The Sunbury Open Garden Scheme started in June 2003 when an idea to raise funds for the Sunbury Embroidery Gallery came to fruition.  Enthusiastic gardeners offered (or were cajoled) to open their gardens for a Sunday afternoon.  Tickets were sold by Albert Skinner at his post office/ shop in The Avenue, and the shop continues to support the scheme today.   The tickets were designed and printed by the Embroidery team, who also provided teas in the boathouse at David Browns house on the Thames.  Over 270 people enjoyed the day, walking between the gardens and enjoying others efforts.  More importantly it was an opportunity to meet old friends and enjoy the community spirit of the village. Plant and book sales, and a raffle, helped to push the total raised to over £1700.

The same year St Mary’s Church ran a similar event in August, raising funds for the Bell Tower rebuilding programme.  Some of the gardens were the same and at that time the idea of combining the two events was floated, but the 2004 open gardens were again run separately.  It wasn’t until 2005 that the two came together to form the present organisation to raise funds to be shared between the two causes.

Each year new gardens are introduced into the scheme, and old ones revisited, to offer visitors the opportunity of seeing what lies behind the hedges and walls.  Historic sites abound and hundreds of people have seen the sites of Saxon burial mounds, ice houses, old wells, second world war bunkers and much more. Gardens have varied from the pocket sizes urban garden to the large walled gardens with ancient listed trees.  Each is individual and hopefully provides the germ of an idea to be taken away and used elsewhere.  The organisers are eternally grateful to the volunteers who preen their gardens before the event and then spend long hours talking to the interested visitors.   

In 2006 the fund raising for the Gallery was complete and the Gallery was opened in that year.  Not only does it house a magnificent embroidery capturing the spirit of Sunbury, both past and present, it is also has a café serving the most delicious home-made cakes, soups and sandwiches.  The Gallery has become a focal point of village life as well as attracting visitors from all over the world.  If you haven’t seen the embroidery a visit is recommended. sunburyembroidery.org.uk  The embroidery continues to support the open day by selling tickets and promoting the event.

As the open garden day had become part of village life, and was so successful in fundraising, the organisers looked around for another cause to benefit from the day.  The obvious choice was the Shooting Star Hospice for children at Hampton.  The local fundraising group for the Hospice now assist in selling tickets and by getting involved on the day.  In 2008 they served teas and cakes to over 600 visitors to the gardens and the day raised over £5500 for the Hospice and the Church.

2009 has seven new gardens to delight and inspire the visitors, and some have very interesting hidden secrets.