Open Gardens
March to September 2025
As our 2025 season has now come to an end for the year, we would like to say thank you to everyone who supported them. There were a diverse collection of beautiful gardens on offer, carefully selected to inspire and captivate. They were spread across the villages and rural communities where St Luke’s highly respected team looks after patients at home so that they can stay in familiar surroundings and close to loved ones.
Our Open Gardens are a unique opportunity to explore a variety of garden designs and planting schemes, with many not typically open to the public. They are a wonderful way for our supporters to help raise vital funds for our compassionate care.
We would like to thank all the visitors, garden owners and volunteers for making our Open Gardens scheme such a beloved and successful event over the past 16 years. Together you have raised more than £620,000 for our patient care.
Our Open Gardens scheme is proudly sponsored by NFU Mutual Plymouth.
Thank you to everyone who took part in our raffle. The winners are:
1st prize – 1 night stay in luxury room for 2, including breakfast and evening meal. Kindly donated by Turtley Corn Mill.
Ticket number 00225 – S. Pancheri
2nd prize – Original artist signed print of Silver Bells and Cockle Shells kindly donated by Gilly Spottiswoode.
Ticket number 00279 – A. Phillips
3rd prize – Two night’s stay in luxury safari glamping lodge kindly donated by Lower Coombe Royal (Kingsbridge).
Ticket number 04976 – Lisa
4th prize – Voucher package Mila’s bakery and carvery for two at Boringdon Golf Club.
Ticket number 02597 – V. Wilson
5th prize – £50 garden centre voucher kindly donated by Otter Garden Centres.
Ticket number 02929 – C. Reynolds
Gilly Spottiswoode
We are excited to feature printmaker Gilly Spottiswoode, whose design appears on the cover of this year’s brochure. Now based in the stunning Tamar Valley in Cornwall, Gilly is an artist whose journey has been shaped by a rich and diverse background. From her childhood in Africa and the Middle East to her early career in fashion, Gilly has always been drawn to vibrant colour and intricate design. Her natural progression into lino printing – a technique that is both complex and time-consuming-allows her to create expressive, layered works that seem to tell a unique story.
This year’s cover art, Silver Bells and Cockle Shells, inspired by one of Gilly’s favourite places: her own garden. Gilly said: “I live in Gunnislake, which was the first village to take part in the St Luke’s Open Gardens scheme, in 2010. I’ve been a supporter of St Luke’s for many years, and when I was asked to design the cover for this year’s brochure, I was delighted to accept. It’s another way I can contribute to the important work their nurses do.”
Gilly has generously donated the first signed and framed artist print of the cover design and we are delighted to offer it as a prize in our Open Gardens raffle. Tickets will be on sale at all this year’s garden events.
You can view more of Gilly’s work at the Makers Gallery in Paddons Row, Tavistock, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
