5 Favourite Gardens to Visit in Summer

Today I have a post from the fantastic Peach Perfect all about five great gardens to head to this summer. If you are still looking for some wonderful days out - then why not add these to your list.

Summer is here, with the sound of lawnmowers whirring all around and gardeners rolling up their sleeves, sowing seeds and planting summer beds.  It’s the perfect time to celebrate our great British gardens – and maybe pick up a few tips for our own outdoor spaces, too.

With so many amazing gardens to choose from, we found it hard to decide on our five favourites!  Here’s our final shortlist of gardens we recommend visiting this summer…

Starting in the Scilly Isles, the stunning sub-tropical Tresco Abbey Gardens has been described as “Kew Gardens without the glass”.  Here, you’ll find thousands of plants flourishing from all round the world.

Explore the unusual Valhalla Museum, featuring figureheads from shipwrecks off the islands’ coasts.  And take your time to discover the wealth of hidden treasures and open spaces in this luxuriant garden (pictured below).

The Royal Horticultural Society is, of course, the go-to place for dedicated gardeners.  Its flagship RHS Garden at Wisley, Surrey, houses one of the largest plant collections in the world.

You can stroll around a huge number of fantastic sights including the Glasshouse and Exotic, Walled and Rock Gardens.  And watch out for the garden’s brand new 75-metre Wisteria Walk and the Battleston Hill in fabulous full spring bloom.

No gardening shortlist would be complete without an appearance by the National Trust and we’ve chosen the lovely Hidcote Manor Garden in Gloucestershire (main picture and below).  Walking through this Arts and Crafts garden, you’ll discover a carefully cultivated and intricately designed series of outdoor rooms.

These become less formal as you move away from Lawrence Johnston’s manor house.  You can even play tennis with period wooden rackets!

A relative newcomer is the National Botanic Garden of Wales, which opened in May 2000.  Its enormous range of plant species and glorious location in 500 acres of Camarthen countryside makes it a must-see for gardeners and non-gardeners alike.

Admire the world’s largest single-span glasshouse and enjoy the outdoor and indoor art.  And you can learn a huge amount about plant evolution and research from their experts!

Our final top-five place goes to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, just one mile from the city centre.  The garden has an enormous selection of trees and shrubs, from giant redwoods to wild origin Chinese plants.

Its Living Collection also contains some of the world’s rarest plants.  Don’t forget to visit the Victorian Temperate Palm House – the tallest in Britain – and explore the RBGE’s three linked gardens at Benmore, Dawyck and Logan.

What’s your favourite garden – is it on our shortlist?  If not, please let us know in the comments below.

Do you have a favourite place to visit over the summer?

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