The National Garden Scheme has two new gardens opening in Steyning, West Sussex this June.

Thursday 1st June


Lynne Broome is a veteran NGS garden owner having opened for five years at her previous house before moving to Nightingale House in Steyning a couple of years ago.

Lynn says 'When I arrived here the first thing I did was to clear some of the spaces, getting rid of a leylandii hedge which opened up the whole garden including revealing a view of the Downs. I am passionate about plants, I have one side of the garden which favours shade loving plants and the other side for the sun lovers. My plan is to have something in flower every month of the year.'

Nightingale House has a cottage style garden filled with perennials and summer annuals. There is an impressive new greenhouse and a bespoke metal screen with climbing roses and clematis. The garden is suitable for wheelchair users.

Patsy Walton has lived in Steyning for many years and while she has opened the garden a couple of times to raise money for Steyning in Bloom, this is her first National Garden Scheme opening. Patsy’s cottage style garden also has stunning views of the South Downs. The compact garden is laid out with winding grass paths that wind around a series of island beds, showing off colourful floral displays. She also nurtures a collection of some 100 pots.

'I am a true plantaholic, I Iove a full garden and I often let things come up where they want to. In summer this is a garden of roses, clematis and salvias, and of course my pots are a feature as well. I recently bought a scented hydrangea which lives in a pot by the back door to add to my collection.'

Nightingale House and 15 Penlands Rise open together on Wednesday 21st and Wednesday 28th June. Admission for both gardens together is £7 and Nightingale House will be serving home-made teas. You can book in advance online at https://ngs.org.uk or pay on the day.

Founded in 1927 by The Queen’s Nursing Institute to support district nurses, the NGS has since given annual donations to nursing and health charities totalling over £67 million.

Other gardens opening around the Steyning area for the NGS this summer include:

Saffrons, Holland Road, Steyning, by arrangement from June to August for groups of between 10 and 30.

Details of all the gardens can be found on the National Garden Scheme website https://ngs.org.uk