National Garden Scheme
The National Garden Scheme is a UK charity founded in 1927 that opens 3,300+ private gardens to paying visitors, channelling admission income to nursing and health charities including Macmillan, Marie Curie and Hospice UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1927
- HeadquartersGuildford, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What National Garden Scheme does
The National Garden Scheme (NGS) is a UK-registered charity founded in 1927 that opens more than 3,300 private gardens across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man to paying visitors, with the proceeds donated to nursing and health charities. Garden owners voluntarily open their gardens on scheduled dates, 500+ volunteer county organisers coordinate logistics, and visitors pay an admission fee (with a card or an annual NGS Garden Visitor's Handbook) that is channelled to beneficiary organisations including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Parkinson's UK, Mind, and the Queen's Nursing Institute. The scheme is headquartered at Hatchlands Park in Guildford, Surrey, and is structured as a company limited by guarantee.
The platform is built around a centralised website featuring a Find a Garden search tool, OLGA (Online Garden Application) software that volunteers use to manage garden submissions and listings, e-tickets and e-newsletters, and a mobile app that supports visitor trip planning. Content is further distributed through 50+ county-level Facebook pages, a printed Garden Visitor's Handbook, and curated thematic collections.
Commercially, NGS generated a record £3,875,596 in donations in the 2025 season and has cumulatively donated more than £76 million since 1927. The financial model is donor-funded through garden admissions, handbook sales, plant sales, donations, and legacy gifts, with a core sponsorship from Rathbones (Investec) and partnerships with beneficiary charities embedded in the disbursement chain. The published 2026–2030 Strategic Plan sets growth targets of 5,000 gardens and 2 million visitor engagements.
National Garden Scheme firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National Garden Scheme
- Legal name
- National Garden Scheme
- Website
- https://ngs.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1927
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The National Garden Scheme is a UK charity founded in 1927 that opens 3,300+ private gardens to paying visitors, channelling admission income to nursing and health charities including Macmillan, Marie Curie and Hospice UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National Garden Scheme industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Garden Visits
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)
Keywords
Where National Garden Scheme is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Guildford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
National Garden Scheme business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Garden Admission Fees: Visitors pay admission fees to enter private gardens. These funds, along with proceeds from teas and cakes, are donated to beneficiary nursing and health charities.
- Garden Visitor's Handbook Sales: Sale of annual handbook featuring all participating gardens. Revenue supports the scheme's charitable activities.
- Online Talks and Events: Virtual garden tours and online events sold through the shop. Additional revenue stream for charitable donations.
- Donations: Direct donations from supporters, garden party fundraising events, and corporate matched funding arrangements.
- Brand Licensing: Brand licensing opportunities offered to businesses for use of National Garden Scheme branding on products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Garden Visitor's Handbook 2026 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
National Garden Scheme product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The National Garden Scheme opens over 3,300 privately-owned gardens across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands to paying visitors, with admission fees, refreshments and donations channelled to nursing and health charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and Carers Trust. The scheme is operated by the charity (a company limited by guarantee) using a website, mobile app and the OLGA garden-owner portal to publish the annual garden directory and process bookings.
Product overview
The National Garden Scheme is a charitable organization that has been funding nursing and health charities since 1927 by opening private gardens to the public. The core product offering is a garden discovery and booking platform centered around Find a Garden (online portal for discovering open gardens) and the Garden Visitor's Handbook (annual guidebook to 3,300+ gardens). The National Garden Scheme App provides mobile access to garden discovery. Virtual Garden Visits enable remote experiences. Supporting products include Online Talks and Events, Special Garden Events, By Arrangement Gardens, and Pop-Up Openings. Garden owners use the Online Garden Administration (OLGA) system for registration and management. The Online Shop sells merchandise including the Handbook and books. Charitable engagement is facilitated through donations via JustGiving, the Great British Garden Party fundraising initiative, and Community Garden Grants. The Gardens & Health Program documents therapeutic benefits. Scotland's Gardens Scheme operates as an integrated affiliate program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Find a Garden: The organization's garden finder tool and platform for locating gardens open to the public
- NGS
Products and services
- Garden Visitor's Handbook Annual printed publication listing NGS gardens with descriptions, opening times and visitor information, sold via the online shop and used by visitors planning garden visits across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
- National Garden Scheme Mobile App Free mobile application (iOS/Android) providing a searchable directory of NGS gardens with location and opening information, used by individual visitors to find gardens to visit.
- Online Garden Directory Searchable online directory of 3,300+ NGS gardens hosted on the NGS website, providing location, opening details and visitor information to the UK public.
- Virtual Garden Visits Paid online streaming experiences allowing visitors to view NGS gardens remotely, used by individuals who cannot attend physical garden openings.
- Online Talks and Events Paid online talks, lectures and special events held on the NGS online platform, designed for visitors interested in gardening, horticulture and NGS beneficiary charity topics.
- Special Garden Events and Group Bookings Bookable group and special-event visits to NGS gardens (including by-arrangement openings), offered to groups, clubs and organisations for bespoke garden experiences outside standard public opening dates.
