A Summerof Gardens
The open gardens season is now underway across Hastings and Rother, offering the public a rare chance to step inside inspiring private gardens.
Edible Open Gardens: The Knowle
ECLECTIC BEAUTY
The season began last week with the well-established St Michael’s Hospice fundraising event covering Sedlescombe, Winchelsea Beach and Battle. It continues with Bexhill Old Town at the end of the month. July will be an opportunity to visit gardens in Cooden Beach/Little Common (7 July), Hastings (14 July), St Leonards (18 July) and Sandhurst (8 August).
Running throughout the summer, these Open Garden events bring together an eclectic mix of outdoor spaces. From compact courtyards to sweeping coastal plots and wildlife-friendly havens, each garden reflects the personality, creativity and passion of its host, many of whom will be on hand to answer questions, share tips and talk about the stories behind their gardens.
This year’s season also features a special highlight for gardening enthusiasts. On Saturday 18 July, the Hospice will welcome Jean Griffin, BBC gardening expert and much-loved radio broadcaster, for an exclusive live Q&A session. Known for her warm, practical advice and decades of horticultural expertise, Jean will be answering gardening questions of every kind. From tiny balcony dilemmas to ambitious landscaping plans.
Open Gardens offer a unique chance to learn from passionate gardeners and enjoy the beauty hidden behind Hastings and Rother’s garden gates, all while supporting the essential work of St Michael’s Hospice, which supports local people to live well with dying, death and loss.
EDIBLE INGENUITY
A separate initiative, Edible Open Gardens, is organised by Town Grown, the Hastings and St Leonards food-growing network. Taking place over the weekend of 28 and 29 June, it will see 27 local growers open their gardens, allotments, community plots and productive spaces to visitors.
The weekend is designed to celebrate local food projects, share practical knowledge and show how productive growing can thrive in almost any setting. Visitors can meet fruit and vegetable growers, pick up ideas for their own spaces and see first-hand how window boxes, small gardens, allotments and scraps of land can produce an abundance of fresh, seasonal food.
Highlights this year include tours of Phillip Harris Wine, a commercial no-dig organic vineyard, and the walled garden at Fairlight Hall estate, led by Head Gardener Tony Howard.
Other spaces to explore include organic farms and smallholdings, community gardens and orchards, allotments, and inspiring private kitchen gardens such as The Knowle and St Benedicts. Immerse yourself in a growing culture and the many ways local people are making fresh, low-impact food part of everyday life.
For more information, maps and dates of each Open Garden event go to stmichaelshospice.com/event/opengardens Information on Edible Open Gardens and interactive map visit towngrown.co.uk/edible-open-gardens-2026
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