After the success of raising over £1500 for Macmillan during the Lewes District Artwave Festival in August and September 2011, Geoff Stonebanks has established
an Open Garden Trail, in conjunction with Macmillan Cancer Support in Sussex with the invaluable sponsorship of Jonathan
Tate and 
Garden Centre, through their
community support programme. The event will be held on Sunday 5th August 2012. There will be 8 gardens open along a
coastal trail from Saltdean to Seaford.
Leaflets and programmes will be available from all Tates Garden Centres, 
in Portslade, 
in Hassocks and
in Newhaven, along with Tourist Information Offices in Seaford, Lewes and Peacehaven and many other venues from mid June, look out for them. You will also be able
to buy advance tickets for the event as well from the Information Offices
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In order to promote the event there will be a grand launch during the Fun Day at |
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Tickets will also be on sale in each garden on the 5th August and the winners presented with their prizes at Paradise Park on 11th August. Here is Jonathan Tate, owner of Paradise Park, delivering a brand new variety of Cordyline ready for Geoff to plant in the garden for visitors to go and see on the Coastal Garden Trail. This is a new variety of Cordyline and visitors can find it in the gravel bed close to the summer house at Driftwood. |
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The Lord Lieutenant of Sussex is sending his deputy, The High Sheriff will attend as will the Mayor of Peacehaven, Mayor of Newhaven and Mayor of Telscombe. The Mayor's of Lewes and Seaford have also all been invited. It is hoped a surprise celebrity will also be there to launch the event.
All the gardens will be open from 12 until 6pm. Various refreshments will be available at Driftwood, Rodmell Avenue, Coastguard Cottages and Tor Cottage. There will be a set charge of £7 to visit all gardens on one ticket, or £2 each garden, all monies from ticket sales will go direct to Macmillan, along with proceeds from the catering
Here are the 8 gardens that are going to open their gates, 3 of them for the very first time. It is regretted that none of the gardens are able to give suitable access for wheelchairs due to the nature of their design. Click on the images to see a larger view.
Garden 1...... 144 Rodmell Avenue, Saltdean  |
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Sue & Ray Warner have been busy landscaping their fabulous garden in Saltdean to take on the effect of a jungle. You will be able to follow the winding path through the jungle, and take tea in the clearing or check out the tree root throne. For flower lovers there's floral art jewellery to browse upon. |
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Garden 2...... 31 High View Road, Telscombe Cliffs  |
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Tracy Williams has very kindly agreed to open her lovely garden just off the A259 in Telscombe. It is a profusion of colour, lots of pots and hanging baskets full of bright pink/mauve trailing petunias, with beds full of perennials. Its also a place to relax and enjoy good food and wine with friends and family. |
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Garden 3...... Tor Cottage, 8 Tor Road, Peacehaven  |
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Julie & Ron will be opening Tor Cottage in Peacehaven. The garden has a feeling of space with trees and shrubs around the perimiter. Seating in both sunshine and shade provides space to relax with tea and cake and enjoy the ambience. Pots and tubs are bursting with colour along with 2 ponds with koi carp. |
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Garden 4...... 5, Old Coastguard Cottages, Newhaven,  |
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5 Old Coastguard Cottages Newhaven, will be opening its beautiful and unusual coastal garden for the first time this year. The terraced, gravel garden combines strong landscaping with lush eclectic planting, bursting from its borders. Self-seeded plants spill out around scattered salvaged objects from the sea, creating a vibrant and intriguing space. |
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Garden 5...... 1 Navigation Cottages, Rodmell |
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Caroline Archer has very kindly agreed to open her garden, on the C7 road between Newhaven and Lewes, in the picturesque village of Rodmell, a short distance from the coast. Navigation Cottage garden is made up of several ‘rooms’, each one leading into the next, but all very different. There are lots of unusual shrubs and old roses - it could be described as more of a cottage garden, rather than a tidy one! |
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Garden 6...... Driftwood, 4 Marine Drive, Bishopstone 
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Geoff Stonebanks's Independent Magazine listed seaside garden to see, Driftwood , will also be opening it's doors for the event. This year there will be a chance for visitors to come and see the new front garden, set out as a beach garden, complete with small rowing dinghy, coastal groynes and lobster pots. There will be tables and chairs set out for visitors to enjoy their tea and cake with views of the sea or at the back in amongst the sumptuous planting. See examples of the cakes on offer here Throughout the day there will be an exhibition of sculpture in the garden by Serena Thirkell. along with photographs and pictures by Mark Glassman with plants and garden decorations for sale. You can also follow Driftwood Garden on facebook and twitter. |
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or follow
us on 
Garden 7...... 9 Kingsmead, Seaford 
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David and Mary Holland will be opening their fabulous courtyard garden in Kingsmead, for the very first time in 2012. Visitors will be able to appreciate what can be done to create a stunningly beautiful and wistful space full of wonderful planting with an eclectic mix of garden features. |
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Garden 8...... Elizabeth Cottage, 22 Sherwood Rd, Seaford 
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Sue Wright's garden came second in the Best Back Garden In Seaford Competition in 2011 and will be open to visitors for the very first time in 2012. This is a small but delightful garden stocked with cottage plants and some mature trees, including ginko and silver birch. There is also a vegetable patch, bonsai bench and small wildlife pond. |
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All the monies raised from entrance fees to the gardens along with the proceeds from the sales of teas and coffees will go towards the building of the new Cancer Support Centre in Brighton. Any stalls operated in the gardens will be asked to donate a percentage of their proceeds to the charity as well. |
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Click on the black logo below to access the Macmillan fundraising page for this event.
Please contact Geoff Stonebanks, the organiser or Ben Ahmed at Macmillan, for more information.