- NGS Online Shop E-commerce shop on the NGS website selling NGS publications (such as the Garden Visitor's Handbook), branded merchandise and related products, available to the general public.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over £76 million donated to nursing and health charities since 1927
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use National Garden Scheme
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
National Garden Scheme technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
National Garden Scheme partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)coreCollaboration on The Big British Garden Survey - a citizen science project with UKCEH, a world-leading independent research institute and leader in community science research, to document wildlife in UK gardens.
- Gardens & Health BeneficiariescorePartnership with gardening sector charities including Supporting Gardeners programme providing £320,000 in grants to community gardens and horticultural therapy programmes.
- JEM Marketing & Fulfilment Services LtdminorFulfilment company used to dispatch shop orders. Personal information stored on website, CRM database (Microsoft Dynamics) and email marketing systems (Mailchimp and Dotdigital).
- Plant MCRminorManchester-based organisation that hosted a Great British Garden Party fundraiser, raising £606 for the scheme. Their apprentice gardener received a grant from the scheme for retraining as a gardener through WFGA.
- Soil Squad CICminorCommunity interest company focused on regenerative composting practices. Supported by St Albans District Council's Greener Together Net Zero funding. Diverted 2.5 tonnes of food waste in 2025, creating compost for community gardens.
- Little Gate FarmminorCharity supporting autistic and learning-disabled adults. Cut flower garden opens through the scheme, with flowers sold through local businesses and plant fairs at Great Dixter and Alexandra Glasshouse in Hastings.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
National Garden Scheme competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Trust: UK heritage charity managing historic houses, gardens, and estates open to the public with paid admissions and membership. Comparable in operating public garden access at scale, though focuses on preserved heritage assets rather than private owner network.
- Royal Horticultural Society: The UK's leading gardening charity operating RHS gardens (Wisley, Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, etc.) and Chelsea Flower Show. Overlaps with NGS on garden visitation and horticulture mission but operates permanent collections rather than private garden network.
- Historic Royal Palaces: UK charity operating unoccupied royal palaces and their gardens with paid admissions and memberships. Comparable visitor attraction model with charitable mission, though focused on palaces rather than garden-centric experiences.
- English Heritage: UK heritage charity operating historic properties and gardens with paid admissions and membership. Comparable visitor attraction and charitable operating model, though focused on built heritage rather than horticultural gardens.
Emerging players
- Garden Organic: UK organic gardening charity operating Ryton Gardens and promoting sustainable horticulture. Comparable as a UK gardening charity with educational mission, though focused on organic growing rather than private garden visitation.
- Garden Museum: UK museum dedicated to the history and design of gardens. Comparable in promoting garden heritage and education, though operates as a museum rather than facilitating active garden visits.
- Perennial: UK charity supporting people in horticulture with welfare services and grants. Comparable as a UK horticulture-focused charitable organisation, though serves the horticultural trade rather than facilitating garden visits.
Direct peers
- Scotland's Gardens Scheme: The Scottish counterpart organisation operating private garden openings to raise funds for charity, directly comparable as it operates the same model in Scotland and is explicitly integrated with NGS as an affiliate programme.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading public botanic garden with paid admissions, memberships, and plant conservation programmes. Comparable to NGS as a UK public garden visitation destination with charitable mission, though Kew maintains a permanent curated plant collection.
Regional players
- Yellow Book Open Gardens Australia: Australian private garden opening scheme comparable in operating model (volunteer-led private garden visits raising funds for charity), but operates in a different geography and serves as an international peer for the open-garden charity concept.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
National Garden Scheme social profiles
Digital presenceNational Garden Scheme compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
National Garden Scheme financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National Garden Scheme leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
National Garden Scheme funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
National Garden Scheme M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National Garden Scheme
What does National Garden Scheme do?
The National Garden Scheme opens over 3,300 privately-owned gardens across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands to paying visitors, with admission fees, refreshments and donations channelled to nursing and health charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and Carers Trust. The scheme is operated by the charity (a company limited by guarantee) using a website, mobile app and the OLGA garden-owner portal to publish the annual garden directory and process bookings.
Is National Garden Scheme a public or private company?
National Garden Scheme is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was National Garden Scheme founded?
National Garden Scheme was founded in 1927. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is National Garden Scheme based?
National Garden Scheme is headquartered in Guildford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does National Garden Scheme make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Garden Admission Fees are the primary driver. The others are garden Visitor's Handbook Sales, online Talks and Events, donations and brand Licensing.
Who are National Garden Scheme's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Trust, Royal Horticultural Society, Historic Royal Palaces and English Heritage. Emerging players are Garden Organic, Garden Museum and Perennial. Direct peers are Scotland's Gardens Scheme and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Yellow Book Open Gardens Australia is listed as a regional player.
Does National Garden Scheme have an API?
No public API is recorded for National Garden Scheme.
What industry is National Garden Scheme in?
National Garden Scheme's product category is Charitable Garden Visits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAC, Land Trusts & Protected Areas. Its NAICS code is 712190.