Here is our usual round up of beautiful gardens that will open for the National Garden Scheme across Sussex in April, curated as always by Geoff Stonebanks, the Publicity Officer for East & Mid Sussex with input from his colleague in West Sussex Kate Harrison.
Before looking at the gardens, readers may be interested to note that in 2027 the National Garden Scheme marks 100 years of opening gardens for great causes. As part of the celebration they want to tell their story through some of its garden visitors. So, whether you’ve visited once or 100 times, perhaps a visit changed your life, lifted your spirits, inspired your gardening or brings back happy memories, they’d love to hear from you. You can send your stories in full or in brief, with photos if you have them, to: stories@ngs.org.uk
Easter Gardens
It’s the Easter weekend coming up next month too, with three gardens you could visit, Peelers Retreat on Easter Saturday, 47 Denmans Lane on Easter Saturday and Easter Monday, see details below.
Our regular weekly opener, featured most months, The Old Vicarage in The Street, Washington, RH20 4AS, is also open for a public day on Easter Monday from 10am to 5pm.
Peelers Retreat, 70 Ford Road, Arundel, BN18 9EX.
Saturday 4th, Saturday 18th and Tuesday 28th from 2pm to 5pm with entry £5.
This inspirational space is a delight with permanent gazebos and comfortable seating to sit and relax, enjoying delicious teas. When cold they light the fire for our guests. Interlocking beds packed with year-round colour and scent, shaded by specimen trees, inventive water features and a range of quirky woodland sculptures.
47 Denman’s Lane, Lindfield, Haywards Heath, RH16 2JN.
Sunday 5th and Mon 6th from 11am to 4pm with entry £7.
This beautiful and tranquil 1 acre garden was described by Sussex Life as ‘a garden where plants star’. Created by the owners over the past 20 years, it is planted for interest throughout the year. Spring bulbs are followed by azaleas, rhododendrons, roses, and herbaceous perennials. The garden also has ponds, vegetable and fruit gardens. An extensive choice of plants and homemade jams for sale.
New Gardens
More importantly, there are 3 brand new gardens opening next month too, 25 Parklands and 53 Cedar Drive opening together on 25th/26th and Quarry Wood Farm on the 11th.
Quarry Wood Farm and Tilsmore Vineyard, Newick Lane, Mayfield, TN20 6RQ.
Saturday 11th Apr from 10.30am to 3.30pm with entry £6.
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.
25 Parklands Road, Chichester, PO19 3DX.
Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th from 10.30am to 5pm, combined entry with 53 Cedar Drive is £7.
Developed from rough grass in 2020, this exuberant gravel garden was created by its artist owner. Contrasting foliage, less common plants, and effervescent flowers linger long. Many plants self-seed, increasing a natural look. This west facing town garden is loosely divided into three sections, with a fine greenhouse housing fascinating cacti and succulents.
53 Cedar Drive, Chichester, PO19 3EH.
Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th from 10.30am to 5pm, combined entry with 25 Parklands Road £7.
This garden, behind a 1937 semi, plays host to a venerable Bramley. Other trees, such as Tibetan birch and Photinia ‘Red Robin’ were chosen for their colour, which is carried through the seasons by tulips, Geum, Alstroemeria, dahlias, cannas, roses, and penstemon. Cotinus and Heuchera enrich the palette. Hard landscaping and a potting shed, added in 2022, helped to pull the plant collection into a cohesive design.
Limekiln Farm, Chalvington Road, Chalvington, Hailsham, BN27 3TA.
Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th from 2pm to 5pm with entry £8.
The garden was designed in the 1930s when the house was owned by Charles Stewart Taylor, MP for Eastbourne. It has not changed in basic layout since then. The planting aims to reflect the age of the C17 property and original garden design. The house and garden are mentioned in Virginia Woolf’s diaries of 1929, depicting a particular charm and peace that still exists today. Flint walls enclose the main lawn, herbaceous borders and rose garden and nepeta lined courtyard. Informal pond and specimen trees including a very ancient oak. Many spring flowers and tree blossom. New prairie style garden with grasses and perennials. Physic garden with a talk at 3pm about medicinal plants.
The Old Rectory Warbleton, Kingsley Hill, Warbleton, TN21 9PT.
Thursday 23rd from 10am to 3pm with entry £10. Pre-booking essential.
Nestled in the High Weald AONB, The Old Rectory garden was re-imagined by renowned designer Arne Maynard. His vision blends formal elements like yew and beech topiary, a knot garden, and herbaceous borders with wild flowers and rambling roses. A stream separates the formal garden from an orchard interplanted with roses and wild flowers. Over 10,000 tulips bloom in spring. Other features include a cutting garden, pond, copse, meadows, pot displays, and gravel garden.
Fittleworth House, Bedham Lane, Fittleworth, Pulborough, RH20 1JH.
Every Wednesday from 22nd April to 13th May from 2pm to 5pm with entry £6.
A tranquil, romantic 3-acre country garden with a redesigned walled kitchen garden growing fruit, vegetables, and flowers, including a large collection of dahlias. A large glasshouse, an old potting shed, mixed flower borders, roses, rhododendrons, and lawns. A magnificent cedar tree overlooks the wisteria-covered, Grade II listed Georgian house. A wild garden with long grass and a 70 metre, naturalised stream with ferns and hydrangeas.
Banks Farm, Boast Lane, Barcombe, Lewes, BN8 5DY.
Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th from 10.30am to 4pm with entry £5.
A 9-acre garden set in rural countryside where extensive lawns and shrub beds merge with the more naturalistic woodland garden set around the lake. An orchard, vegetable garden, ponds and a wide variety of plant species add to an interesting and very tranquil garden. Refreshments served outside, so may be limited during bad weather.
Enjoy your visits and look out for our May gardens next month. Full details and booking where appropriate at www.ngs.org.uk
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