Exbury Gardens, New Forest
Dating back to 1610, Exbury Gardens is named after New Forest village of Exbury. Set in 11 acres of beautiful grounds overlooking the Solent only a short journey from the Isle of Wight. The horticultural collection is unrivalled by any open garden in southern England. Exbury Gardens in the New Forest, UK are a spectacular collection of woodland and formal gardens. Designed and built by the Troller family, the gardens cover 250 acres and are filled with unique planting schemes, rare trees and stunning landscaping.
Exbury Gardens, New Forest. Hampshire, Exbury Gardens on the edge of the New Forest. Spectacular collection of woodland, herbaceous, contemporary and formal gardens. Wow, you made it to our Press page. Congrats! Lets see what theres been happening. In December 2012 we were named one of Time Magazines Top 50 Websites for Women to Watch in 2013. In the beginning of February 2013 we were selected as one of Technologys Top 50 Startups to Watch.
Furzey Gardens, near Lyndhurst
Furzey Gardens is a very special place to visit, offering an idyllic setting for strolling through woodland and shrubbery. The flowers carpet the ground in a blaze of colour with beds planted in springtime giving way to the mad, eccentric, colourful show of summer. Autumn brings a riot of colour through the trees from orange berries, to russet foliage, and fiery reds. There are several spring-flowering rhododendrons which usually flower during May. Spathes of bright yellow can be seen against the dark green foliage of the bamboos.
Bluebells have started appearing in the woods and come early May can be heard flowing throughout the garden's woodland paths. Furzey Gardens is in the New Forest National Park, 9 miles from Lymington and 20 miles from Bournemouth. The beautiful setting is at the top of a hill with views over the edge of the pond to the valley beyond. The Gardens were opened in 1922 by Mrs Alice Hegan Rice (who wrote under the name of her husband) who was born at nearby Parsonage Farm.
She also lived at Lee Place, Brockenhurst. Mrs Alice Hegan Rice died in 1937. In the 1960s the Gardens became derelict but they were restored from 1976 and reopened in 1978 by Colonel Reginald Broke-Smith, owner of Furzey Farm which adjoins the garden. The old glasshouse has been converted. Whether you are planning to go away on holiday, or simply going for a nice drive through the New Forest Furzey Gardens is a great place to visit.
It has many pathways leading through beautiful semi-wild gardens. There is also a lovely large yew hedge maze for you to explore if you feel so inclined, as well as lots of benches along the way if just want to sit and take in the views. What a fantastic way to start a blog post on your website. Have you ever been or are you ever planning to go to the Furzey Garden near Lyndhurst ? Well this could be a great opener should you have plans in the near future.
Highclere Castle and Gardens
If, like many people who live outside the local area, you wish that time would stand still in this corner of the beautiful English countryside then you should know that Highclere Castle has been a popular fixture in English history for nearly 400 years. The estate was first built on the site of an earlier house in 1679 when Sir Robert Sawyer hired George Cranfield to design him a mansion. Cranfield's design didn't work out and the structure that we see today is what architect Thomas Archer came up with.
This new home took 25 years to complete because it had to be done between 1st Earl of Caernarvon's frequent trips away – one of which was a war campaign in Flanders in 1691; but finally, in 1687. Highclere Castle and Gardens. Berkshire, Highclere House and gardens have some beautiful features and must not be missed. An Egyptian exhibition is open part of the year. Highclere Castle is an imposing stately home located in the small village of Newbury in Berkshire, England.
The castle, chaired by Sir Charles Fitzroy Doll GCSI, was selected as a site for filming of the hugely successful costume drama tv series Downton Abbey. Highclere Castle & Gardens in Berkshire, is one of the most famous and most visited stately homes in England. The castle is built within its own elevated grounds and is home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. It is best known as the family home of Lady Almina and Lord Carnarvon, otherwise known as Lord and Lady Carnarvon who funded the search for the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The gardens are open throughout the year and there are various events that take place throughout the Spring & Summer months. Early November is an ideal time to visit when the famous Ashford Castle International Horse Trials are held in the surrounding avenues and paddocks. The Castle House and Gardens include the 1,000 acre estate in Berkshire. It boasts of a number of interesting features. The Castle was built in 1679 and rebuilt during the 19th century.
