THE gardens at Rotherfield Park, East Tisted, will be open to the public on Sunday, April 30, to celebrate 50 years of opening in aid of the National Garden Scheme.

As well as viewing the gardens, which include a ‘miniature chapel’, constructed this winter by Nick Sutton and Lori Csepi using homegrown willow and bamboo, there will be an opportunity to buy plants from local nurseries.

These will include Marcus Dancer, specialist clematis grower and purveyor of other interesting climbers; Clive Mellor’s Charleshurst Farm Nursery, which has magnificent shrubs; Marina Christopher’s Phoenix Perennial Plants; and Jo from Feed Thyme at Catherine and David May’s Seale Nurseries, which has specialised in roses since 1948 and has unusual bedding plants.

For the non-gardener, there will be jams and chutneys from White Pony Produce, garden furniture made on site from Gaze Burvill, and top-class English sparkling wine from Jenkyn Place, Bentley.

The garden will be open from 2pm-5pm and homemade teas will be available in the summerhouse. These will be provided by a hardworking team of volunteers with the proceeds going to East Tisted and Empshott churches.