Welcome
Opens Gardens NT is a volunteer, not for profit association whose mission is to promote the knowledge and pleasure of gardens and gardening across the Northern Territory by facilitating the opening of inspiring private gardens to the public each year.
Open Gardens NT aims are to:
- facilitate the opening of gardens in the Northern Territory for public viewing
- promote the enjoyment and benefits of gardening and gardens
- encourage community engagement in gardening by promoting horticultural education, garden design, ecological sustainability and other activities
- cooperate and to participate in activities with other organisations which have similar objectives
- support local community and charity groups through providing opportunities for fundraising and profile building.
Please watch for updates on our Facebook page or subscribe to receive updates in your email inbox.
Entry Fees and Community support
Adult visitors to the open gardens pay a small entrance fee and children under 18 are free. The entry fees are distributed between:
- Open Gardens NT, for operational costs and surplus funds, supports gardening initiatives with gardening grants and sponsorship of a CDU Horticulture Graduate prize.
- The garden owner and their choice of charity or community group who is being supported at the event.
The following charities and groups were supported by Open Gardens NT fundraising activities so far –
PRISM program run by Headspace | Harvest Corner Community Garden | Good Shepard Lutheran School | Paws Darwin | Autism NT | Wildcare | HPA – Helping People Achieve | St Francis of Assisi Church | RSPCA | Batchelor Area School/ YMCA Youth Diversion Project | Nightcliff Uniting Church Op Shop | Wanguri Preschool | St Francis of Assisi School | Cat Association of the NT | Darwin Hospice | Top End Rehoming | Holy Family Primary School | Bryce Fullwood | Variety NT/Give me 5 for Kids | Environment Centre NT
Community Gardening Grants
Open Gardens NT supports sharing the goodness of gardening in the Territory in the form of $500 grants for community groups, small incorporated associations, schools or similar groups in the NT. In 2022 we distributed the first 11 grants to the following groups –
Humpty Doo Primary School, Westside Community Garden ALEC, Karama Community Garden, RDH Staff Greening Project, Ludmilla Primary School, Zuccoli Primary School, Centralian Middle School, Milkwood Steiner School, Rosebery Primary School, Humpty Doo Comm Garden, Howard Springs Primary School.
See here on our Grants & Links page for more details.