There are so many beautiful things to see in Britain. Unsurprisingly, there are beautiful gardens throughout the British Isles that both tourists and locals alike should make an effort to see. From The Alnwick Garden (including the Poison Garden) to the grounds of Kensington Palace. For this article, we’ve teamed up with Oldrids and Downtown, retailers of stunning conservatory furniture to get you in the mood for the sunny days in our own beloved gardens to discover some of Britain’s most beautiful gardens.
Biddulph Grange Garden
If you’re looking for a garden that will open your eyes to different cultures, a trip to Biddulph Grange Garden in Staffordshire will do just this. The 15-acres of land have been split into different sections. Each represents different countries across the globe, with Chinese, Egyptian and multiple themes run throughout. There really is nothing like seeing first hand the different gardening details throughout the world.
The Egyptian landscape includes towering square hedges and a grand temple protected by two pairs of sphinxes. The temple has detailed stonework with bright colours. These accompany the golden yews that were planted within this area. A mysterious passageway that leads to the temple is lit by red lights. There’s also a stained-glass window which allows you to see the detail of the monkey-god sculptures and more.
The beauty of The China Garden is that it brings the entire Chinese culture to one place. Using colour to its advantage, bright reds, yellows and greens are featured on all of the structures within the garden — from pond bridges to pagodas. The garden also includes a pagoda tree, Paulownia tomentosa, azaleas, bamboos, hostas and more, as well as plants from Japan, Britain and America.
The Alnwick Garden
Visiting The Alnwick Garden is like stepping into another world. Undoubtedly one of Britain’s most beautiful gardens and home to famous fountains, poison gardens. It also houses one of the biggest tree-houses in the world — this place has it all. The 14-acre site has a history of plant growth, as the 3rd Duke of Northumberland brought seeds from all over the world to populate the garden with blooming flowers and generate a unique spark within the community. Now, the site has over 200 species of plants. Including some which are deadly!
What makes this location different to any other on our list is that they have a Poison Garden. But the question is, are you brave enough to enter? Locked by cast-iron gates with skull plaques saying “These Plants Can Kill”, the garden includes strychnos nux-vomica, hemlock, Ricinus communis and more deadly plants. However, the garden stands for a much greater purpose as it aims to educate people on drugs by featuring cannabis, coca and papaver smniferum.
If you love an adventure, the treehouse that has been built from sustainable Canadian cedar, Scandinavian redwood as well as English and Scots pine is the place you should be going. The wobbly rope bridges will lead you to the treehouse café and restaurant. There, trunks power through the flooring and make for a remarkable experience.
Kensington Palace Gardens
Whisk yourself off to the magical world of Neverland by visiting the incredible Kensington Palace Gardens. This was the key inspiration behind the famous children’s book series Peter Pan. As well as being home to our favourite royals, the palace is world-renowned for its spectacular garden space.
This isn’t one of those places that seeing once is enough. It may be a garden, but so much care and thought go into it and it shows. The palace prides itself on its gardens and keeps up with the historic traditions that were once in place. Not only that, but in the spring, tulips, pansies and wallflowers bloom, whilst during summer, you will see geraniums, cannas and begonias pop out with colour. As a result, you can see something different all year round.
Last year, to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, the Sunken Garden was transformed into the White Garden. The garden was turned into a sea of white and cream coloured flowers with a sporadic dotting of colours throughout. The garden transformation was set as a temporary exhibit to coincide with the launch of Diana: Her Fashion Story, an exhibition of her most famous gowns and garments.
We were gifted tickets to the exhibition. But due to some extenuating circumstances only managed to get there after closing time. Not ones to dwell on the negative we spent the afternoon on the grounds and seeing the beautiful garden. There is something special about Kensington Palace and it’s definitely a must-see!
Which do you think are Britain’s most beautiful gardens?
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