A very warm welcome to 2026 with a refreshed look for our 250th issue of the Diggers member magazine. Last year was momentous for our loyal members and hardworking Diggers team – a year of change that sowed the seeds for a sustainable future.
We are thrilled to begin 2026, still fresh from the excitement of our exclusive arrangement with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). In late 2025, we announced that our three Diggers Foundation gardens – Heronswood, Cloudehill and The Garden of St Erth – had been welcomed into the RHS’ prestigious Partner Garden scheme.
Usually dominated by British and European gardens, our gardens are the first ever in Australia to achieve Partner Garden status, placing us alongside some of the world’s most admired and spectacular gardens.
Our three Foundation gardens join over 200 of the finest gardens worldwide featured in their family of partner gardens alongside the five RHS world-famous English gardens. The inclusion recognises the quality and significance of Diggers’ gardens on the world stage, our contribution to Australian horticulture, and helps foster growing collaboration with the international gardening community.
Since first opening our gardens to the public over 40 years ago, Diggers has grown the gardens to protect and save rare plants and seeds, trial the best plants and gardening practices for Australian conditions and provide inspiration to Diggers members and visitors.
The contributions of Diggers members and gardeners over the decades have helped to craft the sites into world-class gardens worthy of international acclaim. Together with our members, we can take pride in achieving Partner Garden status and be inspired to continue curating and developing the gardens for both Australian and international visitors to enjoy.
Like the RHS, The Diggers Foundation is a garden charity dedicated to educating gardeners, environmental stewardship and preserving our historic gardens and plants. This important collaboration encourages us to continue advocating for sustainable, regenerative horticulture and climate-friendly gardening methods.
