Visit the gardens at Dyffryn

The Causeway at Dyffryn Gardens during the summer, in the foreground are flowerbeds full of green and purple flowers, in the middle background Dyffryn House stands tall, the sky is blue with wispy clouds. — The Causeway at Dyffryn Gardens during the summer. | © National Trust

On the outskirts of Cardiff, discover more than 55 acres of horticultural variety, including grand historical vistas, a magical arboretum, intimate garden rooms, working kitchen gardens, an exotic glass house and two log stack play areas. During your visit, stop by our delightful café and beautifully curated shop to pick out some treats.

Summer highlights

In the summer Dyffryn Gardens is full of fragrance and colour. Everywhere you look you will see plants in full bloom. The bedding displays are at their height in July, especially the South Front and Paved Court and the Herbaceous Border gives long lasting colour and interest throughout the summer.

The Arboretum becomes a shade-dappled forest of calm. Last year we reopened two restored sections of the Arboretum which had been overtaken by pervasive weeds and bamboo. There is now a peaceful glade with interesting trees where you can dwell at your leisure. Then follow the meandering path through the Arboretum's meadow, designed as a wandering route amongst the wild orchids.

The gardens act as a summer sanctuary for many bird species including swifts, swallows and house martins. Greenfinches have also been nesting here for the last couple of years so keep an ear out for their song. Dyffryn is also a summer haven for pollinators and our gardens support more than 50 species of bees which you can find foraging in beds and borders all around the garden.

Later in the summer our signature Dahlias will come into bloom along with late summer ginger lily displays, as well as a variety of plants blossoming in the Kitchen Gardens and Exotics Garden.

Herbaceous Border in summer, Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan | © Milly Kelly | National Trust

Mini Meadows

This is the fifth year of growing our two ‘mini meadows’ on the Great Lawn, either side of the central canal. After last year’s Edwardian swirls (inspired by details from the newly restored house façade), this years’ meadow will take the form of sunbeams, shooting out from the central sundial.

We grow the meadows to increase the diversity of pollinators and insects as well as limit compaction on the South Lawn so that waxcaps can thrive in the autumn. The increase in pollinators and insects then encourages predators like dragonflies. The dragonflies mingle with the damselflies over the water features, home to water lilies and other aquatic plants and their flitting displays are truly spectacular. We also have several other areas of meadow which were established in 2019 - we now have bee orchids (a beautiful species of wild orchid) flowering in May and June flourishing in our meadow spaces.

Arial view of the spiral mini-meadows, Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan — The spiral mini-meadows at Dyffryn Gardens during summer 2023 | © James Dobson

Talks and Tours

Find out more about these fascinating gardens on free, volunteer-run talks and tours on certain days of the week.

Talks

These 15-minute-long introductory talks give you a quick overview of the history of the Cory family, the estate, the gardens, and how we’re looking after this special place. They take place on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11.30am, 12pm, 1pm, 1.30pm and 2pm.

Find out more here.

Tours

These 45-minute-long tours take in seven key locations around the house and gardens. Accessible routes are available so please ask at the start of the tour and our volunteer guides will adapt the tour as needed. They take place on Saturdays at 11.30am and 1pm.

Find out more here.

Please note talks and tours are volunteer dependent, and visitors need to check they are running with the Welcome Team on the day. There’s no need to book.