As the 2026 Open Gardens season draws to a close, we can look back on a hugely successful few months, with some beautiful gardens, fantastic support from our volunteers and, thankfully, some wonderfully kind weather when it mattered most.
Following our July break, the programme resumed on 1 August at Hankham Hall Cottage. Almost 400 people came along to enjoy the garden, which was full of colour and looking particularly impressive despite the continuing lack of rain. Our sincere thanks go to the Buller family for all the time and effort they put into preparing for the event and helping to make it such a successful day.
Three weeks later, we headed to Waldron, where visitors were treated to the opportunity to explore four very different gardens. Each had its own character and charm, and the event also gave many people the chance to discover more of this lovely village. Several visitors told us that it was their first visit to Waldron, with some taking the opportunity to visit the church, explore the village or enjoy a drink at the local pub after seeing the gardens.
The support we received from the local community was tremendous. As well as opening their own gardens, residents gave their time to help on the day and provided some very welcome homemade cakes. After a summer of contrasting weather, including heavy rain in the days leading up to the event, we were fortunate to enjoy another lovely day, with the gardens looking refreshed and full of life.
Our final opening of the year was at Folkington Place on 12 September. There was inevitably a little nervousness beforehand, given that the previous year’s event had to be cancelled at the last minute because of stormy conditions. Thankfully, there was no repeat of that experience and we were rewarded with glorious weather.
More than 450 visitors came through the gates, finding the garden looking magnificent and showing little sign of the drought and heatwaves experienced earlier in the summer. There was also some exciting news for those who attended: the owners have kindly agreed to open Folkington Place once again next spring, on Saturday 15 May 2027, giving visitors the chance to experience the garden at a very different time of year.
Although there is always a touch of sadness when the final garden closes and we realise that summer is drawing to an end, there is plenty to celebrate. The 2026 Open Gardens programme raised just over £23,000 for the Friends – an incredible achievement and one that simply would not be possible without the generosity of the garden owners who allow us to make use of their beautiful spaces.
There is also a huge team working behind the scenes and on the day itself. Our thanks go to Henry and his team for putting out all the directional signs and organising the car parking; to Andy and his helpers, who transport our equipment and patiently move things around – sometimes more than once – until everything is exactly where it needs to be; to all those who bake the cakes and savouries for our refreshments; and, of course, to our wonderful team of volunteers who give their time at every opening. There are many more people who contribute to the success of the season, and we apologise if anyone has inadvertently been left out.
With 2026 now behind us, attention will soon turn to planning next year’s programme. We are always keen to hear about gardens that have not featured in our Open Gardens programme before, so if you have a garden that you think might be suitable, please do get in touch and find out more about what is involved. We are also exploring the possibility of including some smaller gardens in 2027, perhaps in a slightly different format.
And finally, a huge thank you must go to the people who make the whole thing worthwhile – our visitors. Whether you managed to visit every garden, came along to a handful of events or discovered us for the first time at just one opening, your support is hugely appreciated. We hope you enjoyed the 2026 season and look forward to welcoming you back in 2027.
Do visit our Events page to read about all the events coming up this October – an education talk where you get hands-on with the mannequins, VR headsets and training facilities at the DGH; and our annual art exhibition and sale of paintings www.friendsdgh.org.uk/events We hope to see you there!
