Why not volunteer?

We need volunteers who are interested in gardens, horticulture, social and cultural history, local history or archaeology to get involved and help support our work. See more here .

The Trust would like to enrol more volunteers who are interested in researching gardens and if you would like to join our enthusiastic team helping to understand more about our garden heritage, please contact us .

Go to the Research page for more details.

Volunteers at Marle Place

Become a member!

  • Help preserve Kent's garden heritage!
  • Be actively involved in conservation and research projects!
  • Receive regular newsletters!
  • Come along to informative and entertaining events

Go to the membership page to read more and to join the Trust online!.

Scotney Castle

Our Commitment to Education

Volunteers training

One of the Trust's key priorities is to promote a wider knowledge and deeper understanding of the history and development of gardens in Kent.

We actively encourage the study and appreciation of Kent's garden heritage and its underlying social and cultural history

We organise groups of volunteers to take part in projects to research and record lesser-known but important historic gardens. If you want to know more about our research and conservation work, please click here.

We hold annual lectures covering a wide range of subjects for example: The Protection of Landscapes at Risk, Conservation and Management in the twentieth century and Sissinghurst and the Arts and Crafts garden.

We run events throughout the year which are designed to be both enjoyable and educational. Past events have included a tour of Restoration House and its garden, with commentary by the owner, guided tours of Margate and Broadstairs, and a visit to the World Garden at Lullingstone. See here for this year's diary of events.

How schools can get involved

Getting stuck in!

The importance of teaching children to appreciate Kent's rich garden heritage cannot be overstated. A very good place to start is to engage with children, especially during their formative years, by sharing simple activities such as growing seeds or planning and planting a small garden. These activities not only help children to foster a better understanding of the world around them, but also contribute to core subjects of the national curriculum, particularly at primary level.

A wealth of advice already exists ranging from starting a school gardening club to delivering primary science programmes about plants. These resources not only help teachers in schools, but they also help volunteers discover ways in which they can make a valuable contribution. If you want to find out more about this, please go to the website of the The Gardens Trust.

We are hoping to run a programme of activities in schools. If you think you can help, please contact us with a few details about yourself.