The estate has almost 100 rooms today which visitors could roam around. This site is devoted to the historic Highclere Castle, The gardens are also beautiful in the spring. You can walk around the gardens or take pictures from the highclere castle. How about old favorites like, 10 things to do in York City. Or How To: shawls & scarves for Beginners. Furzey Garden’s tranquil charm is produced by the contrast between the peaceful woodland way the wild meadows and hedgerows which separate them.
Hillier Gardens & Arboretum near Winchester | best time to visit
Hillier Gardens & Arboretum near Winchester in Hampshire is the perfect place to go for a beautiful walk in the country at any time of year. It’s also a great place to visit if you’re looking for somewhere more interesting than the closest city center park for a family day out. Specially, but not exclusively, well-suited to keen and younger naturalists, Hillier Gardens are free of charge and open throughout the year. This makes them an attractive option for those who might want to stretch their legs but do so on a budget.
I took the walk around the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire at the end of April, and just as I was thinking this place is beautiful now but would be spectacular in summer, I looked up and saw some gorgeous pink flowers with yellow centres and a few cherry trees beginning to flower. A family day out at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum near Winchester in Hampshire, England | Best Time To Visit.
Hinton Ampner House Garden, near Winchester
Hinton Ampner House Garden is one of those gardens which make me awestruck. When I visited it in December 2016, I spent three hours driving around the garden and was lucky to catch the garden at a time when no one else was there (it can get quite busy). It’s a stunning winter garden although it is quite big and can't be fully seen during a visit. There is also an indoor glasshouse where you will find beautiful orchids.
When I first visited Hinton Ampner House I hadn’t realised that there would be a garden attached to it. A good friend of mine recently went and visited and invited me over. I went last week and we had a great time. Hinton Ampner is one of those gardens that you’ll visit and keep going back to visit again, always finding something new each time. Hinton Ampner House Garden lies just outside Winchester in Hampshire and is well worth a visit if you are in the area.
It's well known for its stunning spring display of daffodils, but what I like about Hinton Ampner is the way the garden is laid out with no real sense of formality. The borders appear. Hinton Ampner House Garden, near Winchester is a great garden set in the rolling Hampshire countryside. Hinton Ampner House gardens are full of history and beautiful gardens. Hinton Ampner Garden is set in the gentle hills of Hampshire, near Winchester and making an ideal day out for all the family.
Houghton Lodge Gardens
Houghton Lodge is a superb 18th Century country house set in over 20 acres of gardens and parkland. The house has magnificent interiors and fine traditional gardens which were established during the period when Lancelot 'Capability'Brown was creating his masterpiece at nearby Woburn Abbey. Houghton Lodge was a venue for a Congress of European Garden Historians in 1997 and is a favourite venue for bridal photography worldwide. Houghton Lodge is in the Stockbridge district of Hampshire, near the village of Stockbridge.
It was once home to Sir Thomas Spencer Wilson KCVO, CMG, JP (1840 - 1915), a grandson of William Wilberforce. His wife Sarah Anne Houghton (daughter of Samuel Houghton of Watlington) presented King Edward VII with his first corgi named Balsam. Its early C17 origins as a local manor are reflected in the substantial house which is reputed to contain sections of the original building. A canal to carry boat traffic from London to Bristol was begun in 1793, and one of its workshops was established on the grounds of Houghton Lodge.
Stockbridge is wonderful place to visit with a huge array of different shops and restaurants. Houghton Lodge Gardens are enormous - you could spend hours wandering around them and still not see everything there is to see. The gardens of Houghton Lodge are situated in Hampshire, overlooking the village of Stockbridge and the River Test. The gardens include greenhouses, formal terraces, an arboretum and also a children's playground. Houghton Lodge is set in 1.
Knoll Gardens and Nursery, near Wimborne
Knoll Gardens and Nursery, near Wimborne. Dorset, Whatever the season, there is visual interest aplenty at Knoll Gardens. In Spring the banks are alive with flowers - long borders burst into colour from April to June. The shrubs and trees are also at their most colourful - azalea, rhododendron and flowering camellia complement dramatic bedding displays and magnificent specimen trees. I received a call recently from a man who had just moved to Dorset and wanted to visit Knoll Gardens near Wimborne.
He had been given our name and telephone number by his friend, who is a regular visitor, as often as she can get away. The undoubted gem of Dorset, Knoll is a truly special place. It is one of the great gardens Britain and the only one in southern England able to claim to be a rambling garden. I’m in Dorset, in a place called Knoll Gardens. The National Trust maintain these gardens to an remarkable level of originality, and it’s just really nice to experience.
