Great green gardens

Need some inspiration for your garden? Chris Beardshaw introduces five of the most beautiful public gardens in Britain

In this article

Caerhays Castle

Caerhays garden in bloom

Caerhays is a spectacular building in crystalline granite that nestles at the bottom of a typical Cornish valley; it is a must visit for anyone particularly interested in Chinese plant species, many of which were introduced by Ernest Wilson and George Forrest under the patronage of JC Williams the one time owner of Caerhays.

Deeply passionate about his plants, Williams compiled a stunning collection of magnolias, camellias and other ericaceous specimens. Williams, and therefore this garden, are perhaps best known for his intense love affair with the camellia and throughout his later years he pioneered the breeding of a camellia hybrid that changed gardeners’ perception of this exotic plant.

Known as the williamsii hybrids, this species is resilient, floriferous and glamorous, and many of the original crosses can still be found in the gardens.

Find out more
Gardens open from 18th Feb–1st June, every day
House open 10th March–30th May
Website: www.caerhays.co.uk

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Abbey House Gardens, Wiltshire

An extraordinary garden in every sense the lovingly restored home and grounds of Ian and Barbara Pollard. They have dedicated nearly 12 years to sculpting and crafting this beautiful garden around a grade 1 listed, fortified, 15th century manor house.

It’s an eclectic blend of garden styles and thus ensures that there is visual treat for anyone interested in horticulture. The Celtic cross knot garden is a particularly fine example, as are the extensive herbaceous borders leading down to the dappled shade of the loggia.

The entire garden comes alive with a feast of tulips and in late spring the laburnum tunnel becomes a real spectacle. If a more informal garden takes your fancy then browse the extensive rhododendron glade, the terraces down to the monastic fishponds and the extraordinary camellia walk.


Find out more
Open from 21st March–31st October
Website: www.abbeyhousegardens.co.uk

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Dunge Valley Gardens, Cheshire

Dunge Valley garden in bloom

It’s a must for anyone interested in both unusual plants and also in experiencing rhododendrons and camellias in a habitat close to their native type.

Tucked away at the end of a farm track a modest farmhouse and plant nursery conceal the entrance to deep river valley. The overhead canopy of deciduous native trees casts fabulous dappled shade onto delightful pockets of exotic planting below. 


Boardwalks, steps and precarious paths create a sense of exploration for those not sufficiently intrepid to follow in the footsteps of this garden's owner, who regularly embarks on planting hunting expeditions.

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Cotehele, Cornwall

Cascading down to the delightful scenery of the Tamar River this National Trust garden sits just inside the Cornish border. Winding paths lead through native woodland that’s enriched with pockets of exotic plant species bursting into life in spring but at this time of year one of the real highlights takes place in and around the walled garden adjacent to the fortified manor. 


Mature orchard trees surround an extraordinary collection of heritage narcissus varieties that sparkle amongst the grassy sward. One of the real personalities of this collection is the modest, head-nodding multi-petalled variety known as N. Rip van Winkle which ihas been around since the Elizabethan period. 

If you leave the garden there are great walks along the Tamar estuary which you may discover egrets, buzzards, and even the occasional otter. It is well worth walking down to the old quay for a Cornish ice cream, pasty and a perusal of the art gallery.

Find out more
  • Gardens open all year
  • Telephone: 01579 351346

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Benmore Gardens, Scotland

Benmore garden in bloom

An outpost of Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh Benmore estate centres around a grand architectural house from which majestic avenues of trees radiate. Look particularly at the sequoias which are claimed to be amongst the oldest and tallest in the UK. 


For an extraordinary plant hunting experience venture up the slopes into the woodland where rhododendron species have long been planted. Tumbling and twisting stems of these flamboyantly flowering plants create a dense forest at points almost impenetrable. 

These plants can be seen readily seeding and layering themselves creating the appearance of hillsides in the Himalaya, from where many of them originate. Rhododendrons are joined by a host of other ericaceous specimens such as dense plantations of pieris, camellia and fothergilla.

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