Blenheim Palace  Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PP)

Blenheim Palace is situated in Woodstock, about 8 miles to the north west of Oxford, and is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. 

The estate covers more than 2,100 acres and the parkland that surrounds Blenheim Palace was landscaped by Capability Brown. The estate’s Formal Gardens include the Water Terraces, the Rose Garden, the Italian Garden and the Secret Garden, and there are a number of walking trails around the grounds.

You can also take a tour of the palace, which was constructed during the early 18th century and is an example of the English Baroque architectural style. Famous for being the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill,  and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, highlights include the stunning State Rooms, Long Library and Great Hall.

Blenheim Palace also has its own Pleasure Gardens, where you’ll find attractions such as a Butterfly House, the Marlborough Maze and a miniature railway.

The estate has an ice cream parlour, a gift shop and two cafes, one within the Palace and one within the Pleasure Gardens, and you can also buy picnic hampers so you can dine al fresco.  

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden (Rose Lane, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4AZ).

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden is situated in Oxford’s city centre and is the oldest botanic garden in Britain. The centrepiece of the garden is the Walled Garden, which contains a series of borders filled with plants grouped together within their families. 

Outside of the Walled Garden, you’ll find a number of other gardens, including the Water Garden and the Rock Garden. There are also a number of glasshouses, such as the Lily House, the Insectiverous House and the Palm House.

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden is also linked to the Harcourt Arboretum, about 6 miles to the south of Oxford, which is home to many different trees and plants.

Greys Court (Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 4PG)

Greys Court is a 16th century mansion in Henley-on Thames, in South Oxfordshire, and is now owned by the National Trust. The house has recently undergone major conservation work and reopened to the public this year.

If you visit Greys Court, you can see the ornamental walled gardens, take a stroll down the wisteria walk and explore the maze. Greys Court also has a tea room and a gift shop, and you can buy flowers and plants from the estate’s plant stall.

Buscot Park Gardens (Buscot Park, Farringdon, Oxfordshire, SN7 8BU)

Buscot Park is a country house, situated just outside of the town of Farringdon. Constructed in the late 18th century, it is an example of the neo-classical architectural style.

You can take a tour of the house and see the Farringdon Collection, a collection of art which contains works by a number of artists. Highlights of the collection include a number of  Pre-Raphaelite works, including paintings by Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Buscot Park’s grounds cover more than 100 acres, so garden-lovers will have plenty to see. The Four Season’s Walled Garden was created by the present Lord Farringdon, who transformed the old kitchen garden into an ornamental garden featuring lilies, roses, Judas trees, cherry trees, fruit and vegetables. This garden also includes statues of the Four Seasons by Frank Forster.

You can also see the Peto Water Garden (named after its designer, Harold Peto), the Swinging Garden and a number of frescoes.

Other Oxfordshire Gardens include Waterperry Gardens, Broughton Castle Gardens and Rousham House Garden.

Image: © Copyright Colin Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Here are details of just some of the gardens that you can visit if you’re taking a holiday in Derbyshire.

Chatsworth House and Garden (Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1PP).

Chatsworth House, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, is situated about 10 minutes’ drive from the Derbyshire town of Bakewell.

The house dates back to the 16th century, but was remodelled during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Chatsworth estate covers more than 1,000 acres of land and includes a 105 acre walled garden, which was originally a formal garden, but which was transformed into a more naturalistic garden by Capability Brown during the 18th century.

Highlights of Chatsworth’s garden include: the Cascade, a 300 year old water feature in which water flows down 24 steps; the Willow Tree Fountain; the Kitchen Garden; the Sensory Garden; and the Maze.

You can also take a tour of Chatsworth House and visit the estate’s farm, and there are restaurants, cafes and gift shops on-site.

Haddon Hall (Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1LA)

Haddon Hall is a fortified medieval manor house, and dates back as far as the 12th century. The building itself is stunning, and you can take a tour of it to see the Tudor Long Gallery, the 14th century Banqueting Hall and the oak-pannelled Dining Room.

However, Haddon Hall is also known for its gardens, which date back to the Elizabethan period, but which were cleared and replanted during the early 20th century. The gardens are best-known for their roses, but you can also see a range of other flowers and plants, together with some magnificent old yew trees there.

Haddon Hall has been used as location in a number of television and film productions. It also has a restaurant and a gift shop.

Cascades Gardens (Clatterway, Bonsall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2HA)

Set around an old corn mill, Cascades Gardens cover 4 acres of land and are open to the public on Wednesdays, Sundays and public holidays between the beginning of April and the end of August.

Highlights of Cascades Gardens include: the Formal Garden, where you can see irises, delphiniums, foxgloves and other flowers; the Rose Shrubbery, which includes geraniums, daffodils and bluebells, as well as shrub roses; and the newly created Alpine Garden.

Cascades Gardens also has its own nursery, which stocks a wide range of herbacious perennials, so it’s the perfect place to visit if you want to buy flowers and plants to take back home with you.

Other gardens that you can visit if you’re staying in Derbyshire include Melbourne Hall Gardens, Hardwick Hall Gardens and Kedleston Hall Garden.

Image: David Benbennick

Bicton Park Botanical Gardens (East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Devon)

Situated in the Otter Valley, in East Devon, Bicton Park Botanical Gardens is the perfect place to go for a family day out. The oldest of the gardens, the Italian Garden, dates back to 1735, whilst the Pinetum and Arboretum includes more than 300 species of tree.

Other gardens at Bicton Park include the Hermitage Garden, the American Garden, the Mediterranean Garden and the Rose Garden, and there are also four large glasshouses, in which you can see plants from around the world.

