The garden gates are opening - the secrets of private gardens are being revealed all over the country

The prototype of the Visitable Private Gardens initiative was a long-standing popular movement in Great Britain. The island's obsessed gardeners are justifiably proud of their wonderful gardens, and they do not hide their pride: they have created a tradition of periodically opening their gardens to the public. Recently, garden culture has started to develop enormously in Hungary as well, proximity to nature is becoming more and more important to people. More and more beautiful gardens are being created all over the country, so it seemed obvious to create a tradition of private garden visits. This is how the idea was born in the minds of a few professional and hobby gardeners to get together for the noble cause and create the community of Visitable Private Gardens.

In addition to promoting gardening, they also offer a glimpse into the everyday life of these gardens, from the selection of plants to the practice of planting and the joys and difficulties of care. It is no exaggeration to say that you can get acquainted with these living works of art close up. At the same time, garden visits create a great opportunity for garden and nature enthusiasts to meet, share their experiences, and gather inspiration from each other. Of course, attitude formation also plays an important role. The common denominator of the garden owners participating in the programme is eco-awareness, as the extreme weather conditions formed due to climate change put even experienced professionals to the test.

Visitors can not only relax and enjoy the gardens, but they also gain useful information about the design and maintenance of the gardens. They can learn about simple but very practical topics such as soil improvement, mulching, composting, watering and the extremely important right choice of plants.

From rural English style to the kitchen garden

Throughout the country, garden visits last from early spring to late autumn, so for most of the year guests are given the opportunity to visit gardens with different atmospheres, sizes and designs, depending on the season and geographical conditions. More than a dozen locations are currently included in the Visitable Private Gardens programme. One of the most popular is the eco-conscious, rural English-style garden of Miklós Szomoru in Pilisszentkereszt, where visitors can admire thousands of plants. Thanks to the conscious design, the garden shows a different face in every season.

In Dereskert, located in Pusztaberki, you can find one of the country's most unique collections of South African bulbous plants and rock garden plants, which the owner, Zoltán Tóth, has developed with great expertise over the years. The garden in Sopron, created by Rita Mogyorósi, which is extremely insect-friendly due to the abundance of lavender and flowering shrubs, has a very different atmosphere. Visitors can also taste the lavender delicacies during garden visits here.

For lovers of fine art, the Ceramic Garden in Gödöllő is a must. In this forest garden with a magical atmosphere, you can come across the creations of the owner, ceramicist Anna S. Fehér, all along the way, so you can enjoy a truly fairy-tale-like experience. If you are also interested in the topic of kitchen gardens in addition to ornamental gardens, it is recommended to visit Páty, the Tulip Snug of Zsuzsa Kakuk! Here, we can get an insight into how to farm in a relatively small area in such a way that the family can be satisfied all year round from the organically produced vegetables and fruits.

Do it yourself, in the garden!

In the private gardens participating in the programme, not only traditional garden visits are organized. During their thematic events, it is possible to take walks combined with gastronomic experiences, as well as to participate in courses related to gardening. The workshops offer a wide range of topics: in addition to the already mentioned eco-conscious attitude formation, garden design workshops and courses related to pruning plants enrich the offer. Those interested in art can take part in a ceramic, fire enamel, or even straw spinning course combined with a garden visit. And for those who are interested in home practices, the pasta courses, which are also combined with a garden tour, or the Garden-Pampering workshop, which presents tips on maintaining the kitchen garden, offer a great opportunity.

Private garden walks are an incomparable leisure activity for nature and garden lovers, as the body and spirit are recharged at the same time thanks to the many useful information and visual experiences. It is worth combining our 2-3 hour walks with the sights of the wider environment of the gardens involved in the programme, or getting to know the products of local producers. If you want to visit a private garden, you have to be on time, because the places for the walks advertised on the programme's website run out very quickly.