West Sussex still shines during the winter months with the chance to visit four beautiful snowdrop gardens in February. From swathes of snowy white blooms to colourful mixtures of aconites, hellebores, iris and crocus under early blossom a garden visit will lift your spirits as the year begins.

And this is just the beginning: A wealth of fabulous West Sussex gardens will welcome you over the next 9 months. To find your perfect garden or to find out more about the gardens featured below, visit ngs.org.uk, download the National Garden Scheme app or pick up a free copy of The Sussex National Garden Scheme Booklet available from February in many local stores, garden centres and libraries. Take a look at our online event listings and monthly (printed) ‘what’s on’ guide – open gardens will be shared throughout the year.

Gardens open this February

Manor of Dean –  Tillington, Petworth, GU28 9AP.

Open Sun 1 Feb (2am-4pm); Sun 22 Mar, Sun 26 Apr (2pm-5pm). Adm £6, chd free. Tea, coffee & cake. Visits also by arrangement 2 Feb to 19 June for groups of 20+.
Approx 3 acres of traditional English garden with extensive views of the South Downs. Herbaceous borders, early spring bulbs, bluebell woodland walk, walled kitchen garden with fruit, vegetables and cutting flowers. NB under long term programme of restoration, some parts of the garden may be affected.

The Old Vicarage – The Street, Washington, RH20 4AS.

Open Every Thur 5 Feb to 1 Oct (10am-4pm). Adm £10, chd free. Pre-booking essential, please visit www.ngs. org.uk for information & booking. Self service light refreshments on Thurs (cash only) & picnics welcome. Mon 6 Apr, Mon 31 Aug (10am-5pm). Adm £10, chd free. Home-made teas. Purchase ticket in advance or at the gate on the day. Visits also by arrangement 16 Mar to 1 Oct for groups of 10 to 30. No private group visits on Thursdays.
A truly creative garden, nurtured over 35 yeas to become a visitor favourite. Spanning over 3 acres, it features formal topiary, seasonal borders, a contemporary water sculpture, an Italianate gazebo, specimen and mature trees, a Japanese garden with waterfall and tea house, a large copse with a stream, a stumpery and treehouse, and a kitchen garden with fruit trees. With 4000 tulips and bulbs planted annually, the garden also opens in Feb for snowdrops. WC available. Featured in RHS The Garden magazine, March 2025. Regional Finalist, The English Garden’s The Nation’s Favourite Gardens 2021. Wheelchair access to front garden; rear garden is on a slope.

Highdown Gardens – 33 Highdown Rise, Littlehampton Road, Goring-by- Sea, Worthing, BN12 6FB.

Opens for NGS Wed 11, Thur 12 Feb (10am-4.30pm); Wed 29, Thur 30 Apr (10am-7pm). Adm by donation. For other opening times and information, please email or visit garden website.
Highdown Gardens were created by Sir Frederick Stern. They are home to rare plants and trees, many grown from seed collected by Wilson, Farrer and Kingdon-Ward. A fully equipped glasshouse enables the propagation of this National Plant Collection. A visitor centre shares stories of the plants and people behind the gardens. An accessible path leads to a sensory garden with a secret sea view. Highdown is also offering Snowdrop Identification tours on 11 and 12 Feb and Peony Identification tours on 29 and 30 April, for more information and booking, see garden website. Accessible top pathway and lift to visitor centre, see garden website accessibility page for full details.

Sandhill Farm House – Nyewood Road, Rogate, Petersfield, GU31 5HU

Opens Sun 15 Feb (12pm-4pm). Adm £10, chd free. Home-made teas.
The front and rear gardens are broken up into garden rooms, including a small kitchen garden. The front garden features a small woodland area planted with early spring flowering shrubs, ferns, and bulbs. There is also a white and green garden, a large leaf border, and a terraced area. The rear garden has rose borders, a small decorative vegetable garden, a red border, and a grasses border. Snowdrop day on Sun 15 Feb. Home of author and principal of The English Gardening School. Dogs on leads.

Denmans Garden – Denmans Lane, Fontwell, BN18 0SU

Open for NGS: Mon 16 Feb, Mon 27 Apr, Mon 26 Oct (9.30-4). Adm £10, chd £8. Pre-booking essential, please phone 01243 278950, email office@denmans.org or visit www.denmans. org for information & booking. Light refreshments. For other opening times and information, please phone, email or visit garden website. Award-winning Grade II registered tranquil contemporary garden, created by gravel gardening pioneer Joyce Robinson and developed by renowned landscape designer John Brookes MBE. Known for its curvilinear layout and complex planting, features including year-round colour, unusual plants, structure and fragrance in the gravel gardens, dry riverbeds, ponds, walled garden, and conservatory. Plant Nursery with specially selected and unusual shrubs, grasses, ferns, and herbaceous perennials. The Gift Shop has beautifully curated gifts and locally made products. Midpines Café serves breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea.

Supporting charities with your donations

Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors The National Garden Scheme have donated over £77.8 million to nursing and health charities and in 2025 made an annual donation of over £3.8 million. The core beneficiaries include Carer’s Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK, Parkinson’s UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.

The National Garden Scheme doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity – they are passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens too. They also support charities doing amazing work in gardens and health and grant bursaries to help community gardening projects.