A popular event which sees the beautiful gardens at St Peter’s Hospice open to the public, is returning this September for the first time in four years.

The annual Open Gardens Day was a highlight on the Hospice calendar for many years and is making a welcome return after being paused during the pandemic. Now guests are being invited to enjoy the Hospice gardens in bloom once more, with a special event on Sunday 8 September.

As well as having the opportunity to spend time in the beautiful and welcoming outdoor space, there will be flower arranging workshops, musical performances, cream teas and tours from head gardener Anneke van Eijkern. Anneke, who joined the St Peter’s Hospice team in 2023, previously worked at the Royal Gardens at Highgrove.  
 
Event organiser and Community Fundraising Manager, Sophie Cullinane, said: “Whether you're a keen gardener or would simply like to learn more about the Hospice, this is a fantastic chance to come and spend some time with family and friends in our much-loved gardens.

“Guests will learn more about how we maintain the gardens, our wide variety of expertly-chosen flowers and our poignant Memory Tree.

“The gardens play a hugely important role here and are lovingly crafted to be a therapeutic place for patients and their families. This event is a way to help us continue to maintain a relaxing and welcoming space that supports people in our community when they need it most.”

There will be a number of free talks taking place on the day including those from multi-award winning Chelsea Flower Show gardener Jane Porter and Senior Botanical Horticulturist at University of Bristol, Andy Winfield.

The teacup flower arranging workshop will run twice throughout the day where participants will make a small floral arrangement in a recycled teacup and saucer sourced from one of the Hospice shops. Seasonal flowers and foliage will also be sourced from the Hospice garden.

Sophie continued: “It’s exciting to be able to open our gardens up to the public again and we hope that people enjoy their time here. It’s so important for patients and visitors to look out and see a beautiful environment, or to be able to come outside for some peaceful reflection. Events such as this make all the difference in helping us to provide that.”

St Peter’s Hospice is Bristol’s only adult hospice providing inpatient care as well as well as community support to those with life-limiting illnesses.

It is expected that this popular event will sell out, so those interested are being encouraged to book online in advance to secure places.

The event will take place at the Hospice from 10am-4pm on Sunday 8 September. Open to all ages, tickets cost £6 each or are free for those aged 15 or under. The flower arranging workshop is £15 and includes the entry fee.

For more information or to book tickets and the workshop visit Hospice Open Gardens - St Peter's Hospice (stpetershospice.org)