Private garden opens at the weekend to raise money for Marie Curie

A colourful urban garden in Pentland Crescent will be opening its gates to the public on 18 July to raise essential funds for Marie Curie and Scotland’s Gardens Scheme beneficiary charities.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the garden’s wide variety of shrubs and herbaceous planting, including roses, peonies, cranesbill, geums, azaleas, clematis, camellias, delphiniums and cotoneasters. It includes a rockery, herbaceous borders, archway, raised beds, various sitting areas and a pergola framed ‘gin and tonic’ patio from which to enjoy sunsets.

The garden opening will support Marie Curie and Scotland’s Gardens Scheme’s charity beneficiaries – The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland, Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres and Perennial.

The garden at 2 Pentland Crescent, EH10 6NP will be open from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. There will be a plant stall and refreshments. Tickets can be purchased for £4 at the gate on the day.

Owner Jan Polley, said: “I hope visitors enjoy looking round my garden and maybe gain some ideas to take away. Charities have had such a tough year and anything we can do to provide a little boost has to be worthwhile.”

Liz Stewart National Organiser at Scotland’s Gardens Scheme said: “The garden at 2 Pentland Crescent is one of over 400 gardens opening for Scotland’s Gardens this year. Thanks to garden owners and volunteers rallying together, there is an outstanding collection of beautiful gardens to visit this year, sure to delight the eye and feed the soul, something we all need at the moment.

“As well as raising funds for charity, however, garden openings have become so much more over the past year; as places to reunite with friends and loved ones, to share garden stories with visitors and to bring people together in a shared love of plants and gardens, our open days have never meant more.”

Scotland’s Gardens Scheme facilitates the opening of gardens in Scotland, principally private ones not normally open to the public, to raise funds for the benefit of charity. From large estates to urban wildlife havens, to allotments, contemporary and cottage gardens, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme has a garden for every interest.

All the gardens must be of horticultural interest and meet a certain standard to participate in Scotland’s Gardens Scheme’s programme and this is carefully monitored by the charity’s team of volunteers.

Before setting off to any of the gardens, visitors should check the Scotland’s Gardens Scheme website for details and visitor guidance, as there may be some changes to the published dates, times, and booking limits due to Covid-19 restrictions.