Gardens, as both private and public spaces, are a major resource for leisure in the United Kingdom and a way of life for many British citizens. The growth of garden charity openings with the emergence of the National Garden Scheme in the 20th century has created a relatively new tourist attraction from a wide range of domestic gardens that have become accessible. These now offer more information and garden ideas than historic gardens. This paper uses qualitative studies to present owners’ perceptions of their garden and gardening as an activity in itself. This approach reveals different connections between the garden and the owner and garden-openings can therefore be understood in a variety of ways and play a different role for each owner.