Sit back and relax as you take a virtual tour of a beautiful garden, owned by hospice supporters John and Sue Fletcher.
Each year, the couple invite visitors to enjoy their garden as part of the National Garden Scheme (NGS) Open Gardens. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, this is not possible in 2020.
Instead, they have ‘opened up’ their gardens virtually for all to enjoy while raising money for St Richard’s Hospice, which cared for their son, Paul, in 2010.
John and Sue say: “Many changes have been made to our garden in the past 18 or 19 years and we have spent most of the past six weeks working in it, and the garden is now in pristine condition with no visitors possible in person!
“Hence our decision to video a virtual tour which we hope will give enjoyment to possibly more folk than normally visit and raise much needed funds for the charity mentioned previously. Happy viewing!”
If you enjoy the virtual tour, please visit www.strichards.org.uk/donate and make a donation to St Richard’s if you feel able to. Please quote ‘Garden’ as your reference when donating. Thank you.
Read a piece by Sue and John on the history of their garden
“We laid our garden out about 18 or 19 years ago and it was suggested that we should open it, on designated dates, for the public to visit. We decided that the most appropriate way to do this was by the ‘Yellow Book’ scheme run by the National Garden Scheme. All money collected at our openings is sent to the NGS centrally and they donate it on each year to the charities they support, mainly cancer related.
“This seemed an ideal method for us as we had lost both John’s parents and Susan’s father to cancer some years before.
“Then ten years ago, our youngest son, Paul, passed away after a valiant fight against cancer and so our openings became even more poignant. We decided we should also raise money for St Richard’s Hospice in Worcester, where Paul spent his last days, and where he, and the rest of our family were so well supported through a very difficult period in all our lives.
“We have raised money for St Richard’s, by various means since eg concerts with the Morriston Male Choir from Swansea, garden openings, Susan knitting and selling scarves, Susan and our daughter, Jane, collecting in the local pubs dressed as ducks etc, stood outside mainly Webbs at Wychbold with collecting tins etc.
“This year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, we are unable to allow the public to visit our garden and so we came up with the idea of a virtual tour which will be available on several platforms on the internet.
“Many changes have been made to our garden in the past 18 or 19 years and we have spent most of the past six weeks working in it, both of us rather than just Susan as in most previous years, and the garden is now in pristine condition with no visitors possible in person!
“Hence our decision to video a virtual tour which we hope will give enjoyment to possibly more folk than normally visit and raise much needed funds for the charity mentioned previously. Happy viewing!”