Gardens and parks in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

September is a wonderful time to visit our gardens – there’s still plenty of floral colour to take in, and it’s usually quieter too. Soak up the last rays of summer sun on a stroll through Hinton Ampner’s kitchen garden, full of bright dahlias, and crops ready for the tea room. You’ll find more dahlias at The Vyne, and an apple orchard full of fruit, some of which you can take home. Mottisfont’s large walled garden borders still display a colourful scented palette in blues, pinks and reds, and the trees arching over the riverside walk are gradually turning a soft buttery yellow.

Welcome back sign in field

Check before you visit 

Please make sure you check web pages for individual places before you travel, to see where is open and where you may need to book, as well as the most up to date information about visiting.

Take a look at what's open near you
Gardener deadheads long border of bright pink dahlias

Hinton Ampner 

Hinton Ampner still packs a floral punch in autumn, thanks to its collection of dahlias. Over twenty different varieties can be seen, in hot reds and oranges, yellows and creams. New for this year are hundreds of eye-catching stripey-pink Mystic Dreamers in the sunken garden mixed with deep purple salvia and richly scented white nicotiana. In the walled kitchen garden are long borders full of deep pink ‘Fascination’.

Brightly coloured dahlias at their peak
Witness and capture the ever-changing seasonal landscape at The Vyne.

The Vyne 

The Vyne’s walled garden dahlia border features a rainbow of colours, from soft pastel shades, to vibrant oranges to bright pinks. Explore the fruit orchard when you visit - we’re expecting bumper crops of apples from the 54 heritage varieties. By the lake, stately trees are gradually changing their leaf colour, creating beautiful reflections in the water.

Plan a peaceful autumn wander
Floral colour in two wide borders with gravel path through the middle

Mottisfont 

In September, the herbaceous borders in Mottisfont’s walled garden still display a colourful palette of flowering plants, some of which are highly scented. Look out for asters, phlox, nepata and anenomes in shades of blue, pale pink, mauve and red. Against the walls, some of the garden’s famous climbing roses reveal a final burst of colour.

Soft floral colours at Mottisfont
Two people walking beside an autumn flower border and high wall

Uppark House and Garden 

Uppark's sugar maple and tulip trees start to turn shades of red and yellow. Sedums, hydrangea, cyclamen and Japanese anemones provide splashes of pink colour. Lining the approach to the gardens, towering beech trees slowly create a canopy of gold and russet foliage. There are spectacular views too - over an autumnal South Downs landscape. shades.

Soak up panoramic autumnal views
Large colourful flower borders with gravel path in the middle

Mottistone Gardens 

The warm, sheltered gardens at Mottistone mean that colourful flowers and plants continue to bloom here, well into early autumn. Some plants even prefer this time of year and are only now starting to reveal their full colour. Discover late summer highlights and far-reaching views in this tranquil garden that’s a treat for the senses.

Floral colours and sea views