Five of the Best UK Public Gardens

There’s a great history of gardens and garden development in the UK. The earliest known examples of public gardens date back to the Romans in the 1st century, and since then a great deal of change has been instigated in our shores. Kew is the one that everybody knows when it comes to the top public gardens. This London-based delight is huge, and houses some incredible examples of botanical beauty. The coolest of the modern attractions is a canopy walk in the arboretum, while the old Victorian Glasshouse is still an architectural wonder.

East Ruston Old Vicarage in Norfolk is the polar opposite of Kew in many ways. It’s a small, pretty garden, and was recent established in 1973, with the aim to create space for animals whose habitats are being destroyed. It might not have the same range, but it does give you an opportunity to see lots of native bird life, as well as unusual plants and some really creative sculptures.

If Alice in Wonderland is your thing then head to Biddulph Grange Staffs near Stoke. This place is a really wacky alternative to the standard formal garden, but that’s not to say that it isn’t old. It was developed in Victorian times at the height of the gothic craze, and as such takes a grim satisfaction in what were then darker corners of the globe, such as Egyptian catacombs and elaborate Chinese temples. The result is a wonderful mishmash of inaccurate but very cool features from around the world.

Hidcote Manor Gloss in the Cotswolds is the granddaddy of modern gardens across the UK. It was created by Lawrence Johnson, a visionary American gardening enthusiast, one hundred years ago. He created the concept of separate themed areas for plants with creative design features – described as garden ‘rooms’ in his words. This has inspired a trend in gardening that still continues today.

Cotton Manor in Northamptonshire is brilliant for the variety of plants, and also for the way it displays native and natural species alongside the more exotic. Especially interesting is the wild flower meadow, which is beautifully maintained, but in a completely discrete way, seeming like you’re coming across a gorgeous natural idyll. It’s also a school of gardening for those that want to develop their own green fingers.

Even the best public gardens have sheds.