Spring is in full-swing and Britain is in bloom. Even in London we can feel the effects, with events like Belgravia in Bloom kicking off this week. We’ve given our Pimlico Road shop a “spruce”, adding vast Lily-shaped planters teeming with flowers, as well as intricately crafted fronds of metal sprouting up in our windows. We’ve also got the Chelsea Flower Show to look forward to, which will see the Royal Hospital burst into life with a veritable array of captivating garden designs. We’re very lucky have such a refreshing line-up of events around the corner, bringing the glories of the garden to our doorstep. If you find yourself itching for more, there’s no shortage of spectacular, sprawling gardens peppered across the UK. We’ve drawn together a few of the best to offer a bit of inspiration for your next escape. Read on to discover some the finest, strangest, and wildest gardens in the UK.
Sissinghurst
Kent
Sissinghurst is home to one of the UK’s best-loved gardens. This corner of the so-called Garden of England is a rambling feast for the senses, bursting with colour and life. It’s an inspiring place created by a fascinating woman. The garden was lovingly cultivated by Vita Sackville-West, known equally for her green thumb, her writer’s wit, and her free-wheeling Bloomsbury sensibility. Step into her world of trees and tendrils and at least a bit of that free-thinking spirit is bound to rub off on you.
Oudolf Field at Hauser & Wirth Somerset
Somerset
Hauser & Wirth art gallery is no stranger to beauty. They’re got outposts all over the globe; but this spot in Somerset is truly something special. Here you’ll find not only world-class art, but a spellbinding garden designed by Dutch maestro, Piet Oudolf. It’s planted in the New Perennial style, which creates a wild yet soft effect. In truth, it’s been meticulously planned so that each plant perfectly complements its neighbour, weaving together in a gorgeous tangle of life.
The Garden of Cosmic Speculation
Dumfries and Galloway
The Scottish Borders set the perfect scene for this off-kilter garden designed by Charles Jencks. It’s defined by its crisply cut landscaping, dazzlingly still waters, and sculptural scenes. A walk through this alternate universe is equal parts disorienting and mesmerising – so, if there’s any place for “cosmic speculation”, it’s certainly this!
The Newt
Somerset
There’s quite a lot to love at The Newt. It’s a relatively new hotel, which has become a fast favourite for its beautifully redesigned manor house, estate-grown culinary delights, and not least, it’s whimsical gardens. The property spans 800 acres with an apiary, a cidery, and a maze. The garden has a 200-year history, with various characters making their mark on the place. Its most recent form embodies Italo-French architect, Patrice Taravella’s belief that a garden should be both beautiful and useful, combining ornamental and productive elements throughout. So, once you’ve taken in the natural scenes, be sure to taste them in one of the estate’s top-notch restaurants.
The Garden at Hotel Endsleigh
Devon
There’s a unique character to the gardens of south-west England. There’s almost a prehistoric feeling which intensifies as one journeys further and further towards the Cornish coast. This enclave just off Dartmoor National Park is now home to a hotel by the impossibly tasteful Olga Polizzi. She’s made her mark on the house, leaving the Humphry Repton-designed gardens in all their original glory. Visit to see ancient trees, gargantuan rhubarbs, and even a shell grotto.
Dyffryn Fernant
Pembrokeshire
Those itching to escape the confines of the city will fall instantly for the vastness and verdancy of Pembrokeshire’s Dyffryn Fernant. The surrounding landscape alone would be enough to make one’s heart skip a beat. It’s peppered with classically Welsh chocolate box outbuildings and one raspberry-hued house. This country cottage garden has got an unfussy, characterful feel to it, which has been cultivated by its owners over the past quarter-century. It’s a soothing place which is well worth popping by and getting a little lost in.
Chatsworth
Derbyshire
The gardens at Chatsworth sprawl out from the great house, taking on various styles in each direction. These schemes have got a 500-year history, which we’re constantly discovering more about. Last year’s particularly hot summer, for example, scorched the South Lawn to unveil the footprint of an ornate planting scheme dating to the 17th century. It’s a truly spectacular estate that reveals more of itself with every wander. Visit before the 1st of October to catch their current exhibition, Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth. The show draws together work from 16 designers, from Faye Toogood to Ettore Sottsass which are dotted throughout the house and garden.
Arundel Castle Gardens
West Sussex
The gardens at Arundel Castle are wonderfully diverse. On one end of the spectrum, you’ll find a lush tropical garden and at the other, a classic English garden. Stroll the grounds to explore everything in between and be sure to peek in on the kitchen garden and glass houses. Arundel Castle also plays host to a popular Tulip Festival each April, where 130 species burst into bloom, cloaking the place in colour. At only an hour and a half’s train journey from London, it’s well worth an afternoon of exploration.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Cornwall
The Lost Gardens of Heligan break away from the everyday, presenting a whimsical world of their own. Wanderers encounter slumbering giants, towering exotic plants, and even a suspension bridge hung high in the trees. The garden dates to the 16th century, though exudes a feeling of complete timelessness. Think of it as the British answer to Italy’s Sacro Bosco, complete with its own little universe of folkloric characters.
The Gardens at Levens Hall
Cumbria
The grounds of Levens Hall in Cumbria are crisp and clean-cut, with all the fresh, zingy vitality that comes with a topiary garden. The land surrounding the sprawling Elizabethan house takes on dazzlingly deep greens in all shapes and sizes. Some elements are geometric and strikingly modern, while others appear almost to melt into soft, amorphous forms. The scene is punctuated by colourful strips of flowers and grasses, which have the look of being painted onto the land with a brush. The result is a thoroughly refreshing quality that’s sure to be heartily welcomed as we stride into balmier months.
Kew Gardens
London
If you’re hoping to get your garden fix closer to home, Kew Gardens has got to be your first stop. It’s hard to believe a place like this exists within the city, teeming with botanical marvels just waiting to be discovered. The gardens themselves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the most biodiverse place in the world, thanks to their 50,000 diverse plant residents. Surely that’s well worth a quick trip on the District Line!
Text by Annabel Colterjohn