Scotland’s Garden Scheme celebrates its 80th year

Gardens across Scotland open to raise money for a host of good causes including Maggie’s.

Scotland’s Garden Scheme looks to celebrate its 80th birthday in style this year. After three years of record breaking fundraising, including a total of £352,700 in 2010, this year the Scheme is set to be bigger and better than ever.

This year, the organisers expect larger numbers of gardens to be open than in previous years, numbering approximately 475, including 12 gardens in Shetland. Gardens openings started in February with the snowdrops and now it's the turn of the spring gradens. Given the glorious weather and the two long weekends ahead, its a fantastic time to plan a visit to some of them. A full list of all the gardens involved is on the Scheme’s website.

Garden owners taking part can nominate a charity of their choosing (including Maggie’s) to receive 40% of the fundraising from their openings. The net total of the remaining 60% goes to four charities including Perennial, The Gardens Fund of the National Trust of Scotland, the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland and Maggie’s. Organisers expect some 218 charities will benefit from this support in 2011.

Paddy Scott, Director of Scotland’s Gardens Scheme said “The Scheme gives so much pleasure to those who are able to host and view some of Scotland’s most spectacular private gardens. This is a wonderful opportunity for gardeners to raise money for great causes like Maggie’s, while showcasing their beautiful gardens.”

An annual highlight of the Scheme is the opening of the garden at Portrack House in Holywood. Designed by the founders of Maggie’s, Charles Jencks and Maggie Keswick Jencks, this dramatic landscape of lakes and undulating landforms inspired by science and maths is open to visitors on Sunday 1 May between midday and 5pm.

Valerie Busher, Community Fundraising Manager of Maggie’s in Scotland complemented the fantastic efforts of both the Scheme and Scotland’s gardeners. “How wonderful it has been to be partnered with Scotland’s Gardens Scheme over the past three years. The partnership seems all the more fitting in light of Maggie Keswick Jencks’ background in landscape design. We’re delighted with the support that the Scheme is giving us. Its been a fantastic help to Maggie’s as we continue our vital work of supporting people across Scotland with cancer.”

To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Scotland’s Garden Scheme is undertaking a rebranding exercise and the result of this will first come to the public's attention with the publication of the 2012 edition of the guidebook which will be released on 1 December 2011.

If you would like to nominate your garden for the Scheme in 2012, please contact Scotland's Garden Scheme at info@sgsgardens.co.uk.

Find out more about Scotland's Garden Scheme on their website.