A message from Perennial’s CEO regarding The Laskett Garden

It is with regret that I provide you with an update on The Laskett Garden in Herefordshire which we unfortunately have had to close.

The Laskett suffers from a significant lack of car parking provision which means visitor numbers cannot increase to the level needed for the garden to cover its operating costs. As a result, Perennial has been supporting the costs of running the garden for the last five years. Despite exploring a variety of ideas to increase income, the lack of parking remains an enduring challenge.

Our team of four staff and 26 volunteers have worked exceptionally hard to maintain and develop the garden and I would like to thank them for all their commitment, creativity and effort over the years. We are of course supporting staff affected by the closure during this difficult time.

Perennial’s core purpose is to support people working in horticulture when they are facing financial, physical or mental health challenges or life changing issues such as homelessness or bereavement. The funds we raise as a charity are used to provide expert services to horticulturalists and their families when they need us most. We cannot continue to use charity funds away from this core purpose when there is no future prospect of the garden being able to cover its core operating costs.

As a result, and in order to safeguard the long-term ability of Perennial to discharge its core charitable purpose, the Board has unanimously decided that the only viable option is to explore a potential sale of The Laskett Garden. Our preferred outcome is that a suitable buyer within the horticultural community can be identified who will be interested in maintaining the garden and taking on the role of custodian over The Laskett.

Throughout this process, I have been in close dialogue with legacy donor, Sir Roy Strong. I fully appreciate this is a deeply personal matter for him and am gratified by his understanding of the necessity of the decision that has been made. We are working closely with Sir Roy to honour all his requests with regards to personal items in the garden and the house.

This is not an easy decision for anyone, but it is a necessary one. As a charity we have to prioritise how our income is spent to ensure we achieve the maximum benefit for the people we are here to support.

Ever since Sir Roy chose Perennial to take over The Laskett, it has been our privilege to welcome the public to what are, notwithstanding the site's logistical challenges, truly wonderful gardens. I would like to take this opportunity to once again extend my personal thanks to all of those who have contributed to and visited the Laskett during our tenure, and I am incredibly grateful to our teams and to our supporters for their patience and understanding throughout this process.