June brings us the longest day with extra hours of warmth and sunshine. In 2026, the solstice occurs on Sunday 21st, marking the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The threat of frost has now past and we can start to really enjoy our own gardens or maybe visit a garden open for the National Garden Scheme? As usual, Geoff Stonebanks, their Publicity Officer in East & Mid Sussex, has curated a collection you might like to see across the county with input from his colleague in West Sussex, Kate Harrison, including his own garden, Driftwood, which opens by arrangement, see below.
New for 2026. Nutbourne Village Gardens, The Street, Nutbourne, Pulborough, RH20 2HE
Friday 19th and Saturday 20th from 11 am to 5 pm with a combined entry of £10
Nutbourne is a beautiful, tranquil, and friendly hamlet near Pulborough. It boasts a thousand years of history, dating back before the Norman Conquest and has spectacular views across the South Downs. This is a wonderful opportunity to meander through the village and visit four very different gardens, all within a short walking distance of each other. The gardens can be visited in any order, and tickets will be on sale at a central location. Hobbs is a small cottage-style garden with a fabulous wisteria-covered pergola. The Old Manor is a fascinating Victorian allotment-style kitchen garden. Next, wander down to the Mill House and explore the contrast of rose and herb gardens, with an enchanting mill stream running along the bottom of the garden. Finally, enjoy a drink on the lawn beneath the Indian bean tree at the beautiful Shorts Farm, a classic cottage-style country garden.
New for 2026. Little Gate Flowers, Little Gate Farm, Horseshoe Lane, Beckley, Rye, TN31 6RZ
Tuesday 23rd from 11 am to 3 pm, with entry £6, with pre-booking essential. Timed slots at 11 am & 1.30 pm
Based at Little Gate Farm in Beckley near Rye, Little Gate Flowers is a cut flower garden with a difference! Working with autistic and learning disabled adults, they run a Social Enterprise, teaching transferable work skills ready for paid employment. Their trainees grow a mix of annual and perennials in this colourful, quirky and unique working garden, which is a haven for social change and inclusion. Uneven ground in some areas and partial wheelchair access to certain parts of the garden.
New for 2026. The Aviary Garden, 111 Aldwick Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 2NY
Tue 23rd from 10 am to 4 pm with entry £6 and pre-booking essential
A south-facing garden, just 300 metres from the sea, very exotic, giving a tropical, jungle feel. Gravel paths with stepping stones are interspersed with planting to soften the journey. Large-leaved plants, statues, seating, a 12ft giraffe, an Indonesian elephant, and a well-stocked aviary are amongst the surprises that await as you amble through the garden.
New for 2026. Quarry Wood Farm and Tilsmore Vineyard, Newick Lane, Mayfield, TN20 6RQ
Saturday 13th from 11 am to 5 pm with entry £8.
A 2-acre organic garden set in a beautiful valley, surrounded by wildflower meadows and mature woodland. It features extensive spring bulbs and flowering shrubs, mixed herbaceous borders, and colourful pots. There is a Mediterranean garden, as well as vegetable and cut flower gardens with raised beds. Woodland walks, a vineyard, and an orchard.
The Old Rectory, Pulborough, Old Rectory Lane, Pulborough, RH20 2AF
Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th from 11am to 5pm with entry £7.
A formal front garden with a sunken centrepiece and rose and flower beds, approximately ½ acre in size. The large rear garden consists of a small wood, a croquet lawn with beds, a natural swimming pond, and a large summerhouse. There is also a small orchard and meadow, along with a walled area by the pickleball court. Many interesting trees, including a 500-year old sweet chestnut.
Town Place, Ketches Lane, Freshfield, Sheffield Park, RH17 7NR
Sunday’s 7th, 14th and 28th & Wednesdays 17th and 24th from 2 pm to 5 pm with entry £10.
A stunning 3-acre garden with a growing international reputation for the quality of its design, planting and gardening. Set round a 17th century Sussex farmhouse, the garden has over 400 roses, herbaceous borders, herb garden, white garden, topiary inspired by the sculptures of Henry Moore, an 800-year-old oak, potager, and a unique ruined Priory Church and Cloisters in hornbeam. Sadly, no refreshments available but picnics are welcome.
Steyning Gardens, north of Shoreham by Sea, BN44 3PT
Tickets can be purchased at each garden & visited in any order. Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st from 10.30 am to 5 pm with combined entry of £10
Steyning is a lively market town on the edge of the South Downs, home to many artists and crafts people. The three gardens open are all very different. Brambletye is a south facing garden designed with a prairie effect to attract birds and pollinators. It is planted with bulbs, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and roses, and a small sunken area with raised beds for vegetables and herbs. Nightingale House, BN44 3TW, has a recently designed cottage style garden with both perennials and annuals. See an attractive greenhouse and a bespoke metal screen covered in roses and clematis. 15 Penlands Rise, BN443PJ, is a small cottage garden that has evolved into a series of borders and island beds, with narrow paths in between. There are roses, clematis, many salvias and perennials, and a collection of over 100 pots, some with hydrangeas, but most filled with a colourful mix of annuals and tender plants.
Bexhill on Sea trail, Bexhill & Little Common
Follow NGS signs to gardens from main roads. Tickets & maps available at each garden. Check full details at www.ngs.org.uk open Saturday 20th from 11 am to 4 pm with combined entry of £7
This beautiful trail evolves every year. The gardens vary in size and feature well-designed borders with specimen plants, shrubs, and trees. Most have ponds with wildlife and fish, as well as vegetable beds and fruit trees. One garden has beautiful sculptures and a Gothic folly while another has a modern designed front garden with a rill. Chickens can also be seen at Chez Nous. There is a mix of town, country, cottage, and coastal styles, with a wide variety of trees, roses, and mixed planting, all focused on attracting wildlife and offering excellent ideas for your own garden.
Lordington House, Lordington, Chichester, PO18 9DX
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th from 2pm to 5pm with entry £7.
Early 17th century house and walled gardens in South Downs National Park. See clipped yew, lawns, borders and fine views plus an informal sunken garden. Vegetables, fruit and poultry in the kitchen garden and over 100 roses planted since 2008. Trees both mature and young. The lime avenue was planted in 1973 to replace elms. The wildflower meadow outside the walls is accessible from the garden. Gardens overlook Ems Valley, farmland and wooded slopes of South Downs, all in AONB.
Driftwood, 4 Marine Drive, Bishopstone, Seaford, BN25 2RS
Visits by arrangement 1st June to 2nd Aug for individuals up to groups of 25 with entry £7 and optional £3 for garden talk.
Introduced by Monty Don on BBC Gardeners’ World in 2016 and again in 2024. In May 2026, The English Garden Magazine published a list of 11 of Britain’s most extraordinary coastal gardens every garden lover should visit. Driftwood was number 9 in the list. In 2024, The Sunday Times said ‘visit this rejigged award-winning plot’. Featured on Channel 4’s George Clarke’s Beautiful Builds in 2025, where research led them to Driftwood as the perfect inspiration for a seaside garden design. A perfect paradise made up of different gardens, each with individuality and creativity. Check out the 260 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor. The garden has just been awarded a 2026 Travellers’ Choice award placing it in the top 10% of visitor attractions across the globe! Enjoy a selection of Geoff’s home-made cakes, all served on vintage china, on trays, in the garden. No WC.
Please check all the details for the gardens listed on our website at www.ngs.org.uk
We hope you enjoy to June visits and look out for more beautiful Sussex gardens opening in July. If you’ve enjoyed this post, you may also like:
