Garden-lovers will have the rare opportunity to explore three exquisite private gardens, as part of the new Open Gardens event by the local children’s hospice, Julia’s House.
Lady Tania Compton’s Spilsbury Farm in Tisbury and Littlebrook Farmhouse in Blandford Forum will all open to the public this June.
New for 2024, the Julia’s House Open Gardens scheme will raise vital funds for the Wiltshire and Dorset children’s hospice charity, which provides critical and compassionate care for the most seriously ill children and their families.
As well as exploring the delightful gardens, guests can enjoy homemade cakes and refreshments, and gain gardening tips from the owners.
Littlebrook Farmhouse, Blandford Forum, Dorset (Wednesday 12 June)
Visitors will enjoy breathtaking views of the Blackmore Vale from the gardens at Littlebrook Farmhouse, in Blandford Forum, which will be open from 2.30pm to 5pm on Wednesday 12 June.
These charming gardens boast a serene pond, bountiful fruit trees, formal terracing, and a thriving vegetable patch. Entry costs £6 per person, online booking essential.
Lady Tania Compton’s Spilsbury Farm, Tisbury, Wiltshire (Saturday 15 June)
Explore the idyllic farmhouse gardens of Spilsbury Farm in Tisbury, from 10am to 5.30pm on Saturday 15 June. Home to esteemed garden designer Lady Tania Compton and botanist Dr James Compton, the six-acre gardens are a sweeping mixture of formality and wilderness. Each 1.5 hour bookable visit will begin with a talk from Tania Compton herself and the opportunity to gain valuable gardening insights and advice. Guests can explore the romantic naturalist gardens at their leisure, taking in the ancient oak trees, an orchard with long meadow grass peppered with perennials, and borders billowing with eryngiums, delphiniums, cardoons, and roses. Entry costs £15 per person, online booking essential.
Julia’s House Events Manager, Hannah Mountford, said: “We’re incredibly thankful to our wonderful supporters who are opening their sensational gardens this year, as part of our very first Open Gardens event. All donations raised will help us provide much-needed respite for parents, offer siblings a chance to unwind, and give children with complex medical conditions the opportunity to have fun and make new friends. The children we support love spending time in the hospice gardens, so having our own Open Gardens feels a special way to connect everyone to the outdoors and enjoy some unique and lovely gardens too.”
Hannah added, “We’re really looking forward to welcoming guests to our flagship gardens for 2024, and if anyone would like to open their garden for Julia’s House in 2025, please do get in touch as we would love to hear from you and have lots of information and tips to help you arrange the open day.”
The Julia’s House Open Gardens 2024 event is kindly being sponsored by the UK’s leading cruise specialist, Imagine Cruising.
All Open Gardens visits must be booked in advance at the Julia’s House website, where more entry information can be found:
www.juliashouse.org/gardens