Bicton Park is also home to a number of other attractions, including the Bicton Countryside Museum and the Bicton Woodland Railway. It’s open all year round (although it’s closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day). Bicton Park is usually open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m during the summer, and between 10 a.m and 5 p.m. during the winter (although it may open for fewer hours during the Christmas holidays). Admission fees apply.

Image: Burkhard Gutleben

RHS Garden Rosemoor (Great Torrington, Devon)

RHS Garden Rosemoor is situated in Great Torrington, in North Devon, and covers 65 acres of land. The estate was given to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) by Lady Anne, in 1988. Lady Anne was a keen gardener and spent many years developing an 8 acre garden around the house, travelling and bringing back plants from all over the world. This part of the estate is now known as Lady Anne’s Garden, and contains more than 4,000 plants.

The Royal Horticultural Society developed the estate, creating new gardens and a reservoir, and RHS Garden Rosemoor opened to the public in 1990. Today, you can explore the gardens, which include the Rose Garden, the Fruit and Vegetable Garden, and the Arboretum, and take walks in the nearby woodland. There is also a visitors’ centre, a restaurant and tea room, a shop, and a plant centre, where you can buy flowers and plants to take home with you.

RHS Garden Rosemoor is open all year, from 10 a.m. It closes at 5 p.m. from October to March, and at 6 p.m. during the rest of the year. Royal Horticultural Society members can visit the garden free of charge, but admission fees apply for non-members.

Coleton Fishacre (Brownstone Road, Kingswear, Devon)

The Coleton Fishacre estate, in South Devon, was constructed in the mid-1920s for Rupert and Dorothy D’Oyly Carte, who used it as a holiday home. Rupert D’Oyly Carte was the Chairman of the Savoy Hotel Group and owner of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and the Savoy Theatre.

The garden at Coleton Fishacre cover 30 acres of land, and provides stunning views of the sea, as it slopes down to meet the South West Coastal Path. It contains plants from around the world, including rhododendrons and camellias, and you can also see attractive water features and a gazebo. You can also take a tour of the Coleton Fishacre House, which was decorated in the Arts & Crafts style, a style most associated with William Morris.

The Coleton Fishacre estate is now owned by the National Trust. It’s open to the public between 10.30 a.m. and  5 p.m on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays between the 1st of March and the 31st of October. Admission fees apply.

If you’re keen on gardening or simply enjoy being out and about in the fresh air, here are just a few places that you can visit whilst on holiday in Guernsey.

Candie Gardens

These gardens were established in 1894 and are located in the island’s capital, St. Peter Port. They consist of two main garden areas, the Upper Gardens and the Lower Gardens.

The Lower Gardens were restored to their former Victorian glory during the late 1990s and highlights include fishponds and a bog garden. There are also a  number of historic greenhouses which have been restored and which are still in use.

The site also includes the Guernsey Museum and Art Gallery and the Priaulx Library, and provides stunning views of St. Peter Port and out to sea. Admission to Candie Gardens is free of charge.

Sausmarez Manor Gardens

Situated in St. Martins, Sausmarez Manor dates back as far as the 12th century and, as well incorporating an intriguing mixture of architectural styles, is set within extensive gardens . It’s the perfect place to go for a family outing if you’re visiting Guernsey, as there are a range of attractions there.

Gardeners will love the Sub Tropical Gardens, which include palm trees, bamboos, camelias and banana plants. You can also take a tour of the manor, explore the Sculpture Park and take a ride on the site’s miniature railway.

The Guernsey Freesia Centre

Guernsey is known for supplying flowers, particularly freesias, to the U.K. mainland. You can learn more about the flower growing industry by taking a tour of the Guernsey Freesia Centre in St Sampsons. The site also has a gift shop.

Castle Cornet Gardens

Castle Cornet is a military fortress in St Peter Port Harbour and dates back to the 13th century. It now houses the Maritime Museum, the Story of Castle Cornet exhibit, 201 Squadron R.A.F. (Guernsey’s Own) Museum, the Militia Museum and the Hatton Gallery.

The Castle Cornet site also includes four formal gardens, planned in the 1990s on the site of gardens marked on a map of the fortress dating from the 18th century. The gardens have been designed to reflect different periods of the castle’s history and consist of: the Sutler’s Garden, a 16th century style herb garden; Lambert’s Garden, which is based on 17th century garden designs;  the Governor’s Garden, which is designed in the style of an 18th century garden; and the Master Gunner’s Garden, a 19th century domestic style garden.

Saumarez Park

Located in Castel, Saumarez Park is the island’s largest public park and is also home to the National Trust of Guernsey’s Folk & Costume Museum. It includes several formal gardens, including a rose garden and also has a Japanese style area featuring plants from the Far East. If you’re visiting Saumarez Park during August, you may also be able to catch the North Show and Battle of Flowers, one of Guernsey’s best-known festivals, in which residents compete to win a prize for the best floral-covered float.

Orchid Fields

For something wilder, head for the Bridget Ozanne Orchid Fields in Les Vicheries. These meadows contain four orchid species, which are in full flower between May and June, together with a number of related species and other plants. The orchid fields are managed by La Société Guernesiaise and are named after the late Bridget Ozanne, the society’s botany secretary.

Bluebell Woods

If you’re visiting Guernsey at the beginning of April, head for the Bluebell Woods behind St. Peter Port’s Fort George, to see one of the island’s most beautiful sights.

Image: Paul Schultz