The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.

Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors over £63 million has been donated to nursing and health charities -  over £3 million was donated in 2021. Core beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.

The National Garden Scheme doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity – it's also passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens. So it also supports charities doing amazing work in gardens and health, and grants bursaries to help community gardening projects.

The gardens at Brook View in West Moors, Dorset, and Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, will welcome visitors on the weekends of the 20^th and 21st of August and the 3^rd and 4^th of September respectively. 

In preparation, residents at both homes have been busy contributing with gentle gardening activities under the guidance of Colten Care team members including care companions and gardeners.

Colten Care’s Head Gardener Charles Hubberstey said: “Our residents, staff and volunteers take great pride in their gardens.

“Many of our residents have enjoyed gardening throughout their lives and we want them to continue to find pleasure in it for as long as they can. 

“The beauty that visitors on the NGS days will see on display is a testament to the love of gardening cherished by our residents.

“We have active gardening clubs at both Brook View and Woodpeckers as well as our other 19 homes in the South.

“It’s our residents and gardeners who decide together on garden activities and priorities season by season.

“The Brook View garden features a fountain surrounded by mixed borders brightened with plants grown in the greenhouse.

“There is also a fruit and vegetable garden, much used by the kitchen.

“At Woodpeckers, residents have been involved in the planning of a wheelchair-friendly woodland walk amid wild flowers and bulbs.

“It leads to a beautiful oak gazebo and a courtyard garden under a pair of cream flowered cherry trees.”

Both Woodpeckers, which is officially rated Outstanding by the CQC, and Brook View also opened for NGS days last year.

Brook View resident Rosa Leicester said at the time: “Opening the gardens is a lovely idea. The more people who think and talk about our garden the better. It is lovely for people to see how we live here. This is my home and I am very proud of both my home and my garden.”

The NGS gives visitors access to more than 3,500 private gardens in the UK, raising funds for nursing and health charities through admissions and the sales of afternoon teas.

Teas and homemade cakes and scones will be on offer to visitors at both Brook View and Woodpeckers, payable by donation.

For more information on both homes’ NGS weekends, including opening times and entry fees, visit www.ngs.org.uk.

With more than 30 years’ experience, Colten Care is an award-winning family-owned care home company. It owns 21 quality care homes covering Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and West Sussex and offers a range of services spanning residential, nursing and dementia care. Seven of the homes are rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission and Colten Care earns a consistently high group score, currently 9.9 out of ten, on the public review site Carehome.co.uk. Based on such third-party advocacy, Colten Care is the UK’s highest-rated care home group for its size.

All homes are registered for nursing care and four are dedicated dementia care homes with Admiral Nurse support. Unlike people who receive domiciliary care in their own homes, residents in Colten Care homes have the reassurance that 24/7 nurse-led care with companionship is on hand whenever they need it. Residents live in the highest standards of accommodation, enjoying homecooked food, fresh laundry and housekeeping services, and safe, peaceful and inspiring gardens. Colten Care also supports residents to raise thousands of pounds for charities of their choice every year. Founded more than 35 years ago, Colten Care has won multiple awards for the quality of its care and remains an independent, family-owned care home provider. For more information, visit www.ColtenCare.co.uk

Colten Care operates six residential nursing and care homes in the New Forest, three of which are rated Outstanding and three of which are in Lymington: Belmore Lodge, Court Lodge and dementia specialist Linden House (Outstanding). There are also homes in Brockenhurst -Woodpeckers (Outstanding), New Milton - Kingfishers (Outstanding) and Mudeford - Avon Reach. Click on the links to find out more about each home...