Art in National Garden Scheme gardens

Lead image: Fairdene Gallery Garden

Within the National Garden Scheme there are a host of wonderful painters, sculptors, textile artists and art lovers who open their equally creative gardens, and sometimes their studios, to the visiting public. So, if you enjoy an art exhibition or buying work from local artists when you visit a garden, the following selection of National Garden Scheme gardens might be just the thing for you this year.

The private garden and gallery of artist Frieda Hughes will open for two special open days in 2025. The daughter of poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, Freida’s garden has evolved over 20 years and has been designed and planted by Frieda reflecting her idiosyncratic style, love of co-ordinated colour, enthusiasm for rock placement, and joy in designing extraordinary metalwork. A limited number of tickets have been made available for these special one-day events at Fairdene Gallery Garden kindly hosted by Frieda on Wednesday 25 June and Wednesday 16 July. Click here for details

Art for sale

: Two views of the garden at Glasfryn Hall

Glasfryn Hall in Clwyd is a Victorian villa set in three acres of gardens with an interesting variety of mature trees, beds, tea house, pond and parterre. There’s a horsebox café serving on the croquet lawn with its stunning views of the Clwydian hills. The property is also home to Oriel Glasfryn Gallery, featuring work by leading Welsh artists. The 2025 open gardens coincide with the spring exhibition meaning the house will be open. Discover more when the garden opens on Saturday 19, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 April. Click here for details

Overstroud Cottage in Buckinghamshire is packed with interest. This artistic chalk garden is on two levels with a collection of 17th and 18th Century plants including auricula, hellebores, bulbs, pulmonarias, peonies, geraniums, herbs and succulents. There are many antique species and rambling roses, a potager and lily pond as well as a garden studio with paintings exhibited and a share of flower painting proceeds going to the National Garden Scheme. Visit on Sunday 20 April or By Arrangement. Click here for details

: 5 St Regis Close

: Rose Cottage

At the lovely, colourful and quirky garden at 5 St Regis in North London you’ll find unusual architectural features including an oriental tea house overlooking a carp pond as well as a ‘mega’ sale of plants, and the owners open studio with ceramics and cards for sale. Be sure to take cash and a bag or two for your purchases when the garden opens on Sunday 4 May, Sunday 29 June and Sunday 3 August. You can also visit By Arrangement. Click here for details

West Garth Cottage in Cumbria is an artist’s garden opening as part of the Hayton Village Gardens on Sunday 18 May. A canvas of colours and textures. ¾ acre of hidden walled gardens to capture and delight the senses. There are parterres, a rill stream, sculptures and sundial garden, leading to a relaxing natural garden with beautiful plantings for every season. Many flowering shrubs, fragrant old roses and white perennials. Artisan-made plant supports and decorative metalwork for sale too. Click here for details

Hazelwood opens as part of the Bretherton Gardens in Layland, Lancashire. As well as being a lovely garden and hardy plant nursery there is an extensive sculpture collection, the work of Thompson Dagnall, printmaking studio with prints and cards by Tilly Dagnall. You can discover more when the garden opens on Sunday 25 May, Sunday 15 June and Sunday 20 July. Click here for details

: Two views of Overstroud Cottage

Part of the Keyworth Gardens group in Nottingham, Rose Cottage opens its art studio with paintings and art cards designed by garden owner Julie on sale. Plants are also for sale by local nurseryman and at Home Farm, interesting and unusual perennials are for sale by Piecemeal Plants. So plenty of goodies to take home when the gardens open on Sunday 1 June. Click here for details

11 St Peter’s Close, which opens as part of the Bovey Tracey Gardens in Devon on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July, is a sloping, very colourful small garden. There are several terraces and good views over Bovey and Dartmoor with floral watercolours for sale and a small railway running through the garden. Click here for details.

At 5 Crib Lane in Oldham, Lancashire describes itself as an example of an ordinary family Pennine garden with the additional interest of wildlife ponds, wildflower areas, a polytunnel, four beehives with 250,000 bees and an art gallery and garden sculptures. Local honey, cards and art work are all for sale when the garden opens on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July. Click here for details

In Essex, visit 79 Cliffsea Grove on Saturday 12 or Sunday 13 July to enjoy a compact town garden with many pathways and places to sit and view the garden packed with perennials and mature acers. Discover the pond and a palm grown from seed almost 30 years ago. There’s also a collection of original art available to view and purchase. Click here for details

Bramble Croft in West Yorkshire is a small hidden hillside artist’s garden full of colour and texture and includes perennials, ferns, climbers, grasses and sculptures, and lies on the edge of Silsden village. Wildlife is encouraged with ponds, bird and insect boxes. There are also original paintings on show and for sale in the new tranquil garden room. Visit on Sunday 7 September or By Arrangement. Click here for details

: The Hymns

: West Garth

The Hymns in Powys opens this year to co-incide with an exhibition of local artists as part of Herefordshire Art Week, the details of which are at www.radnorshireartists.com. A proportion of the accompanying art event proceeds will be donated to the National Garden Scheme as well. Opens Saturday 6 – Sunday 14 September and By Arrangement. Click here for details

At Trostrey Lodge in Gwent you can wander over the ha-ha and through the 18th Century listed iron gate which leads to the tall tulip tree, you will find a delightful walled garden full of colour and imagination. Poppies, herbs, vines, roses and honeysuckle thread through the box topiary all attractive to bees and insect life. Home artworks and packets of flower seeds are available, all to help the bees. The garden opens only By Arrangement visits from May to 1 September for groups of between 8 and 24. Click here for details

There are also an array of plants and art for sale as part of the Bexhill-on-Sea Trail that opens on Saturday 21 June. Click here for details