Gardens & parks

We have more than 200 wonderful gardens to explore and enjoy. Beautiful flower gardens, impressive landscape parks and space for you and your family to relax

Visitors beside the Lily Pond at Gibside, Tyne and Wear

Keep the little ones busy this summer

Children playing in the gardens at Tyntesfield

Our top gardens for children 

Planning a day out the whole family will enjoy? Let your children's or grandchildren's imaginations run wild as they explore our gardens.

Child on a rope swing at Kingston Lacy, Dorset

Our top natural play areas 

Follow willow tunnels or make your very own woodland den in our natural play areas. You can also splash along muddy trails, hang onto rope swings and hunt for treehouses and bug hotels. Here's our pick of the best natural play areas at our places.

Children playing at Foxbury in the summer, Bramshaw Commons

50 things to do before you're 11 ¾ 

Roll down a really big hill, climb a tree or hunt for bugs, there's loads of great 50 things activities you can tick off your list in our gardens and parks.

Wildflower in the garden at Polesden Lacey, Surrey.

Summer gardens near you 

Take a walk round one of the many gardens in our care and enjoy the borders in full bloom.

Find a garden
Visitors at Mottisfont, Hampshire

14 fragrant rose gardens 

Take a stroll through one of our many rose gardens in full bloom this summer. You can discover hundreds of varieties bred by gardeners many years ago. Find out about original planting schemes and enjoy the delicate scent and colours of old-fashioned roses.

The wavy hedges of Glendurgan maze in Cornwall seen from above

A-maze-ing mazes 

Exploring mazes can be a lot of fun, but have you ever wondered how much work it takes to establish and care for a maze in a country garden?

A view over trees, the coast and a rocky island, as seen from Coleton Fishacre garden

Gardens by the sea 

The coastal gardens at our special places have some uniquely eye-catching views. With the sea as their back drop and perennial planting, you can enjoy visiting all year. Find one near you.

Enjoy a picnic in Eyam Hall's quaint walled garden

Perfect picnic spots 

Pack a hamper, round up friends and family and enjoy a leisurely summer's day outside. Whether you prefer golden sand, wildflower meadows or rolling green hills you'll be spoilt for choice.

Find a perfect picnic spot near you
Summer meadow flowers with a bright blue sky

Eight things to spot in a summer meadow 

Find out what you could discover in our meadows this summer, from courting insects to orchids

Gardens and parks near you

From walled gardens to landscaped lawns, gardens designed by big names to acres of parkland, we've more than 500 years of history for you to explore.

Discover our gardens and parks
Podcast host Alan Power interviewing the gardening team at Stowe

Listen to our garden podcast series 

Our gardens podcast is back for a second series. Come with us as we travel to three of our most important historic gardens and meet the staff and volunteers who help to care for them.

Listen now
Ian Buckler

Go behind the scenes at our gardens 

What do our gardeners do? What does it take to look after one of the most important historic gardens in the country? We’re back behind the scenes at Dyffryn in Wales to discover what the gardeners get up to at the height of summer.

Find out more
The oriental inspired Water Garden at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire

For garden lovers 

Want to discover more than 200 gardens, or pick up horticultural tips from our green-fingered experts? Browse all of our gardening content in one place to find your next inspiration.

For garden lovers

Garden conservation

Find out more about the work that goes on behind the scenes by our talented garden teams to restore and conserve the gardens you love to visit

What we do

Gardener's tips

Looking after more than 200 gardens has taught us a thing or two, so here our gardeners share some of their tips for a blooming beautiful garden

Pick up some top tips