Your favorite garden?

[batwing]

Which garden, that is open to the public, is your favorite?

Currently mine is Sandringham. The whole estate is beautiful but the gardens, for me, were a total surprise. I was expecting them to be much more formal but instead they are exactly what a garden should be- relaxing. They are cleverly laid out and, in a relatively small area, take you through many different areas of planting, along a stream and out to the lake at the front of the house. The views of the house from the lake are beautiful. My perfect summer day is a picnic in the woods, followed by a walk around the gardens and then a short drive into Hunstanton for tea before heading home. Ah well, summer will soon come round, won't it?

[aeshna5]

The gardens I would most like to visit are Pam Lewis' Sticky Wicket in Dorset + Beth Chatto's wonderful gardens in Essex, particularly the dry gravel garden on the old carpark. Visited Highgrove last year that has many exciting features.

[Paul mabbott]

Kew. Huge with plenty of quiet spots, so many species, British or global. Only problem is the planes descending to Heathrow .....

[Earth Hart]

No flight path down at the Eden Project, and a great place to take the grandkids.

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, everyone I know who has visited says it's great. One day ....

Originally Posted by Earth Hart

No flight path down at the Eden Project, and a great place to take the grandkids.

[smartie]

Lost gardens of Heligan for me every time.

Beth Chatto's garden in Essex is also very interesting, but I find it can be dangerously expensive - I've just bought 34 plants from their nursery

[steve_nova]

Originally Posted by smartie

Lost gardens of Heligan for me every time.

Beth Chatto's garden in Essex is also very interesting, but I find it can be dangerously expensive - I've just bought 34 plants from their nursery

Loved the Lost gardens (except for the rain, but hey, thats Cornwall!) havn't been to Beth Chatto's yet but intend to.

Love Sissinghirst Castle gardens, Great Dixter is a firm favourite too and well, there are so many. I will have to think!

Steve.

[JeffH]

Cambridge Botanic Gardens are well worth a visit at any time of year and the winter garden at the National Trust's Anglesey Abbey (near Cambridge, not North Wales!) shows what a wonderful range of colour can be maintained through the winter. The Abbey Gardens are also a mecca for snowdrop lovers in late January/February with one of the largest collections in the country.

Jeff

[nightshade]

Lost Gardens of Heligan,Westonbirt Arboretum

[badgerwatcher]

Sissinghirst Castle gardens, as you say, Steve, are wonderful, with a huge range of Clematis varieties, a gorgeous variety of rose that has huge oval orange hips, an amazing white garden, wild areas...And great Dixter also fab. Kew is a place I never get tired of, also Wisley. Minsmere, I know is not a garden as such, but what an amazing place to be, with birds so trusting and visible. and such variety of scenery and habitats.