Open Gardens
March to September 2025
For our 2025 season, we are delighted to present a diverse collection of beautiful gardens, carefully selected to inspire and captivate. They are 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.
This is a unique opportunity to explore a variety of garden designs and planting schemes, with many not typically open to the public. Our Open Gardens 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 15 years. Together you have raised more than £590,000 for our patient care.
Our Open Gardens scheme is proudly sponsored by NFU Mutual Plymouth.
To find out more about the gardens on offer this year, please read our 2025 brochure.
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.
Shilstone House Tours
Explore the extensive gardens and enjoy a guided tour of the Grade II listed, Georgian Shilstone House. Set in the beautiful South Hams this impressive estate boasts excellent views of the surrounding countryside and is home to the Devon Rural Archives. The house tour, the gardens, archives and a valley walk are all included in the admission fee. The cafe on site provides a delicious selection of cakes and lunches.
