Hidden Gardens of St Peter’s ready to be explored
More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the St Peter’s Hidden Gardens event over two days.
The event will take place this weekend from 12pm until 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday.
There are more than 20 houses within the vicinity of the parish’s church opening their gardens to the public over the course of the two days. Free bike hire will be available for people to get from garden to garden.
‘There is a real sense of community here,’ said St Peter’s rector the Rev. Adrian Datta.
‘We have been in the parish for 22 years and there is a lovely sense of community, so the fact we will be able to share this with the rest of the island is lovely.’
As well as the open gardens there will be a BBQ starting at noon and ending at 2pm, refreshments at the garden outside of the church, and then an afternoon tea in the church from 2pm. On Saturday afternoon there will be a jazz concert outside the church.
The St Peter’s Hidden Gardens event is raising funds for the parish church.
‘It will help raise money for the running costs, and we have a lot of hospitality that we run, we have cafes on Monday morning and Thursday afternoon, and a community lunch,’ said Mr Datta.
‘It’s the only fundraising event that we do as a church that we use to fundraise for the church.’
The event had been running for 12 years prior to a hiatus caused by the pandemic, and it is something that Mr Datta hopes will now continue ‘for many years’.
‘We are now getting back into it following Covid,’ he said.
‘It might end up being every year or every other year as a lot of planning and preparation goes into it for the garden owners.’
To thank the people who open their gardens, the church will be hosting a pre-event drinks reception at the church on Wednesday from 6pm.