Longstock Water Gardens
Water lilies are a distinctive characteristic of any garden pond. Their waxy red petals glow with rich colour and illuminate the water. Delicate white spotted leaves emerge surrounded by tightly curled brown shoots giving the plant its definition and shape. Setting out to create an oriental feel, Longstock Water Gardens now have a collection of hardy water lilies which display their individual features in seemingly endless unison. In summer the newly planted wetland habitat once again comes to life.
This year we have planted thousands of native wetland plants, including cotton grass, marsh marigold, increased the populations of dragonflies and two new wetland brooks. The Longstock Water Gardens in Hampshire, are a well known garden and home to the great ponds. As the season progresses more plants come to life giving a new lease of life to the plants and flowers. On the outside of the summerhouse bright yellow bee balm (Monarda didyma) dominates whilst inside we can see a variety of small fritillaries.
Mottisfont Abbey Gardens
Mottisfont Abbey Garden and nearby Test Valley offer a unique experience. As well as the Abbey and Gardens, which are beautiful in themselves, there are several interesting buildings of historical interest to visit and walks – or cycle rides - through the peaceful countryside. These include Nash Mills, once the site of a great mill; St. Nicholas’ Church and Nash Park, until recently the estate farm; North Farm, a delightful ivy-clad cottage with waterwheel and museum, also with waterwheel; and St George's Chapel.
Mottisfont Abbey Gardens are set within a valley surrounded by hills, not far from the River Test that flows through towards Southampton. The See House Tower, originally built in 1480 and then restored in the 19th century stands at the entrance to the Gardne. With seat walls, rhododendrons and a bubbling stream harbouring fascinating carp, the 25 acres setting is calm and peaceful. East of Andover, deep in the heart of Hampshire, lies Mottisfont Abbey Gardens.
This stunning remnant of a lost age is a place of great tranquility. This outstanding National Trust Gardens have been lovingly restored and maintained by the dedicated Mottisfont team for all to enjoy. Mottisfont Abbey Gardens are close to the lovely cathedral city of Winchester and near the historic town of Romsey. Located off the A31, just north of New Alresford, Mottisfont is very easy to find if you are planning a visit from London or the South Coast.
The Mottisfont Abbey Gardens situated in the south of Hampshire, Mottisfont Abbey Gardens are set in the delightful Test Valley, where the River Test the famous trout river follows its journey to the sea. 5 acres of walled gardens, opening to lawns and trees beyond. The house stands close to the edge of the escarpment, over-looking a wide area of the Hampshire Downs. Have you ever been to Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum?. ".
The Manor House Garden - Jekyll
In 1908 when Gertrude Jekyll was sixty-five she designed a garden for Charles Holme at Upton Grey in Hampshire. In her own words it was to be " a two acre bit of very ugly ground, covered with trees and weeds ". The demesne's owner, another Charles Holme, was " keenly alive to the fact that on this particular piece of ground a garden may be made into which he and his wife and friends may sit without being too much incommoded by these trees, i.
e. without their having to drag one's chairs right up to them, as is the case at present; nor yet protected from them, as one must do if one gardens in the small and formal way usual in. Jekyll's love of the garden was reflected by the designs for many English gardens. In 1908 when she was 65 she designed a garden owned by Charles Holme at Upton Grey. The home was erected in 1873 on a high hill and featured boxwood parterres, rose gardens, terraces and herbaceous borders.
The dining room possessed hand-wrought cedar furniture, and 12th century roof beams. Jekyll was involved in the design of the property, she also worked with architect Detmar Blow to help him design a conservatory in memory of the 1st Earl Somers. The Manor House garden was begun in 1909 by Gertrude Jekyll, working for the owner, Charles Holme, and was completed in 1910. She had no previous experience of garden design, except for a few years spent working alongside her brother-in-law Edwin Lutyens on his garden at Munstead Wood.
West Green House Garden, near Basingstoke
The house and gardens were created from scratch in the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. Created by a family with a wide breadth of interests, it is a very special place. The garden includes extensive ornamental walks and an area laid out as a ‘Snug Garden’, with rare roses and fruit trees, dropped fences and sunken beds. There are many areas with architectural interest, including Hopetoun’s Wall, the Rose Terrace and the Temple of Flora.
