Discover more at Osterley Park and House
Find out when Osterley Park and House is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
The garden at Osterley Park
Osterley Park's formal garden was transformed during a six-year project from an overgrown wilderness back to its 18th-century grandeur with herbaceous borders, roses and ornamental vegetable beds. With bulbs springing to life in the garden throughout the year and garden buildings to explore, there's plenty to enjoy whatever the weather.
Spring in the garden
In spring, the gardens at Osterley Park and House burst into life. Crowds of golden daffodils provide a welcome first splash of colour and can be found in abundance around the gardens and parkland. Tulips in the Walled Garden and formal gardens add to the colourful display.
Spot the Great White Cherry in the Winter Garden, also known as Prunus 'Tai Haku', with its brilliant white petals making a beautiful backdrop to your visit. Plum, pear and apple trees blossom from mid April, attracting bees busily collecting pollen and a colourful pink magnolia flowers.
From late April, bluebells start to form a carpet of brilliant blue, creating a beautiful vista towards the house.
Mrs Child’s Flower Garden
Sarah Child lived at Osterley between 1763 and 1793 and was a passionate gardener, filling the space in front of the Garden House with fashionable and exotic plants, which have been faithfully recreated for visitors to enjoy.
The garden features a series of beds, radiating out from the Garden House with paths twisting and turning through them. The flower beds would have been planted with a tall plant, shrub or tree in the centre, with colourful flowers of lesser height around it.
Mrs Child’s flower garden has been designed to peak in spring and summer, so visit Osterley between March and August to see a rainbow of colour just as visitors would have enjoyed in the 18th century.
Planted throughout the garden is a range of campanulas, sisyrinchiums, lupins, geraniums and peony plants, sitting beside rhododendrons and other small shrubs and trees which provide the flower garden with variety and colour.
The Garden House
This semi-circular building, built in 1780 and designed by Robert Adam, is a fascinating feature of the garden set among the borders of Mrs Child’s Flower Garden. Used to entertain guests, Mrs Child filled the Garden House with exotic scented plants, including olive trees, agaves and, according to the 1782 inventory, ‘forty-five Orange and Lemon trees in tubs’.
In celebration of this, our garden team continue the tradition each year by displaying various plants in the Garden house for visitors to enjoy. Currently, we have our seasonal spring display on show which hosts a variation of colourful flowers including tulips, amaryllis and allium and other exotic-scented plants which bring together a stunning and captivating show revealing the beauty of blossom.
In summer we showcase our collection of rare pelargonium species and varieties.
Tudor walled garden
One of Osterley’s best-loved features is the Tudor walled garden. This historic space provides areas for the garden team to grow vegetables for the café and cut flowers for display. The old cutting garden is soon to be planted with heritage apple and pear trees known to have grown in Middlesex historically.
Against the western wall, a late-summer perennial border bursts into life with salvias, penstemons, crocosmia, gladiolus and kniphofias, creating a vibrant display of clear, bright colour.
Over time, the garden team have transformed a once-derelict corner of the walled garden into an organic ornamental vegetable garden. This is their experimental space, where they explore unusual combinations and playful planting ideas.
The vegetable garden is arranged into four plots: one dedicated to traditional crops, another largely taken over by pumpkins, and two imaginative mixed-planting beds combining brassicas, dahlias, antirrhinums, zinnias and amaranths. The ornamental vegetable garden is at its peak from July through to October.
The Winter Garden
The garden team have been carefully developing the winter garden for several years, creating a landscape full of colour, texture and interest throughout the colder months. Seasonal trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs offer vibrant stems, striking bark and delicate winter blooms that look their best when the sun is low and sets their bright stems a-glow.
Look out for the garden’s three signature winter flowers: cyclamen, Iris reticulata ‘George’, and drifts of snowdrops. You’ll find them brightening spots near the Temple of Pan, tucked behind the Garden House, in the flower‑picking garden, and along the Long Walk.
After exploring, warm up with a drink from the Stables Café. And if you’re visiting in winter with a canine companion, don’t miss Winter Walkies. During the winter season until March, dogs on leads are welcome in the formal gardens. Perfect for a peaceful seasonal stroll. Check visiting Osterley Park with dogs for more information.
Organic gardening
A commitment to organic gardening at Osterley Park and House has seen a growth in wildlife, from hedgehogs to birds. The garden team stopped using fungicides and insecticides a number of years ago and limits its use of weedkillers to a small number of paths around the estate.
The difference has been most obvious in the Great Meadow, where layers of biodiversity can now be seen, from the insects and small mammals to the larger birds of prey such as owls, kestrels and red kites which feed on them.
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The House at Osterley Park
Discover what to see in the house at Osterley Park. Explore the grand rooms designed by architect Robert Adam for the Child family and find out about life above and below stairs.
The park and estate at Osterley
Explore the parkland and estate at Osterley Park and House. Discover what to see and do in the wider estate, from picnics by the lake to bird spotting.
Eating and shopping at Osterley Park
Discover where to eat and drink at Osterley Park and House. Stop for refreshments in the historic Tudor courtyard and browse the shops for gifts and pre-loved books.
The history of Osterley Park
Discover the history of Osterley Park. Find out about the architect who transformed the mansion into a fashionable palace and the family who lived there.
Family-friendly things to do at Osterley Park and House
From bike rides to den building, discover the full range of family-friendly activities and events taking place at Osterley Park.
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Warmer days are on their way and the first signs of spring have already landed at gardens and parks in London. Colourful crocuses and cheery daffodils are brightening up lawns and terraces, while the very first blossom buds are appearing here and there.
