The National Garden Scheme gives visitors access to over 3,600 beautiful and exotic private gardens in England and Wales, raising impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, plus teas and cake. Some of the UK?s esteemed independent schools with beautiful and educational gardens are taking part this summer.
Here, we speak to the schools to find out a little bit about their gardens, what the school hopes to achieve with their National Garden Scheme partnership, and what benefits gardening and being outdoors bring to pupils and young people.
Hanford School, Dorset

Hanford School has the only school in the country with a working kitchen garden growing quantities of seasonal vegetables, fruit and flowers for the dinner table. The rolling lawns host sports matches, gymnastics, dance and plays for the students while ancient cedars look on. The stable clock chimes the hour and the beautiful chapel presides over it all. ?Our Head Gardener, Chi Chi Dunford, has transformed our gardens over the past two years with the help of staff and girls?, says headmaster, Rory Johnston. ?Together they have planted wild flowers, English roses, circular lawns, living willow sculptures and double herbaceous borders. We took part in the National Garden Scheme in June, and visitors discovered the same joy and inspiration as the Hanford girls and staff who regularly visit the gardens to read, relax, plant or just potter.? The Downs Preparatory School, Bristol

At T...