From 2pm – 5pm on Sunday, 4 June, you are invited to explore our haven of flora and fauna in the city, or to sit and enjoy the tranquillity of the space at the Waverley Road site.
Volunteer Head Gardener, Sue Hobley, has worked with a team of gardening volunteers all year round to get the space in shape for its annual public viewing. She says:
“The gardens at Grove House really are an oasis in the city – offering hospice patients and visitors alike a space to pause and reflect, or feel inspired by the beauty of nature.
“The gardens are tended to, year-round, by a large group of volunteer gardeners. Not only do they prune, weed, plant and manage the greenhouse, they also support me in ensuring that the garden is a haven for wildlife, as well as people. There are wildflowers to encourage pollination and therefore plenty of wildlife is drawn to the area.
“The garden at Grove House is regularly used by patients who attend clinics or appointments here, and is also used for therapeutic gardening groups for people who are living with a life-limiting illness. It’s lovely to be able to open the gardens to the wider public each summer so everybody has the chance to enjoy the fruits of the labour that has gone into it all year. I expect the roses, peonies, alliums and other early summer plants to be in bloom for the day.”
As well as enjoying the gardens, visitors will be able to buy plants that have been grown by our volunteer gardeners, to take a little of the garden home with them.
Some of the volunteer gardeners will be on hand to answer any questions, and tea and cakes will be available to purchase throughout the afternoon. All proceeds raised by the event will be used to fund vital care for local people with a life-limiting illness.
The Open Garden will take place at Grove House, Waverley Road, St Albans, AL3 5QX from 2 – 5pm on Sunday 4 June 2023. Tickets cost £5 each and can be purchased on the door.