5 Beautiful Gardens To Visit This Spring And Summer

With the headlines buzzing about the recent Chelsea Flower Show, people are looking for more places to get lost in nature and make the most of this joyful time of year. If you’re looking to enjoy the colourful blooms and scented blossoms of some of the best-curated gardens in the UK, throw on some comfortable trainers, a roomy backpack with a few midday snacks and your best women’s waterproof jacket and head out to one of the many gorgeous gardens open for visits this spring and summer.  

Here is some Stunning Garden to Visit this Spring and Summer:

• RHS Garden Bridgewater, Manchester

This little piece of paradise is unique because of its urban location. Despite being set in Salford, Greater Manchester, Bridgewater offers over 150 acres of landscaped gardens, including an extensive manicured Victorian walled garden as well as lakes and meadows for a more relaxed wander.

The bee and butterfly garden is coming to life as spring moves into summer. It offers plenty of vibrant blooms, from hyacinths to tulips and other brightly coloured pollinators. Middle Wood offers welcome shade out of the sun, while the Chinese Streamside Garden is a slice of respite during a busy day of exploring. 

• Temple Newsam, West Yorkshire

Temple Newsam offers a full day out with a visit to the house, featuring many art collections initially gathered by the Earl of Halifax and the carefully managed gardens, parks, and lakes. 

There are nature trails around the lakes that offer great views of the park as well as favourite perennials bordering the largest of the three lakes. The gardens at Temple Newsam include a stunning Rhododendron Walk, while the formal gardens feature pretty laburnum arches and delicate rose beds. There’s also a kitchen garden, from which you can enjoy the locally grown produce in the on-site tea shop.

• Hidcote Gardens, Gloucestershire

The National Trust owned gardens are a real gem in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds. Created by Major Lawrence Johnson, Hidcote Gardens follow the Arts and Crafts movement and are filled with plants collected from across the globe. Visitors can get lost in a maze of secret gardens designed to delight and surprise. 

With a focus on the wilderness, these gardens are perfect for inspiring a ‘no-mow’ garden; its nature-first focus may mean you can spot woodpeckers and buzzards during a visit here, while the classic Cotswold stone makes the perfect backdrop for the summer blooms.

• Chartwell Gardens, Kent

Chartwell was the home of Sir Winston Churchill but now is home to Jock the cat under instructions from Churchill’s family that there should always be a marmalade cat named Jock (with four white socks and a bib) residing at Chartwell. It is well worth visiting the garden just to meet this cheeky rescue cat, Jock VII, but the gardens are also a beautiful place to visit in summer. 

The gardens are full of summer roses in delicate pastel shades, while Golden Rose Avenue is filled with vibrant colours and was a gift to Winston and his wife Clementine for their golden wedding anniversary. The Walled Garden offers a beautiful mix of flowers, fruit trees, vegetable patches and even chickens. There are even garden games on offer to keep the whole family entertained too. 

• Bodnant Gardens, Wales

Nestled in North Wales, Bodnant Gardens offers stunning views across Snowdonia National Park, while this riverside garden makes sure that there is something to enjoy all year round. While there is a bright and cheerful winter garden, Bodnant Garden offers the best colour and blooms from April until October, making it perfect for a summer day trip. 

Bodnant Gardens features Italian-inspired terraces filled with roses, while it’s also home to the largest collection of UK Champion Trees and many exotic plants from rhododendron hybrids to Himalayan poppies. Throughout summer, dogs are allowed to join visits on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

With beautiful gardens coming to life across the UK this summer, grab your camera, pack a picnic and throw on a womens lightweight waterproof jacket with a protective hood for a hands-free/umbrella free fabulous British day out.