This was a garden that had been allowed to grow wild over the past 30 years, since the death of its original owner. It was a very neglected woodland garden. Since I took it on I have enjoyed restoring it to the former glory of its heyday. The house dates from 1530 and was originally a rectory. Marylin Abbott says:. The gardens at West Green House have been restored since the 1980s. The Manor House Garden, a short drive from Upton Grey Village in Hampshire, is one of Gertrude Jekyll’s most perfectly realised designs.
Classic beauties
The rose-lined avenues and stunning woodland walks of Exbury Gardens in Hampshire are a natural wonder, enchanting visitors since Lord Rothschild began planting the gardens in the early 1920s. Now, as part of Historic England’s 2019 Spring Gardens initiative, the gardens will be opening today (1st April), a whole week earlier than normal, inviting families to explore for free this glorious spring landscape. Set in a spectacular 200 acre space, Exbury Gardens house the world-famous collection of Rothschild rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias with beautiful views in every season.
With a steam railway, adventure play area, tea rooms, riverside walk and art exhibitions, it will captivate visitors of every age. Exbury Gardens is an eminent garden in Hampshire, England, filled with hundreds of thousands of beautiful flowers and plants. The many different colours bring hundreds of people every year to come visit the gardens and become mesmerised by the beauty of these glowing plants. Exbury Gardens is a wonderful example of an Arts and Crafts Garden and set in a spectacular 200 acre space, it houses the world-famous collection of Rothschild rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias.
Country parks
Staunton Park (also known as Stauntons ) is on the site of a medieval deer park which was originally owned by the Abbey of Chertsey. In 1533 it was sold to William Brocas, Cofferer to Anne Boleyn. It is mainly open grassland and woodland with a steep chalk bank running around its perimeter. The park has a stream, brooks and ponds and at its highest point forms part of the Greensand Way. There was also a Victorian glasshouse, currently not in use.
I’m often asked which are my favourite parks in London to photography – they are all of them! To my mind, you can’t really beat the historic charm of a English park on an overcast day. There are plenty of things to do within the grounds too including a maze, a Victorian glasshouse and even a tranquil sensory garden which is pretty cool if you aren’t familiar with the term – I certainly was not before researching for this post.
In this post, I’m going to share with you some of my favourite things to do in Staunton Country Park. If you need to take your mind off the hustle and bustle of your day job or simply want to spend time outdoors in the fresh air then I highly recommend visiting this wonderful south east London park. You’ll find it easily accessible with nearby transport links to central London and Brighton. Staunton Park covers over 250 acres of land.
It is a designated nature reserve and includes historical buildings such as the walled garden, which has recently undergone restoration. The surrounding countryside, which is home to a variety of wildlife including badgers and deer, adds to the park’s beauty. There are walking and cycling tracks within it. Exbury Gardens in Hampshire has become my favourite place to visit. Ever since I first discovered it, a couple of years ago, it’s remained a constant fixture in my garden diary.
Gardens with history
There are only a handful of gardens in the UK which can claim to be of any great antiquity which has been created wholly by hand before the 19th century. Gilbert White was a knowledgeable and passionate gardener and although he wrote little about horticulture in his diaries, he did write extensively about his visits to gardens. One of his main motivations in writing journal was to record his visit to other gardens. No-one could visit The Oates Collection at Selborne and not be touched by the history of Gilbert White.
The story is told in such a way that visitors see first-hand what he saw and understand the context it was written in. The gardens offer great respite as you wander through them with abundant birdlife making their homes nearby. Gilbert White is associated with Selbourne in the heart of the Hampshire Downs, however he made frequent visits to London. He was a highly literate man and took great care with his garden at Stinsford.
Gardens with added extras
Whilst it may not be the biggest theme park in the UK, Robin Hill Adventure Park and Gardens is certainly one of the most unique. There’s a great selection of family-friendly rides for all ages, including roller coasters, carousels and train rides, and the big kids will love working out how to get an egg back to the top of Robin Hill’s famous wooden tree. I’m writing to tell you about a lovely place I visited recently - Robin Hill Adventure Park and Gardens on the Isle of Wight.
Aside from the usual attractions of a theme park, gardens and animals on site, Robin Hill is also one of the few places where you have a chance to get close and personal with red squirrels. Gardens with added extras. Located on the Isle of Wight, Robin Hill Adventure Park and Gardens are set in 88 acres of rolling woodland and downland. With great rides, engaging falconry displays and adventure play, it is also one of the best places to get up close and personal with rare red squirrels.