Open Up Your Garden For Greenfingers!
With so many of us turning to – and transforming – our outside spaces over the past couple of years, we feel it’s time all these glorious gardens blooming behind closed doors had their moment in the sun.
So this summer, Greenfingers Charity is encouraging supporters to open up their balconies, backyards, patios and gardens to friends, family - even the local community - to come together to enjoy the fruits of that labour, all in the name of a great cause.
Your FUNdraiser could comprise an intimate garden gathering just for close friends or family where you put your fire pit or pizza oven to good use…
...Or you might decide to host a bigger event in which you open up your garden to the whole neighbourhood - or beyond!
HOW DO I TAKE PART?
Just follow these FIVE simple steps…
1. Plan! Think about the sort of garden event you’d like to host and when.
2. Spread the word! Let people know about your event – this could just be an email invite to friends/family letting them know the date etc., or for a bigger event, it might involve putting up posters or dropping flyers through local letterboxes.
3. Let us know! Contact us to register your event and tag us on social media – we’re always happy to offer any support required.
4. Don’t forget to FUNdraise! Consider how you might raise some money at your event:
• You could charge an entrance fee, as well as raise some money from the sale of plants, tea, coffee and a slice of cake at your garden opening.
• Or for a smaller gathering, you could set up a JustGiving page and email friends and family the details to donate - in return for tea, cake, pizza, a glass (or two!) of something perhaps?!
5. Get organised ahead of the day! Download and print out our helpful FUNdraising resources in the section below - and if you would like additional items such as t-shirts and collection boxes, just add this request when you contact us to register your event.
Finally - have fun! Enjoy the day, don’t forget to stop and smell the roses! And thank you so much for your support...
P.S. We’d love to see pictures of your garden event, so please send them to us at info@greenfingerscharity.org.uk - or tag us in any social media posts (@greenfingerscharity) Thank you!
Download and print out these useful resources for your open garden event:
The Claxtons opened up their garden for Greenfingers...
Like many, Kent-based Richard and Cheryl Claxton, realised the incredibly important value of gardening on both physical and mental wellbeing during lockdown. With their hands muddy and the garden thriving, the couple learnt of Greenfingers via ‘My Real Garden’ – a special, community-driven garden book put together by none other than Greenfingers patron, Ann-Marie Powell – and felt there wasn’t a better time to show their support.
Over the course of a weekend, Richard and Cheryl welcomed friends and family, as well as neighbours, to their incredible garden, raising over £2,000 for Greenfingers.
With two acres lovingly landscaped over a seven year period, Richard and Cheryl had a lot to showcase, including fit-to-bursting vegetable patches, fruit cages and greenhouse, extensive lawns and patios, a wildlife pond, herbaceous borders, a bog garden and a shady wildflower and woodland area. If that wasn’t enough, a two-acre paddock with a wildflower meadow, orchard, coppice woodland and thriving polytunnel was also available to see.
However you choose to use your garden to FUNdraise for Greenfingers – and whether you have two acres like Cheryl & Richard, or two-feet squared to play with - you can be sure that all the money donated will enable us to create many more magical gardens in children’s hospices across the UK.