We are celebrating a special group of Hospiscare Heroes this week – our amazing Open Gardeners. This group of dedicated supporters shared their wonderful outdoor spaces with the local community, as well as organising plant sales, open allotments and many more outdoor events to raise money for local end-of-life care.
29 Matford Avenue, Exeter
Gardens across the heart of Devon opened from April to October this year to raise money for our local charity. 45 gardeners opened their gates and provided cream teas and stunning flora to raise vital funds for end-of-life care.
2021 has proved to be a record-breaking year for our Open Gardens, with over £40,000 raised by our dedicated supporters!
From April to September, a new garden opened every week to welcome the public in exchange for a donation to Hospiscare. Over 4,000 visitors enjoyed exploring the gardens, from the traditional Devon cottage gardens to grand estates. Around 18,000 cups of tea and coffee were sipped, as well as scones and cakes too numerous to count!
A young supporter enjoying the Holcombe Rogus plant sale
We are so grateful to every one of our gardeners for sharing their love of the outdoors with our community. Thank you to everyone who supported our Open Gardens, from all of the amazing people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get the gardens and outdoor events ready to every single person who explored a garden, bought plants or enjoyed an outdoor event.
We are sending a huge thank you to our sponsors, Otter Nurseries. Without their support, 2021 would not have been such a successful year for our gardens.
Refreshments at the plant sale organised by Paula and the Exeter Friends
We would also like to thank Paula Lawford and the Exeter Friends of Hospiscare for holding the second annual online plant sale in May. A huge variety of shrubs, perennial plants, cuttings, vegetable plants and herbs were sold and Paula and the Exeter Friends looked after all of the plants and ensured they reached their new homes safely. Thank you also to Patrick and his team at Bicton College for helping with the plants and getting them onto the online catalogue for sale. The plant sale raised a phenomenal £2,272.50!
Thank you to the Topsham Friends of Hospiscare for organising their fantastic music event – Jazz in the Garden – for its eighth year. Thank you to Rachel and Freddie Nicholls for hosting the lovely evening of music and dancing in their beautiful garden.
Autumn colour at the Axminster gardens
We are also sending our thanks to the autumn gardens at Betty’s Ground and Breach in Axminster. This is the second year that these lovely gardens have opened for us in full autumn colour. Both gardens opened in August for summer planting and now have beautiful autumn colours from mature trees, perennial orchids and wild areas.
It couldn’t have been a record-breaking year for Open Gardens without each and every one of you supporting the event. By raising over £40,000 this year, you have all had an incredible impact on our patients and their families.
If you would like to join Hospiscare’s Open Gardens for 2022 and make a difference to local end-of-life care, simply call 01392 688020 or email fundraising@hospiscare.co.uk.
