert's say that holding an open garden event attracts new volunteers, helping to grow the hospice’s support base - so make sure that you have someone to help recruit new members.

Hospices taking part in a National Garden Scheme open gardens benefit from inclusion in their 'Gardens to Visit' handbook, sold nationally and distributed to over 30,000 people each year - along with a listing in the 'Find a garden' interactive map.

Local radio may also be keen to offer you coverage, especially if they have any garden-related shows on air.

For St Cuthbert's, their National Garden Scheme open garden has become a highlight of the hospice’s annual calendar, growing in popularity each year.

Many hospices already open their gardens, either for a local or regional scheme, or on their own steam. But for Jocelyn, Head Gardener at St Joseph's Hospice, being part of the National Garden Scheme offers a sense of national reach and prestige:

“Everyone’s heard of the ‘Little Yellow Book’, and that places you in front of so many more people nationally than you’d get with a local open gardens. My local friends – especially the ones who love gardens – all knew what it was as soon as I mentioned the National Garden Scheme. 

“What I love is that this is a national scheme, and covers everyone. So you’re getting listed alongside not just other gardens in your area, but thousands of gardens around the country. If you look through the book, there are other hospices in there too."