Gardens to visit
Visiting a beautiful garden can be a wholly enriching experience. The benefits of visiting a garden – from mental health right through to exercise – are huge, and garden days out are perfect ways to have fun on your own, or as an entire family.
Regardless of how, and whoever you visit with, we have a host of suggestions of which gardens to visit, from gardens for the season, through to the gardens that are in full bloom and at their best each month. We have collated lists of the best gardens to visit with the help of our experts and many years of visiting gardens all around the UK, and beyond. We have gardens organised by theme, days out and local area, so you should find something for wherever you are and whatever garden experience you are looking for.
Enjoy our comprehensive guide to the best gardens to visit in the UK.
Behind the scenes at Sissinghurst: springtime in the most-loved garden in the world
Sissinghurst’s head gardener Troy Scott Smith guides us through the jobs that he and his team do in spring. Images by John Campbell
Sissinghurst head gardener Troy Scott Smith on his vision for the garden
In 1930, the writer Vita Sackville-West and her diplomat husband Harold Nicolson bought an old farm in Kent and set about creating a garden that has become one of the best loved and most visited in the world. In the lead-up to the garden's centenary in 2030, head gardener Troy Scott Smith muses on the garden's enduring appeal - and outlines his vision for the garden. Images by John Campbell
Gardens to visit in March
Gardener and plantsman Keith Wiley shares his favourite gardens to visit in March.
This blank rectangular plot was transformed into a field of dreams by Piet Oudolf at a Somerset art gallery
Piet Oudolf has transformed a blank, rectangular plot
into a colourful, perennial meadow full of character
at the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in Somerset
Half term | Garden days out with the kids
Garden days out with the kids are the perfect way to spend half term holidays and more
Best places to propose: pop the question in a garden
Thinking of proposing to your beloved? Why not do it in style and pull off the perfect marriage proposal in one of our pick of beautiful garden venues
Top 10 most romantic gardens to visit with your loved one
Lose your heart in one of the world's most romantic gardens. Garden writer Anna Pavord picks ten of her favourite gardens to visit that will sweep you off your feet.
Gardens to visit in February
Keith Wiley, plantsman and owner of Wildside Garden and Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetye Manor, recommend gardens to visit that look beautiful in February
The English country town where everyone goes completely snowdrop mad each February
The annual Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival in Somerset is the place to be for galanthophiles in February.
Words Lucy Bellamy, photographs Jason Ingram
Margery Fish's remarkable snowdrops at East Lambrook Manor
Margery Fish is best known for her books on creating her garden at East Lambrook Manor but, as designer Isabel Bannerman discovers, she was also an galanthophile who filled her garden with snowdrops. Photographs by Jason Ingram.
The best places to see snowdrops in 2024
For snowdrop lovers, or galanthophiles, February is the month to venture out to admire spectacular displays of snowdrops. Here are some of our recommended gardens to visit.
International garden festivals to visit
Horticulture events from around the world including flower shows and festivals.
Tips for visiting Christmas light shows
Christmas light show enthusiast Alice Tuffery gives us her advice on visiting festive light displays.
Best UK gardens open for Boxing Day walks
Many UK gardens are open this festive season, so why not work off your Christmas indulgence between Boxing Day and New Year with a winter walk at one of these 13 great open gardens?
The most inspiring winter garden walks
It may be cold outside but you can still visit beautiful gardens over the winter months. Here's our top picks of UK open gardens to visit for a refreshing winter walk
Autumn glory at Fullers Mill
For more than half a century, Bernard Tickner worked on creating an exhilarating garden at Fullers Mill, which is a glory to visit in autumn. Words Matthew Biggs, photographs Richard Bloom
Key plants from Piet Oudolf's field at Hauser and Wirth
The garden at the Hauser and Wirth gallery in Somerset is a planting installation by garden designer Piet Oudolf called the Oudolf Field. Here you'll find 24 of the key plants that make up the stunning perennial meadow garden. Photographs: Jason Ingram
The remarkable history and gardens of Parcevall Hall
Steeped in history and enveloped in woodland, Parcevall Hall Gardens in the Yorkshire Dales are a gardener’s delight. Words John Grimshaw, photographs Claire Takacs
Gardens to visit in November
Head gardener Tom Brown recommends the gardens to visit the month of November to see seasonal plants at their best
Beautiful royal gardens
From wildflower meadows to Islamic-inspired water gardens, the gardens of royal residences can provide places of calm, beauty and inspiration. We recommend the best royal gardens to visit in the UK
The best campsites with beautiful gardens
From Victorian walled gardens to shaded clearings among wildflowers, we recommend the best campsites in the UK with beautiful gardens to get lost in
Gardens to visit in Sussex
Blessed with historic country estates and wildflower-covered chalky hills, Sussex is a fine county for exploring gardens. Here's our pick of the best.
The best lavender farms to visit
Swathes of blue and purple as far as the eye can see – we recommend the best lavender farms to visit for a perfect summer day out
Sunken garden inspiration and how to make one
A sunken garden can provide privacy and a new perspective for planting. Here designer James Alexander-Sinclair lists five key design elements to consider when planning to build your own sunken garden.