Gardens
Find inspiration from gardens of all sizes both in the UK and internationally
‘Just’ a gardener? We’re actually highly skilled creative professionals who deserve better than this
Good gardens are constantly evolving, so why, asks gardener Colin Stewart, do people place more value on their initial design than on their ongoing care?
Illustration: Rosanna Morris
Gardening mistakes: gardening celebrities reveal their worst gardening failures
Feel like you're always making mistakes in the garden? You're not alone. We asked gardening experts about their gardening failures
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?
How to care for your teak garden furniture
If you already have teak garden furniture, or you are considering buying teak for your outdoor space, here’s how to look after this attractive hardwood
Are you a galanthophile? Here are the best places to see snowdrops in 2025
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.
What's new?
The woman who crafts beautiful objects from fallen oak trees with her bare hands
Sculptor Alison Crowther uses centuries-old fallen oaks and other timber to create her distinctive art and furniture.
Words: Camilla Phelps, Photographs: Andrew Montgomery
There's still a lot to do in a famous garden in winter: discover a frosty Sissinghurst and the jobs that keep the gardeners busy
In our final visit of the working year to the gardens of Sissinghurst, head gardener Troy Scott Smith explains how he and his team prepare Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson's stunning garden for the year ahead.
Photographs: John Campbell
Get these key jobs done in January to keep your garden looking great
A new year heralds a new growing season and the promise of crops to come. Discover a new year of possibilities in your garden. Words Aaron Bertelsen
How to prune your yew hedge this winter
Learn how the experts prune yew with the help of Chiswick House's head gardener Rosie Fyles.
No space for a tree in your garden? Think again – with these 13 expert picks for trees in pots
No space for a tree in your garden? Think again. We asked experts to recommend the best trees to grow in containers. Words: Chris Young, Photos: Jason Ingram & Eleanor Walpole
Rural
This garden may look ‘messy’ to some, but it's low maintenance, keeps wildlife very happy and looks stunning in autumn
With no horticultural training, art teacher Karin Winkler relies on intuition to create her naturalistic garden, which comes into its own each autumn. Words: Claire Masset, Photographs: Robert Mabic
Not just your granny's favourite: discover the place bringing chrysanthemums back in fashion
Norwell Nurseries has an inspiring on-site garden and a sparkling range of plants on offer, with many late-flowering
perennials, including colourful chrysanthemums. Words Phil Clayton, photographs Clive Nichols
Weed, slugs, moles and mice: all are welcome at this pioneering natural farm in Devon
Weeds, slugs, birds and mice – all are welcome on Birch Farm in Devon, where Joshua Sparkes seeks to respect the local ecosystem and mimic nature in his innovative approach to growing.
Photographs: Andrew Montgomery
Meet the gardeners
We need to stop the ecocide by councils, developers and big business, says this community gardener
As a community gardener at the Eden Nature Garden in Clapham, south London, former marine biologist Benny is on a mission to promote ecology within the garden world.
Portrait: Andrew Montgomery
Meet the landscape designer on a mission to 'beautify' cities
The award-winning landscape designer and horticulturist on her Kenyan childhood, feeling a strong connection with the land and her desire to beautify cities.
Words: Paula McWaters, Portrait: Rachel Warne
‘I didn’t harvest a single carrot. That was a sharp lesson’: Charles Dowding on his no-dig journey and how to compost well
No-dig expert, market gardener and author Charles Dowding talks about his new book, the books he reads, and what he’s up to next
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.
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
A zesty tangerine-coloured roof top garden in London designed by Nigel Dunnett
On the edge of one of London’s busiest roundabouts, Nigel Dunnett has created exciting combinations of drought-tolerant plants for a roof garden that is as unexpected as it is joyful. Words: Natasha Goodfellow, Photographs: Alister Thorpe
Gardens to visit in November for glorious autumn colour
Head gardener Tom Brown recommends the gardens to visit the month of November to see seasonal plants at their best
Gardens of the world
Worldwide gardens you need to see
This futuristic park on stilts is a new landmark for New York with planting prowess from top designers
Little Island park in New York, designed by Heatherwick Studio and with planting by MNLA, is an exciting new city landmark.
Words: Humaira Ikram, Photographs: Ngoc Minh Ngo
From pit to paradise: four former mining sites that are now beautiful gardens
Robert Lowe looks at four beautiful gardens that have been created from former ugly mining sites.
Piet Oudolf with a twist: this beautiful naturalistic garden emulates the planting master but has a style all its own
The naturalistic gem Hans Gieszen has created in former meadowlands near Utrecht in the Netherlands is the culmination of a lifelong passion.
Words: Claire Masset, Photos: Sietske De Vries
Urban gardens
Amazing gardens from towns and cities
This tiny city garden was transformed into a marvellous mini woodland glade with nine trees and designer touches
From a small, square, city plot, Stefano Marinaz has created a luscious, multi-textured garden brimming with interest and life.
A zero waste garden: this space was completely transformed, without sending anything to landfill
Designer Miria Harris gave herself the challenge of a no-skip, zero-waste project, giving away, recycling or reusing everything in this back garden before transforming it into a space her client could love.
Words: Zia Allaway, Photographs: Rachel Warne
From boarded up library to gorgeous community garden: this space in London was transformed by a Chelsea gold-winning designer
A new community garden designed by Sarah Price around
an old library turned arts centre in southeast London is a treasured space for local residents
and garden lovers alike.