Gardeners' tips

Hear from our gardeners and get lots of gardening inspiration and ideas to make the most of your outdoor space

Wildflowers in front, with Ormesby Hall in the background

Summer gardening tips: from our garden to yours 

Want to get more out of your summer blooms? Our gardening experts are sharing their tips on how to garden during the warmest season. This month we've got advice on cultivating pelargoniums, how to grow wild flowers, looking after roses and more.

Happy gardening
School of Gardening

The National Trust School of Gardening  

From herbaceous borders to sustainable gardening, The National Trust School of Gardening by Rebecca Bevan is inspired by 300 years of horticultural history and top tips from our gardeners. With clear and practical advice for garden development and beautiful pictures, this guide is suitable for all experience levels. Buy a copy from our online shop.

Working in the walled garden, checking the broad beans, on the estate at Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion, Wales.

Get a taste of what's in season for July 

Discover what's in season for growing and harvesting in July and how to make the most of the summer's abundant produce. This month we’re talking about new potatoes and beans and sharing lots of handy tips from our gardeners and chefs.

See what's in season

Time for roses

Roses on display in our plant shop

Roses for pots

Patio roses such as ‘Queen Mother’ grow well in containers. Choose a pot that’s at least 40cm deep and fill it with loam-based compost or a mix of peat-free compost and garden soil. Feed and water throughout the growing season.

The Alnwick Rose

Keeping roses healthy

Plant roses in a fertile, moisture-retentive soil and mulch with compost or well-rotted manure. Prune each winter to stop branches becoming over-crowded. When buying new roses, look for disease-resistant varieties.

Rambling rose, Veilchenblau, in the rose garden in June at Mottisfont, Hampshire

Less thorny varieties

Some roses have fewer thorns than others. To keep scratch-free, try the scented, deep pink shrub rose ‘Zéphirine Drouhin’, English rose ‘Kew Gardens’ with its clusters of small white flowers, or purple rambler ‘Veilchenblau’.

Rose varieties to look out for

Close up of light pink Octavia Hill rose blooms
Close up of deep pink Rosa gallica flowers
Close up of yellow Rosa 'Graham Thomas' flowers
The simple flowers of the Dog rose (Rosa canina)
The 'Margaret Greville' rose in the Polesden Lacey Ladies Garden

Rosa 'Octavia Hill'

This rose variety was created in 1995 to mark the centenary of the National Trust, and was named ‘Octavia Hill’ after one of our three co-founders.

Rosa gallica

This species has been around since the Middle Ages and was often used for medicines. The ‘Officinalis’ cultivar is also known as the Red Rose of Lancaster.

Rosa 'Graham Thomas'

Named for another key figure in our history, this rose was chosen by Graham Stuart Thomas himself. It has a light fragrance and is perfect for a pop of colour.

Rosa canina

Also known as the ‘dog rose’, this is the most common of our native wild roses. You’ll often find it blooming in hedgerows over the summer months.

Rosa 'Margaret Greville'

Launched in 2017, the ‘Margaret Greville’ rose was created by the team at Polesden Lacey to commemorate 75 years since Mrs Greville left the estate to us.

A gardener shows us the compost bin at Nunnington Play Video
Video

Composting with our experts


In our latest gardening video, Rebecca Bevan, the author of The National Trust School of Gardening, finds out how compost is made at Nunnington Hall in Yorkshire. She speaks to Head Gardener, Nick Fraser, about the composting system that's at the heart of keeping the gardens well-maintained and vibrant.

See our other how to guides
Decorations for your garden
Two mirrors, lattice detailing, leaning against a stone wall surrounded by small plants and shrubs

Garden design ideas for every home 

Gardens have become an increasingly important part of our lives, and the nature that calls them home. No matter how big or small your garden or outdoor space is, we've got garden décor, dining accessories and wildlife-friendly products to help update your calming oasis.

The Diner Bird Feeder hanging outside, full with food and a blue tit sat on the top

For the love of nature 

Encourage your feathered friends, nature neighbours and wandering mini-beasts to make a pit stop in your garden. No matter how big or small your outdoor space is, enjoy spending time watching nature buzz by. Explore our unique selection of habitats, feeders, bird baths and more, including our new range made for the love of nature in collaboration with leading wildlife specialists CJ Wildlife.

Rose garden inspiration

Madonna and Child before a Rose Hedge

Scents and sensuality: stories of roses in our collections 

The rose is the nation's favourite bloom. More than any other flower, roses are steeped in symbolism, history and meaning which can be found in abundance in our houses, gardens and collections. Uncover the rose's stories and meanings at our places and its uses in perfume, cuisine and medicine.

Flatlay of Roses and Rose Gardens book by Claire Masset

Roses by Claire Masset 

Know someone with a passion for roses? Join author Claire Masset as she showcases 25 of the most beloved rose gardens in our care, from Mottisfont to Sissinghurst. Perfect as a gift for a loved one - or just keep it for yourself.

Honey bee feeding on a dahlia flower

Help protect pollinators 

Bees play a vital role in the natural world around us but they're under threat. By donating to support nature and wildlife at the places in our care, you'll be helping to protect these pollinators and the green spaces they call home. Now more than ever, we need your help to look after the nature and wildlife we all find comfort in.

Donate now
" I was a Head Gardener for 20 years and you never stop learning. You need to be creative, prepared to try new things and inspire a wide range of people. "
- Ian Wright, lead gardens adviser
Member of staff checking the records at the Plant Conservation Centre

Garden podcasts playlist 

Download or listen to episodes from our podcast series that explore our most important historic gardens and meet the staff and volunteers who care for them.

Listen now

Gardeners' essentials

See our range of decorative and practical items for making your garden great

Browse our garden selection