Beth Chatto Gardens, Essex
Beth Chatto was one of the most influential gardeners of the 20th and early 21st centuries until her death in 2018. Her Essex garden is still very much on the garden-visiting map with a thriving nursery attached. Based on Beth’s ecological principles of putting the right plant in the right place based on their native growing conditions, her garden has different areas to showcase a huge range of plants, including the famous dry garden, woodland and island beds.
Clacton Rd, Elmstead Market, Elmstead, Colchester CO7 7DB. bethchatto.co.uk
Trebah is only two miles from Hotel Meudon (which itself is set in nine acres of glorious gardens that snake down a beautiful valley towards the sea). This 26 acre garden is a treat, with an entire valley of rhododendrons including specimens that are over 140 years old. Early spring narcissus bloom in the secluded Chilean coomb, where you will find the stunning Chilean Lantern Tree and a huge monkey puzzle, a species discovered by William Lobb. With over four miles of footpaths to explore, you could easily spend an entire day here, with lunch in the Trebah kitchen. You can choose to stay here too, in the newly refurbished Trebah Lodge, a self-catering cottage sleeping four. The garden is open daily 9.30 am-5 pm.
Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Near Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5JZ; trebahgarden.co.uk
Bodnant Gardens, Conwy, Wales
Home to botanical collections from around the world, Bodnant is the work of four generations of one family. Henry Pochin bought the estate above the River Conwy in 1874 and commissioned the designer Edwin Milner to lay out the garden, while successive generations have made their own additions. The Upper Terrace is influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement, with sweeping lawns, herbaceous borders and the famous laburnum tunnel, while the Dell is an informal woodland garden with paths winding down to the river. Boasting National Collections of Magnolia, Embothrium, Eucryphia and Rhododendron, plant lovers will be enthralled by this garden, which is particularly fine in spring and autumn.
Bodnant Rd, Tal-y-cafn, Colwyn Bay LL28 5RE. nationaltrust.org.uk
Chatsworth, Derbyshire
To experience a cornucopia of historic garden styles, Chatsworth is a must-see. With remnants of the original Baroque landscape laid out by the famous 17th-century landscapers Loudon and Wise, the 105-acre garden also boasts spectacular Capability Brown parkland and an arboretum and rockery created by Joseph Paxton. This rockery has recently been restored and replanted by Tom Stuart-Smith, and other areas of the garden have been redesigned by Dan Pearson, adding contemporary layers to this richly historic and important landscape.
Chatsworth House, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1PP. chatsworth.org
Great Dixter, Rye, East Sussex
Great Dixter is one of the great experimental and educational gardens of Britain. Owned by Christopher Lloyd until his death in 2006, this Arts & Crafts gem became one of the most renowned gardens of the late 20th century. Always pushing boundaries, Lloyd transformed the space with his sometimes controversial planting combinations, a spirit that has been continued by current guardian and Head Gardener Fergus Garrett. Whatever time of year you visit there is always something different and interesting to see, and the level of horticultural expertise on show here is astonishing.
Northam, Rye, East Sussex TN31 6PH. greatdixter.co.uk
Hidcote Gardens, Gloucestershire, Cotswolds
Designed by American-born Lawrence Johnston in the first two decades of the 20th century, Hidcote is a highly influential garden that has spawned many design ideas the world over. Influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens, Johnston created a series of hedged, colour-themed garden rooms that generate an atmosphere of drama and surprise. Now owned by the National Trust, the garden still has much of the original character, with stunning displays of seasonal flowers.
Hidcote Bartrim, Chipping Campden GL55 6LR. nationaltrust.org.uk
Highgrove, Gloucestershire, Cotswolds
King Charles III’s beloved Gloucestershire garden continues to be open to select groups. Based on organic principles, the garden is divided into various garden rooms near the Georgian house, giving way to wildflower meadows on the periphery. In contrast to the meadows is the woodland garden and Stumpery, designed by Isabel and Julian Bannerman, an area of the garden that is more playful, with classical temples and a fairytale tree house.
Highgrove House, Doughton, Tetbury GL8 8TN. highgrovegardens.com
Inverewe, Scottish Highlands
Situated on the remote west coast of the Scottish Highlands, Inverewe was created by its owner Osgood McKenzie towards the end of the 19th century. Influenced by the warming effect of the Gulf stream, this stunning garden contains many rare plants from China, the Antipodes, South America and the Himalayas, with curving terraces offering the most spectacular views over Loch Ewe. The 100-acre garden is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland.
Inverewe, Poolewe, Achnasheen IV22 2LG. nts.org.uk
Rousham Gardens, Oxfordshire, Cotswolds
Rousham is often cited by garden designers as a strong influence. Designed in the 18th century by William Kent, it is one of the most pristine examples of a garden from that era with most of its original features still intact. The garden is a theatrical masterpiece, with follies and statuary galore, and a wonderful, sinuous rill running through a shady laurel copse to an open water basin. It is breathtaking in its simplicity and timeless beauty.
Rousham House, Rousham, Bicester OX25 4QU. rousham.org
The Oudolf Field, Hauser & Wirth, Somerset
Designed by Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, the Oudolf Field at the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in Somerset has become one of the most iconic contemporary gardens to have emerged in recent years. Typical of the designer’s style, the field has been transformed into a perennial meadow that comes to its peak in late summer when spectacular drifts of tall grasses and perennials weave in and out of each other.
Durslade Farm, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NL. hauserwirth.com
Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent
Sissinghurst is one of the most quintessentially English of gardens. Created by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicholson in the 1930s, the garden is made up of nine intricately designed garden rooms divided by yew hedging and red brick walls, each one a self-contained space rich in design and planting ideas. Recently the area of the garden known as Delos has been reimagined by Dan Pearson, adding a delightful and surprising contrast to the rest of the garden.
Sissinghurst, Biddenden Rd, Cranbrook TN17 2AB. nationaltrust.org.uk
