The garden at Hidcote

The garden is divided into a series of ‘outdoor rooms’, each with its own character. The formality of the ‘rooms’ melts away as you move through the garden away from the house.

Passion for plants

Plant hunting trips around the world made sure that Hidcote had variety, colour and scent throughout the garden. Lawrence Johnston created the garden and was passionate about plants. He went to endless trouble and expense to find unusual varieties that would bring colour, scent, shape and texture to the garden.

He travelled a lot, visiting faraway places like the Alps, South Africa and China. He also exchanged plants with gardeners in far-flung countries from Australia to Japan. He carefully selected only the finest varieties to bring back to Hidcote.

Mrs Winthrop's Garden at Hidcote
Mrs Winthrop's Garden at Hidcote
Mrs Winthrop's Garden at Hidcote

Over the years many plants have been named after Johnston or Hidcote, in recognition of his talent and plantsmanship. Examples still in cultivation today:

  • Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'
  • Hypericum 'Hidcote Gold'
  • Dianthus 'Hidcote Red'
  • Fuchsia 'Hidcote Beauty'
  • Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote Pink'

 

No labels to be seen

At Hidcote we aim to keep as true to Lawrence Johnston's garden as we possibly can.

Johnston's garden was private and secluded, not a botanical show garden. To keep his spirit alive, very few of the plants are labelled today.

Did a plant catch your eye when you visited? Not sure what it was? We can help. Email us and a member of our gardening team will let you know what it is.

Don’t forget to:

  • Tell us where you saw it.
  • Add include some photos of it.
Hidcote Long Borders
Hidcote Pillar Garden in Spring
Hidcote Long Borders
Pillars at Hidcote 1943
Hidcote   Gloucestershire

Pillar Column Rejuvenation Project 2021

With every opportunity for a new start in 2021; Hidcote’s Garden Team were sharpening their saws over Christmas ready to get started on the most significant project in recent times: the Pillar Garden.

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Bathing pool and Fuchsia Garden
Hidcote   Gloucestershire

Hidcote virtual tours

Enjoy magnificent views, discover exotic plants and experience vivid floral displays on a 360 degree virtual tour of Hidcote. Pictures taken August 2010.

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Hidcote   Gloucestershire

Visiting Hidcote: what you need to know

We're looking forward to welcoming you back. If you're booking a ticket for a visit to Hidcote, in this article you'll find everything you need to know about what's open and what to expect from your visit. We've made some changes to our usual offer, to help keep everyone safe.

Plan your visit