Visit the gardens at Dyffryn

Spring magnolia on the Great Lawn at Dyffryn Gardens with Dyffryn House in the background. — Spring magnolia on the Great Lawn at Dyffryn Gardens | © Milly Kelly

On the outskirts of Cardiff, discover more than 55 acres of horticultural variety, including grand historical vistas, a magical arboretum, intimate garden rooms, working kitchen gardens, an exotic glass house and two log stack play areas. During your visit, stop by our delightful café and beautifully curated shop to pick out some treats.

Spring highlights

The garden is beautiful all year round, but the spring is always such a celebration of light, colour and texture.

As soon as you arrive, you'll be greeted by happy daffodils which start from the entrance and pop up to greet you all the way through the gardens. On the start of your walk, you'll come across our famous Kennel Bank - filled with crocuses, daffodils and late snowdrops, we have people coming every year to make sure they take a photo of the Kennel Bank at its most beautiful.

From here either make your way to the Arboretum to see the opening buds on the blossom trees or wander over to the South Lawn to see the extensive displays of tulips and daffodils which add gravitas to the sweeping formal lawn. From here you can see Magnolia trees dotting the view with soft pinks and whites, enticing you to explore the Garden Rooms.

Be transported all over the globe in our themed Garden Rooms, from Italy in our newly reopened Pompeiian Garden where Wisteria will soon be blossoming its way up the garden's columns, to even further afield in the Exotics Garden. In our nearby Kitchen Gardens, the Pear, Apple and Apricot blossom is just getting into its stride and our famous Cherry blossom is starting to spread it's fluffy blooms throughout the entirety of the site.

Spring is truly a sight to behold at Dyffryn Gardens.

Spring flowers in the sunshine, Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan — Spring flowers in the sunny Arboretum, Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan | © National Trust

Festival of Blossom

The Festival of Blossom is an annual National Trust moment to help people connect with the beauty and meaning of blossom through activities and the seasonal highlights found at Dyffryn Gardens.

We're running a series of events throughout spring to help people appreciate and celebrate the nature around them during this season of renewed energy and beauty.

These events are designed to help with mental health, create mindfulness, spread joy and have fun. They range from our seasonal walk, to blossom photography workshops, to wreath-making sessions and run from 1 March right through to 31 May. All the events are listed on the events section so you can find out everything you need to know to join in.

Blossom Watch Walk

Look out for blossom as spring arrives on this self-led walk around the gardens. Our favourites include Apricot blossom, Magnolia, Wisteria, and of course our famous Cherry blossom. The fast-paced and changeable nature of blossom means that from March to May what you see on your walk will change depending on the time you come, so every time you visit, you'll see something new.

Pick-up your blossom watch leaflet from the Welcome Centre when you arrive, it has a full-site map of the gardens and all the most interesting sections of the garden during the spring are highlighted so you can easily find them.

Blossom tree covered in small pink flowers in the Arboretum at Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan — Blossom tree in the Arboretum at Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan | © National Trust

A garden for all seasons

The gardens at Dyffryn were commissioned by Reginald Cory and designed by the famed Edwardian garden designer, Thomas Mawson in 1906.

As a keen plantsman himself, Cory worked collaboratively with Mawson to create this garden oasis. The majority of the gardens you see today are true to the original design. There was also a strong theme of experimentation and fluidity to the planting as Reginald was passionate about propagating and breeding many exotic and foreign species that he and others brought back from plant hunting forays all over the world.

The Pompeiian Garden

The Pompeiian Garden, inspired by Cory's trips to Italy, was built in 1909. Like its Italian namesake, it was designed with an impressive colonnade, a loggia and a central fountain in a lawn square.

One of the most enchanting features of the gardens is a series of themed outdoor rooms. This was a typical feature for a grand house like Dyffryn in the early 20th Century. The National Trust took over the restoration and protection of Dyffryn Gardens in 2012 and since then we have been working hard to restore these garden rooms back to their 1920s splendour. The Coronavirus Pandemic set our work back by some years but now we have an even clearer vision to blend restoration, horticulture, history and biodiversity and ensure that Dyffryn Gardens thrives for many generations to come.

A quote by Chris FlynnNational Trust Head Gardener, Dyffryn Gardens

The cacti house at Dyffryn Garden, Vale of Glamorgan | © National Trust Images/Andrew Butler

Tropical glasshouse

The tropical glasshouse is filled with exotic orchids, vines, cacti and succulents.

Split into three, the glasshouse is bursting with otherworldly delights. Be transported into the desert, the rainforest and see our intricate vinery.

Reginald Cory was a passionate plantsman and gardens are full to bursting with plants from around the world. With this spirit in mind, the glasshouse is home to a unique collection of exotic specimens, most of which are used to warmer climates than Wales!

The orchid house contains some rare and particularly unusual specimens such as Bromeliads, Ethiopian banana (Ensete ventricosum montbeliardii), Spiral ginger (Costus barbatus), Urn plant (Aechmea Fasciata) and Bowring's Cattleya (Cattleya bowringiana).

We also have over 30 species of cacti and succulents.

The glasshouse at Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan | © National Trust Images/Andrew Butler

Plant collecting

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries there was a huge surge in popularity for plant collecting as wealthy adventurers explored the globe in search of new and exotic species to bring back to Britain.

Reginald Cory commissioned and attended plant collecting expeditions all over the world and brought his finds back to Dyffryn. With its sheltered south-facing position these plants thrived and many remain today.

Log Stack play areas

There are two Log Stack play areas at Dyffryn, one outside the pay barrier near the Welcome Centre and a larger one in the Arboretum. These wild play areas have plenty of space for youngsters to run, jump, explore and play.

Balance along enormous trees which were felled as part of the arboretum revival plan, jump from log to log along the stepping stones and have a picnic on hand carved picnic stumps.

The area is home to squirrels, birds and lots of creepy crawlies, so bring a magnifying glass or some binoculars and get spotting.