Chair Dougal Philip says the visitor numbers and garden openings held up well in 2024 despite poor weather.
He concludes that garden visiting is good for everyone, particularly charities.
By the end of November 2024, £213k had been donated to 223 charities during the year. They included £2k+ to 20+, including Maggies, Highlands Hospice and Marie Curie.
Among highlighted gardens that open are Norton House in Aberdeenshire, Dordward House in Montrose, Glenbervie House in Stonehaven, castles such as Ecclesgreig, Ardmaddy and Dunninald, An Cala on the Isle of Sell and botanic gardens including Benmore (recently damaged by Storm Eowyn) and Inverness.
There's a couple of pages of new ones including Lanark Town Gardens, Bellhaven Hill School, the walled garden at the Hugo Burge Foundation and 11 in the Angus area. Most are private gardens but the organisers insist they are not just about them, and also want to celebrate community gardens and allotments, such as at BRechin Cathedral and Braehead.
SGS's Cattanach Fund gives grants to horticultural careers. See scotlandsgardens.org/bursaries/
The Yellow Book in England is very much along the lines of the SGS guide and as such contributes greatly to charity's funds, and to gardeners' leisure and pleasure.
