Open Gardens success for hospice charity

The Iain Rennie Hospice at Home (IRHH) Chilterns Open Gardens 2010 has raised £30,000 towards the charity's specialist nursing service, which gives terminally-ill patients in the Chilterns the choice to be cared for at home.

The 40 gardens throughout Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire that opened to the public from May to July gave their 3,000 visitors the chance to view gardens ranging from small cottage-style gardens to larger, more formal plots. All were beautifully maintained and an inspiration to guests, featuring rose gardens, vegetable patches, streams, shrubs, grasse s, orchards and even swimming ‘ponds'!

Moira Rennie (right) with
IRHH volunteers Barbara Brereton
and David Coles at Jordans

Meadle garden

With an inauspicious start on a damp, grey May day in the Quaker village of Jordans, five gorgeous gardens attracted over 300 visitors despite the weather.

Another Quaker village, Meadle, near Princes Risborough, opened for IRHH for the first time, offering a beautiful location with spectacular thatched cottages and stunning gardens.

One garden in Bourne End raised £6,500 from its renowned plant sale, ploughman's lunches and sale of homemade produce, offering a wonderful day out mid-week for over 350 visitors, many of whom are Open Gardens regulars.

Askett garden

Mary Berry's garden

The picturesque village of Askett raised almost £5,000 with its seven open gardens and closed all the roads in the village so visitors could walk around at their leisure. Live jazz on the green and spectacular afternoon teas among other attractions such as a tombola, plant sale, terracotta flower pot making and brass rubbings made for a great family day out.

The three-acre garden belonging to celebrity cook, Mary Berry, attracted over 250 visitors and served delicious cream teas.

10 gardens in Tring, Hastoe, Cholesbury and Wigginton ranged in size from small cottage-style gardens to larger plots, superbly designed and impressively manicured. All were beautifully maintained and an inspiration for their 450 visitors.

Tring gardens

A further 11 gardens opened in Wendover, inspiring their 800 visitors who raised nearly £8,000 for the hospice at home charity between them

Wendover gardens

A beautiful garden in Aston Clinton raised £1,400 – despite clashing with the final England World Cup game!

Jenny Moloney, IRHH Community Fundraiser and project lead for Open Gardens said: “We are so grateful to all the gardeners who invest so much of their time and effort to help raise funds for our nursing service. This year we were delighted to welcome a mix of new gardeners and IRHH Open Gardens veterans!”

Click here to read about the gardens who opened their gates to us last year.

16th August 2010