For almost 100 years the National Garden Scheme has been opening gorgeous gardens for charity, raising millions for some of the UK’s favourite nursing and health charities including Marie Curie, Hospice UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.
In 1927, 600 gardens opened for the Scheme. Back then they were mostly grand, historic locations, but today – whilst the gardens still include those stately acres – they also offer wonderfully relatable spaces for people to gather gardening inspiration, meet friends and enjoy homemade tea and cakes.
“The genius of the National Garden Scheme is its simplicity,” says CEO Dr Richard Claxton. “It’s a formula that has worked successfully for almost 100 years; a host of wonderfully generous garden owners open their gardens, each supported by our volunteers, to create a year of great garden visiting. In 2025 garden visits helped us donate over £3.85 million to the charities we support – literally changing thousands of lives. What’s more, with an average admission fee of just over £6, and children going free at most of our gardens, it’s also a wonderfully affordable day out.”
With over 405 gorgeous gardens opening under the NGS across Surrey, Sussex and Kent in 2026 there is much to look forward to in the year ahead including some great new gardens opening for first time.
145 gardens open in Kent including Wedgwood House, Ashford which you can visit on 26 and 28 May and 17 July. A medium-sized mature suburban garden surrounding a traditional Kent house there are several mixed borders, including grasses, roses, gravel Mediterranean areas and a wild section with Hugel mound. A large walled patio displays containers showcasing differing leaf shape, colour and texture. There are several seating areas around the garden, and you can enjoy tea and cake in the large Victorian greenhouse.
Rolvenden’s beautiful Hole Park was amongst that group of gardens which first opened back in 1927. You may well already know it as the host of Wealden Times Midsummer Fair. There are 15 acres of sublime views, walled gardens, parklands, pools, mixed borders and large lawns with specimen trees. It will open on 13 May, 10 June and 4 October and the Coach House café makes a great stop for light lunches and teas.
Farningham Mill in Dartford opens for the first time this year on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June. This 18th Century walled garden has been restored over the last 10 years and features gravel paths bordered by herbaceous beds of flowering shrubs and cottage garden flowers; roses, hydrangeas, delphiniums and lavender. Sit for a while among herb borders and planters or stroll further into the original orchard, a 2-acre oasis of calm bordered by the Darent, a precious chalk stream, where children can enjoy a nature-trail.
Also opening on 20 June for the first time in 2026 is the lovely coastal garden Fernleas in Folkestone, or try one of the 12 garden groups opening this summer, each offering a wonderful array of gardens in some of Kent’s loveliest village, many by the sea.
For something quintessentially English in September visit one of Kent’s outstanding gardens Goodnestone Park near Canterbury. Enjoy 14 acres with views over parkland and follow in Jane Austen’s footsteps. There are the famous walled gardens complimented by outstanding trees and a woodland garden with a cornus collection and hydrangeas. There’s also a contemporary gravel garden and new area of tropical planting.
In Surrey, Home Farm in Godalming, has a traditional cottage garden dating back to 1609. Contained within a bargate stone wall, it features two mixed herbaceous borders with views across the surrounding fields, a mixed rose garden, and separate cutting and vegetable areas, with a greenhouse.

It’s new to the Scheme in 2026 and opens on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 May.It’s not just private gardens that open for the National Garden Scheme, there are hospice gardens, community gardens, allotment groups and school gardens like those at Hall Grove School in Bagshot, Surrey, which have open days in May, June and September. Formerly a small Georgian country estate, it’s now a co-educational preparatory school with grounds featuring mature parkland with specimen trees, an historic icehouse, and a walled kitchen garden with flowers, fruit and children’s vegetable plots. There’s also a lake, woodland walks, rhododendrons, azaleas, and acers.
For a beautiful summer garden Ashleigh Grange in Westhumble Surrey is the perfect choice. It’s a plantswoman’s country garden set on a 3½ acre sloping chalk site in a charming rural setting with delightful views. Many areas of interest include a rockery with water feature, raised ericaceous bed, prairie style bank, foliage plants, woodland walk, fernery, and folly. Large mixed herbaceous and shrub borders are planted for dry, alkaline soil and widespread interest. You can also visit this garden by arrangement which means you can organise a visit directly with the garden owner to suit you and your friends, family or interest group.
Sussex is one of the busiest counties in the National Garden Scheme with over 200 openings this year. East or West there are some stunning places to visit and plenty of garden groups to provide visitors with a diversity of gardening styles and inspiration. Hellingly Parish Trail near Halisham in Sussex opens on 7 June and offers seven gardens in this delightful village. The River Cuckmere runs through one of these charming gardens and the historic church will be open too. Lunch and homemade teas will be served at Brook Cottage making it a fabulous way to spend a day.
In the pretty village of Thakeham in West Sussex, you can enjoy two lovely gardens for the price of one. Be inspired by the fabulous walled garden behind Cumberland House, a delightful Georgian cottage with its garden designed in a series of rooms shaded by two huge gingko trees. Then wander down the lane to Thakeham Place Farm with its colourful borders and pretty planting where you can enjoy a warm welcome with tea and cake. Opens Thursday 23 and Sunday 26 July.
In East Sussex you are spoilt for choice, and in September the Black Shed Studios Garden set in the Ashdown Forest, is a unique 3-acre garden that blends formal structure with naturalistic planting. Designed by an artist, it features sculpture, painting, ceramics, and glass art throughout. Explore a wildlife pond, meadow, and a small wetland, all offering tranquillity and inspiration in a relaxed, welcoming setting when it opens on 11, 12 and 13 September.
For more information about the National Garden Scheme and the gardens mentioned visit ngs.org.uk.