In Review
Hidden Gardens 2021
what is Hidden Gardens?
For 23 years, the St Andrews Preservation Trust has been celebrating the hidden gardens of St Andrews through this eagerly anticipated, town-wide event. For one day a year, your Hidden Gardens ticket allows you to explore a new side of the 'auld grey toun', thanks to the generosity of garden owners and Trust volunteers.
In this blog, we'll share with you some of the highlights of Hidden Gardens 2021, and, hopefully, we'll convince you to join us next year!
Local Partnerships
We're delighted to connect with organisations, such as St Leonard's School, year in and out for Hidden Gardens.
This year we had a special treat for guests, who were given the chance to explore the Headmaster's Garden as well as the general grounds of the School. In the left hand side picture, a family enjoys the garden at Queen Mary's Library.
Another of our favourite parts of Hidden Gardens day is getting to meet new faces: in the right hand side picture, you can see a St Leonard's pupil and a Trust Charity Trustee sitting enjoying the garden, volunteering together.
A Real 'Behind the Scenes' Of St Andrews
The main attraction of Hidden Gardens is of course getting a sneak peak behind the scenes of the streets we often walk along as residents, tourists, and students.
Though Hidden Gardens is often a sell-out event, the scope of the gardens, both individually, and with the respect to the number on offer, provides a tranquility away from the bustling town centre. For 2021, it was important to us that we maintained this tranquility, allowing guests to socially distance from one another whilst enjoying the peace of the gardens.
We're also proud to have a dedicated pool of volunteers who help out on Hidden Gardens day. In any given garden you can expect to meet a variety of Charity Trustees, ad-hoc volunteers, Museum guides, and garden owners, all of whom will be delighted to give you an introduction to the garden.
Showcasing Local Talent
Another reason to look forward to Hidden Gardens 2022 is the opportunity to meet and celebrate local volunteers and crafters. Our garden owners and the garden team at the St Andrews Heritage Museum give significant time to maintaining their gardens for this exciting event. The smells and sights of the gardens are really something to behold! We are also blessed to welcome regular stall-holders to our annual events, including our own book stall, and member Jill Cameron's homemade textiles. Any proceeds from ticket and stall sales go directly to the Trust, enabling us to continue preserving the natural beauty of St Andrews, and provide a space for respecting the social history of St Andrews.
Hidden Gardens Highlights
01.
Many of the Gardens we Showcase are Mature Gardens
Take, for example, June Baxter's garden at 46 South Street: having lived in the house for over thirty years, June's garden features a rose garden, wild flower meadow, and an eighteenth century doocot. You can often find musicians in June's garden, alongside teas and cakes.
02.
our Hidden Gardens also have historic value
Over at 58 South Street, the Tynte-Irvine's garden features an ancient pear tree, reputedly planted by Mary de Guise, mother of Mary, Queen of Scots.
03.
We Showcase Gardens Across town
The trust often has a cluster of gardens available along South Street, but in recent years, thanks to the generosity of the townsfolk, we have slowly but surely began to showcase the natural beauty behind Greyfriars Garden, North Street and Market Street.
04.
Hidden Gardens is the perfect time to purchase discounted membership
...and maybe even find out more about becoming a Charity Trustee. We're passionate about reaching out into the community and bringing new faces to the Trust. That's why we'll always have current Charity Trustees available to talk to you about the benefits of purchasing membership, or the importance of sharing your skills with us.
Convinced? We hope to see you next year...
Our planning for Hidden Gardens 2022 has already started. Want to come along? Register your interest in finding out more about Hidden Gardens by writing to trust@stapt.org.uk