Gardens

Find inspiration from gardens of all sizes both in the UK and internationally

'It was derelict buildings and brambles when we arrived' - now it's an experimental plant nursery leading the way

Grower-designer Tom Nielsen’s new nursery on an old 17th-century farmstead in Somerset is all about resilient plantsShow more

Carolien Barkman's naturalistic small city design in Amsterdam

How do you transform an overlooked city garden into a lush oasis? This Amsterdam garden is a source of design inspo

Dutch designer Carolien Barkman has used changes of level and lush, immersive planting to bring this small city plot to lifeShow more

Garden designed by Alexandra Noble in west London with Sauna

Wondering if your tiny garden could squeeze in a sauna, cold plunge and a meadow? Here's how one designer managed it

Designer Alexandra Noble has made space for a meadow, a sauna and a cold plunge in this small suburban gardenShow more

Phillip Johnson garden in Narre Warren East, Australia

'Water is liquid gold' says designer of this stunning climate-resilient Australian garden

This habitat-rich garden filled with native plants and its own billabong was designed by Phillip Johnson to borrow the surrounding landscape.Show more

What's new?

Historic Palm Houses in Edinburgh reopen today after years of closure

The historic palm houses at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh reopen to the public today after a five-year restoration.Show more

These are the best new gardens according to designers - but what do you think? Have your say

Discover the new designs shortlisted for the 2027 Society of Garden and Landscape Designers Awards and get the chance to vote for your favouriteShow more

Have you booked your Christmas light show visit yet? Here are 22 of the best not to miss

Here are our top picks for the best Christmas light shows and illuminated trails in gardens across the UK, to enjoy with friends and family during this festive seasonShow more

Spooky garden events and light trails for Halloween you really shouldn't miss

Discover creepy plants, follow haunted trails and carve pumpkins at one of these Halloween events in a garden near youShow more

"I was always in trouble for doing things my way": remembering Elizabeth Strangman, the late legendary plantswoman

In memory of plantswoman Elizabeth Strangman, we hear from friends and people across the industry about her impact, deep knowledge and love of plantsShow more

Rural

This former concrete dairy yard has been transformed into a dreamy country garden

A disused dairy yard in Wiltshire provided the perfect setting for designer Sheila Jack’s own meadow-inspired gardenShow more

25 iconic English gardens to visit for classic style and beautiful plants

Designer, writer and garden historian Penelope Hobhouse recommends 25 of the best English gardens to visitShow more

If you're struggling with a sloping garden - this terraced design is full of smart ideas

By working closely with the architects, designer Catherine MacDonald has created a beautifully constructed space on a steeply sloping gardenShow more

Meet the gardeners

What is a 'hortist'? Inside the minds of the UK's most creative gardeners

Gardens Illustrated editor Stephanie Mahon meets painters, sculptors, writers, working gardeners and designers to find out about the art and craft of gardeningShow more

Die Staudengärtnerei plant nursery and garden

Step inside the Bavarian nursery where plants are grown in sand to cope with climate change

In their nursery and garden, Fine Molz and Till Hofmann expertly demonstrate the true beauty of ecological planting.Show more

Raoul Curtis-Machin in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

'More than half our trees won't be here in 100 years': Kew Gardens' new director on the challenges ahead

Raoul Curtis-Machin, the new executive director of gardens at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on a botanical childhood in Scotland and his high hopes for his newly planted orchard.Show more

Gardens to visit

Visiting a beautiful garden can be a wholly enriching experience. The benefits of visiting a garden – from mental health right through to exercise – are huge, and garden days out are perfect ways to have fun on your own, or as an entire family. Regardless of how, and whoever you visit with, we have a host of suggestions of which gardens to visit, from gardens for the season, through to the gardens that are in full bloom and at their best each month. We have collated lists of the best gardens to visit with the help of our experts and many years of visiting gardens all around the UK, and beyond. We have gardens organised by theme, days out and local area, so you should find something for wherever you are and whatever garden experience you are looking for.

Enjoy our comprehensive guide to the best gardens to visit in the UK.

A land of lush valleys and gentle rolling hills, Devon is blessed with some inspiring gardens

A land of lush valleys and gentle rolling hills, Devon is blessed with some of the most inspiring gardens in the UK. Here's our pick of best gardens to visit in Devon.Show more

From the crowning place of Scottish kings to a poet's retreat, we recommend the best gardens to visit in Scotland

From the crowning place of Scottish kings to a poet's retreat, here's our pick of the best gardens to visit in ScotlandShow more

The Queen Mother's Garden, Walmer Castle and Gardens, Kent

Beautiful royal gardens

From wildflower meadows to Islamic-inspired water gardens, the gardens of royal residences can provide places of calm, beauty and inspiration. We recommend the best royal gardens to visit in the UKShow more

Gardens of the world

Worldwide gardens you need to see

Gardens of Morocco - book now for this exclusive Gardens Illustrated holiday

Join us in April 2027 for a 13-day tour of Morocco that explores one of the world’s great gardening traditionsShow more

The first of Frances Palmer’s two cutting gardens, which spills on to a repurposed tennis court, housing over 500 dahlias between them. The studio barn was built around salvaged beams from a local 1790s house.

Discover the dahlias in Frances Palmer's Connecticut garden, where she turned her tennis court into a flower patch

A gardener as well as a renowned potter, dahlia devotee Frances Palmer uses her own blooms to adorn her vessels, grown in her imaginatively conceived Connecticut garden.Show more

A wildlife and child-friendly garden in California

In a California suburb where neat squares of lawn are the norm, landscape studio Terremoto has created something different.Show more

Urban gardens

Amazing gardens from towns and cities

This London garden by Dan Pearson is a design masterclass in making a small space feel bigger

Dan Pearson doesn’t usually work on a small scale, but saw something special in the owners of this north London terrace, with a sunny front and shady rear garden.

Award-winning designer Pollyanna Wilkinson reveals her experimental studio garden — and it looks as good in real life as it does on Insta

The garden of designer Pollyanna Wilkinson’s studio is a beautifully calm small space that she and her team use for inspiration and experimentation

Looking for a green-filled oasis in your shady plot? This small, narrow garden in the heart of Utrecht is a masterclass in how to create lush planting with texture and structure

Designer Erik Funneman has transformed a small, shady garden into a peaceful haven