A fiery autumn garden display is a celebratory last hurrah of colour before winter arrives. Take the opportunity to get outside and see the amazing cornucopia of colourful foliage for yourself – here is our guide to the best autumn gardens in the UK to visit.
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The best autumn gardens to visit near you
Autumn gardens to visit in the south east
Sheffield Park Garden, East Sussex
A 'Capability' Brown and Humphry Repton landscape, admirably planted in 1905 by Arthur Soames with a fine collection of trees. Head for the lake and walk the circuit to view the blazing colours reflected in the water. An autumn garden with spectacular Nyssa sylvatica plantings. Near Haywards Heath, East Sussex TN22 3QX, nationaltrust.org.uk
The Savill Garden, Surrey
Pools, lakes and streams punctuate this impressive woodland garden along with its late-flowering herbaceous borders, shrubs such as Enkianthus and colourful climbers and vines. The Mahonia and Hydrangea collections are well worth seeking out in this autumn garden, too. Englefield Green, Surrey TW20 0UU, theroyallandscape.co.uk
Winkworth Arboretum, Surrey
Beautiful wooded hillside, known for its white beam and mountain ash (Sorbus) – Winkworth is also notable for the mass effect of its varied trees, including Parrotia, katsuras, oaks and wonderful Prunus sargentii. Near Godalming, Surrey GU8 4AD, nationaltrust.org.uk
RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey
There’s so much here to enjoy in autumn, from the blast of colour from trees and shrubs, such as Berberis sieboldii, to the late-summer planting of the borders designed by Tom Stuart-Smith and Piet Oudolf. Don’t forget to wander up Battleston Hill to see the Hydrangea paniculata plantings, and the trial grounds will still hold interest, too. Woking GU23 6QB. rhs.org.uk
Marks Hall, Essex
The walled garden at Marks Hall is unusual in that it is walled on only three sides, with one aspect sloping down to a lake. Formal hornbeam hedges divide a modern planting style, laid out in a series of spaces with a common thread and flavour throughout. Simple but wonderfully effective plant combinations give a rhythm and an immersive experience as you wander through perennial-based planting – laid out by the London-based, German designer Brita von Schoenaich. Beyond the three walls is a wonderful arboretum. Well worth a visit to this autumn garden. Read our focus on the Marks Hall garden here. Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum, Coggeshall, Colchester, Essex CO6 1TG. Tel 01376 563796, markshall.org.uk
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Another garden with an arboretum that is very good in the autumn is the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This has to be one of the finest and most historic collections of trees in the world. The collections hail from all four corners of the world and many were first introductions, some plantings date back to 1762.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE.
Tel 020 8332 5655, kew.org
Brogdale Farm, Kent
For many, October is the month synonymous with apple harvests, and one of the finest establishments for seeing a huge range of fruit is Brogdale Farm. Set in the weald of Kent, it houses an impressive collection of fruit trees. Its October Apple Festival offers the chance to try and buy more than 2,200 apple cultivars from all over the world and from almost every county in Britain – including many heritage cultivars. A visit to this autumn garden is guaranteed to spark an interest in growing your own fruit. Brogdale Collections, Brogdale Road, Faversham, Kent ME13 8XZ. Tel 01795 536250, brogdalecollections.org
The best autumn gardens to visit in the south west
Knoll Gardens, Dorset
To understand the diversity of any group of plants, you need to find a place where you come away feeling more educated and competent in the cultivation of that group. For grasses this place is Knoll Gardens in Dorset. Neil Lucas and his team have developed a fantastic range of grasses and honed methods of cultivation so that the rest of us can more easily use them in different environments. Here in the gardens they are seamlessly associated with shrubs, trees and other perennials to great effect. Knoll Gardens, Stapehill Road, Hampreston, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7ND, knollgardens.co.uk
The Minack Theatre, Cornwall
Although best known for its spectacular open-air theatre, the Minack Theatre and Garden is home to a wonderful subtropical garden that is a dramatic attraction in itself. Full of exotic plants, many of them mature, the gardens showcase agaves, aeoniums, strelitzia and echiums across the clifftop site. Niall and Jill Milligan have orchestrated this planting scheme, so it displays many plants that most of us can only dream of cultivating in our own gardens. Porthcurno, Penzance, Cornwall TR19 6JU. Tel 01736 810181, minack.com
Exbury Gardens, Hampshire
Planted in 1919 by Lionel de Rothschild, Exbury Gardens offer the best of the old – with some exciting new developments, which keep the gardens’ appeal growing. The Viburnumand Cotoneaster are particularly fine in this autumn garden. Wander through glades down to the Beaulieu River for some fine waterside views. Watch our virtual garden tour of Exbury here. Exbury, near Southampton, Hampshire SO45 1AZ, exbury.co.uk
The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum, Hampshire
You’ll find some 42,000 plants here – quite amazing to think that in 1953 it was just bare fields. As well as oaks, liquidambars, taxodiums and metasequoias, there is a fine winter garden, which starts to come into its own in autumn with ornamental grasses and bergenias. Ampfield, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0QA hilliergardens.org.uk
The best autumn gardens to visit in the heart of England
Hergest Croft, Herefordshire
Private tree collection established by three generations of enthusiasts, which includes a maple glade and fine selection of mountain ash (Sorbus), offering both leaf colour and bright fruits. In this autumn garden you must find time to take a walk up to Hergest Ridge for some magnificent view down on to the tree-filled garden. Near Kington, Herefordshire HR5 3EG, hergest.co.uk
The National Arboretum, Westonbirt, Gloucestershire
This is Britain’s oldest arboretum, started in 1829 by collector Robert Holford, and now administered by the Forestry Commission as a national gem for all. There’s a huge amount to see here and the wide, long drives allow for good viewing of the trees in autumn. There are three maple glades, which are always a draw in an autumn garden, while its also worth noting the hickories (Carrya species) with their large, rich, golden yellow leaves. Near Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8QS, forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt
Pan-Global Plants, Gloucestershire
Founded by plantsman and plant hunter Nick Macer, Pan-Global Plants, offers a selection of unusual plants that have been carefully selected and tried by Nick and his team before they make it into the pages of the nursery’s catalogue – so they’ve done most of the hard work for you. Its range of plants is a reminder that simply because a plant is not easily produced on a large scale, it doesn’t mean it is unsuitable for most beds and borders. Open until the end of October, it now offers mail order but is well worth a trip. Be sure to make plenty of room in your car boot for plants – you’ll need it. The Walled Garden, Frampton Court, Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire GL2 7EX. Tel 01452 741641, panglobalplants.com
The best autumn gardens to visit in the north of England
Castle Howard, York
Planted as recently as the 1960s, Ray Wood, in the grounds of this historic house, is a fine example of a woodland garden. Created by Jim Russell to allow for artistic rides and glades, it includes Pieris, wild roses, rare magnolias, hydrangeas, viburnums, maples and rowans, all providing a feast of autumn garden interest. Near Malton, York YO60 7DA, castlehoward.co.uk
The best autumn gardens to visit in Scotland
Blair Castle Gardens, Pitlochry
As well as a nine-acre walled garden to explore, Blair Castle has a fine collection of deciduous conifers that put on a fiery display every autumn. Among their lofty trees you'll find grand fir, Douglas fir, larch and Wellingtonia. Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5TL, atholl-estates.co.uk