Pocket Garden winners invite public to view grown garden as part of Scotland’s Gardens Scheme

For the first time, in a new partnership between us and Scotland’s Gardens Scheme five winners of the amazing annual Pocket Garden Design Competition are inviting you to come and see their built garden design.   

The winners of the 2025 annual competition were revealed in an online showcase on 13 June and people across Scotland have been invited to take a look and vote for their three favourites.   In addition to this a number of schools have decided to display their gardens and invite the local community to learn more about their winning designs and see them first hand.

The schools taking part in Scotland’s Garden Scheme are:

Keills Primary, Islay, Argyll & Bute

Redwell Primary, Clackmannanshire

Dunscore Primary, Dumfries and Galloway

Loudoun Academy Communication Centre, East Ayrshire

Dunblane High School, Stirling

Earlier this year, in partnership with Garden for Life Forum, nursery and school pupils, aged three to 18, were invited to design a miniature pocket-sized garden which included food for people, were good for wildlife and reused something.

More than 130 entries from 18 local authority areas across Scotland were submitted, representing the work of whole classes and schools, all capturing fantastic imagination and creativity linked to the 2025 ‘Our Heritage’ theme.  In total 32 designs were selected to build and grow their gardens telling stories of traditional crafts, food and local monuments.

Scotland’s Gardens Scheme facilitates the opening of gardens throughout Scotland, principally private ones not normally open to the public, to raise funds for the benefit of charity. From large estates to urban wildlife havens, to allotments, school and community gardens, contemporary and cottage gardens, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme has a garden for every interest.

Liz Stewart, Chief Executive, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme said, “We are very excited to partner with Keep Scotland Beautiful for the first time to celebrate this inspiring programme and welcome schools to share their Open Pocket Gardens on the Scotland’s Gardens Scheme website and with the wider public. Children and young people are the future of gardening and the environment and it’s truly uplifting to see such a creative response to environmental challenges, and to combine that opportunity with philanthropy and fundraising.”

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “We are delighted to be working with Scotland’s Gardens Scheme for the first time this year to share the joy and creativity of our Pocket Garden Design Competition with more people. 

“Pocket Gardens must re-use something, be good for wildlife and include food for people, all while showing this year’s theme of Heritage.  Schools met that design challenge with fabulous style, imagination, and humour.  I’d really encourage you to go and see how young people transformed their designs into real gardens - you might be able to pick up some innovative sustainable gardening ideas.

The online showcase www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden is open for voting until 22 June 2025 featuring images, video and stories of the winning designs. 

You can find out more about Scotland’s Open Gardens and which Pocket Gardens are open to the public at Find A Garden.