The abundance of unique and beautiful gardens in this green and pleasant land makes it sometimes tricky to know where to start when planning weekend garden expeditions. Here,Sisley Garden Tours rounds up ten iconic English gardens to visit, some for their timeless beauty, others for exciting recent restoration projects that have reached completion…
Iconic English gardens to visit:
RHS Wisley
Wisley is the flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Established in 1878, the site is tended by 75 garden staff, 25 students, four apprentices and 100 volunteers. Next year sees the opening of awelcome building, restaurant, plant centre and shops within a landscape designed by Christopher Bradley-Hole. The garden will feature a colonnade of 100 cherry trees sweeping towards the main grounds. Don’t miss the spectacular Wisley Flower Show from September 3–8 in 2019.
The Savill Garden
Developed under the patronage of Kings and Queens, The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park was created in the 1930s by Sir Eric Savill and covers some 35-acres of interconnecting gardens. Each garden has its own seasonal highlights such as the collection of over 2,500 roses or the impressive late summer borders. The garden is located just outside Windsor town so you can combine it with a visit to the royal castle.
Stourhead
City-banker Henry Hoare began the development of this classical garden in 1735. He dammed the River Stour to make a sinuous lake which he surrounded with paths, trees, temples, urns and a shivery grotto. By the 18th century, Stourhead was one of the best-known gardens in England. Look out for Head Gardener, Alan Power, when you visit. You’ll recognise him as presenter of the BBC series ‘British Gardens in Time’.
Bowood House
Bowood has been home to the Lansdowne family for over 260 years and carries with it a rich and fascinating history. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown created the landscape at Bowood between 1763 and 1768. It’s one of the best and most unspoilt examples of his work. Bowood involves 100 acres of pleasure grounds with a lake, arboretum, Doric temple and hermits cave. Make sure to book a tour of the private walled garden if you visit.
Gravetye Manor
The gardens at Gravetye Manor in Sussex are considered among the most influential in English garden history. The manor became the home of revolutionary gardener William Robinson in 1884. Robinson’s remarkable career as a professional gardener and botanist was supplemented by his writings on horticulture. His most notable works include The English Flower Gardenand The Wild Garden. Converted to a boutique hotel in 2010, the gardens at Gravetye are now under the expert care of Head Gardener Tom Coward.
Hidcote Manor Gardens
In 1907 when the American Major Lawrence Johnston first acquired Hidcote, there was hardly a garden at all. With immense optimism, imagination, skill and energy (not to mention foresight), Major Johnston created the magnificent garden present today. Myriad gardens, including those at Sissinghurst Castle, have been inspired by this gorgeous series of garden ‘rooms’ in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Great Dixter
Great Dixter, the East Sussex garden of the late author, columnist and lecturer Christopher Lloyd, is an example of cottage gardening on a grand scale. The landscape includes a fine topiary garden, an exotic garden, a kitchen garden and an orchard with a sea of wild flowers and magnificent herbaceous border. The gardens today reflect the carefully contrived planting principles of Christopher Lloyd, which have been enthusiastically taken forward in Christo’s style by his head gardener Fergus Garrett.
Trentham Gardens
Described as “the garden make-over of the decade”, the gardens at Trentham in the north-west of England have benefitted from the expertise and skill of great modern garden designers such as Tom Stuart Smith, Piet Oudolf and Nigel Dunnett. Incorporating wonderful historic features such as Capability Brown’s lake and Sir Charles Barry’s parterre, the new design features innovative and contemporary planting which is setting the trend for the next generation of gardens.
The Royal Garden at Highgrove
The Duchy of Cornwall acquired Highgrove in 1980 and since then HRH The Prince of Wales has devoted time to transforming the gardens into a series of interlinked areas, each with their own character and purpose,the house always visible in the distance. What was once a bleak landscape is now one of England’s most creatively-inspired gardens run on organic principles. A wildflower meadow boasts over 30 different varieties of native plants creating a rich tapestry of colour and diversity.
Iford Manor Gardens
On the southernmost edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty lies Iford Manor. The romantic Italian-style terraced garden was designed by Edwardian architect Harold Peto. In 1899, attracted by the charm of Ilford, Peto laid out a formal garden on the old terraces of a steep hillside which heembellished with a collection of classical statuary and architectural fragments. Steep flights of steps link the terraces with their pools, fountains, loggias, colonnades, urns and figures.
Keen to visit? There is no better way to experience the iconic gardens of England than with Sisley Garden Tours – the UK’s leading garden tour specialists with expert guides, exclusive visits, small groups, a relaxed pace, high-end hotels and superb service. www.sisley.co.uk
Clickhere for spectacular gardens to visitover winter.