The charity has announced garden open day across the county as new research confirms the important health benefits that visiting a garden can provide.
They raise funds for MacMillan and Marie Curie Nurses donating over £3.4M last year alone.
“The National Garden Scheme has been championing the health benefits of garden visits since it first opened 609 garden gates in 1927. Now opening over 3,500 gardens a year they continue to advocate the improvement to wellbeing that a visit to a garden can generate. In 2016, we commissioned the King’s Fund to produce a report on the topic and began an annual funding programme to support gardens and health-related projects run by charities. A year later we launched our annual Gardens & Health programme to continue raising awareness of the impact gardens and gardening can have on everyone’s physical and mental health.
This latest report builds on that work and illustrates what many gardeners and garden visitors know, that being in a garden really is good for you,” says National Garden Scheme chief executive, George Plumptre.
“Visits to our snowdrop and spring flower gardens are always a popular start to the garden visiting season and this latest research gives us more of an insight into why that is,” he adds.
The level of wellbeing was similarly high for visitors in winter and summer, suggesting that visiting gardens during either season is likely to carry benefits. But the average level of wellbeing before entering the gardens in winter was lower than in summer, meaning that those visiting in winter showed the greatest increase in wellbeing.
The more nature visitors observed in the gardens, such as birds, insects, and water, the higher their wellbeing.
West Sussex National Garden Scheme Gardens:
Every Thursday from 8th February, Monday 1st April - The Old Vicarage Washington RH20 4AS https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/21793/the-old-vicarage
Sunday 18th February, Sunday 17th March, Sunday 21st April - Manor of Dean Petworth GU28 9AP https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/3616/manor-of-dean
Sunday 17th March - Denmans Garden Fontwell BN18 0SU https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/5576/denmans-garden
Saturday 23rd March and Sunday 24th March - Downs Place South Harting GU31 5P https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/11729/down-place
Friday 29th March - Judy’s Cottage Garden Worthing BN13 2AE https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/43196/judys-cottage-garden
Thursday Tuesday 5th March – Tour of Crossland Flower Nursery Walberton BN18 0AX https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/45634/crosslands-flower-nursery
Tuesday 9th April - Bignor Park Pulborough RH20 1HG https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/1900/bignor-park
Saturday 13th April – Rymans Appledram Lane South Apuldram Chichester PO20 7EG https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/4769/rymans
Saturday 20th April, Tuesday 23rd April – Peelers Retreat 70 Ford Road Arundel BN18 9EX https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/23227/peelers-retreat
Sunday 21st April – Newtimber Place Newtimber BN6 9BU https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/735/newtimber-place
Wednesday 24th April, Wednesday 1st May - Fittleworth House Bedham Lane Fittleworth Pulborough RH20 1JH https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/14546/fittleworth-house
Saturday 27th April - Warnham Park Robin Hood Lane Warnham Horsham RH12 3RP https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/37121/warnham-park
Details of all West Sussex gardens can be found on the National Garden Scheme Website
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