Professor Nigel Dunnett

We at the National Garden Scheme were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Professor Nigel Dunnett who, with his wife Marta, had opened their garden to the public through the Scheme since 2019, making a huge contribution to the philanthropic impact of our charity. The son of a National Garden Scheme opener, we are grateful for the inspiration his parents gave him to be part of our charitable family.

It is perhaps indicative of his visionary nature that his was a garden that that left a deep and lasting impression on its visitors: One lady was inspired to write that his free-flowing garden on the edge of Sheffield had changed her life, releasing her from the shackles of neatly cut edges and regimented bedding plants

Along with his colleagues at the University of Sheffield, Nigel not only opened his garden for the National Garden Scheme but also supported us with other fundraising – including sharing his wisdom in online talks.

Next month we will see the opening in Camberwell of the Roof Garden for patients at the Critical Care Unit at King’s College Hospital – a radical and ground-breaking hospital garden which Nigel designed, and which the National Garden Scheme part-funded. We know he was as excited about this as we are. It is so sad that he will not be there to see its impact.

We, like so many garden visitors, will miss his liberating, visionary view of gardens and green spaces and celebrate all that he achieved. Our thoughts are with his family.