As autumn arrives, one of the great pleasures of the season is seeing the blaze of colour sweep across spectacular garden settings.
So, for anyone looking for a spot of ‘leaf peeping’, or a stroll among dazzling displays, here are a few ideas for some top gardens to enjoy nature’s autumn showcase.
A Hampshire haven
More than 100 years in the making, Hampshire’s Exbury Gardens, designed and curated by the de Rothschild family, offer a seasonal treat throughout the year. Created by Lionel de Rothschild in 1919, and still managed by the family, the spectacular collection of landscaped woodland, herbaceous, contemporary, formal and wildflower gardens provide an ever-changing palette of colour, with autumn bringing stunning reds, oranges and yellows. Expert planting showcases the vibrant red and orange of fiery acers and National Plant Collection of nyssa trees, amidst a vibrant backdrop of dogwoods and oak trees. Open until 3rd November 2024 with day tickets costing £13 adult and £5.50 children.
Big skies, golden tints… and fairy trails
Boasting Capability Brown parkland, woodland walks, a mile-long lake and award-winning gardens, Trentham Gardens, on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent, has long offered a colourful seasonal spectacle. Trentham enjoys big skies and open vistas, with a dramatic “floor to ceiling” range of autumnal colours reflected in the lake, creating a photographer’s dream. Autumn also provides a stunning backdrop for the growing sculpture installations within the gardens – including the magical Fairy Trail – which take on a seasonal look with dew and mists adding to Trentham’s line-up of photo opportunities. The gardens are open all year round apart from Christmas Day. Tickets cost from £11.70 adults, £8.55 children and £32.67 for a family.
Journey around a world of colour
Wander Staffordshire’s Biddulph Grange Garden and the world is your oyster… in a horticultural sense. Take a round-the-world trip in this masterpiece of Victorian garden design, which takes visitors on a global journey from Italy to the pyramids of Egypt, a Victorian vision of China and a re-creation of a Himalayan glen. Created in the mid 19th century by horticulturist James Bateman for his collection of plants from around the world, autumn is perhaps when the gardens are at their most striking. The seasonal highlight is the Chinese garden where the golden larch is truly golden, and the acers are ablaze with reds and oranges. Open every day until October and five days a week in winter. Tickets cost £12 adults, £6 children and £30 for a family.
A champion autumnal display
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, set in over 180 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside, is world famous for its arboretum and gardens. Established by the distinguished plantsman Sir Harold Hillier in 1953, it features one of the most important modern plant collections, including being home to more than 600 champion trees – one of the largest in the British Isles – and famed for their autumnal colour. To discover more, a special Autumn Coloured Trees Guided Tour takes place on 2 November 2024, with tickets costing £31 per person, which includes Gardens admission (booking essential). Elsewhere on the site, The Winter Garden has more than 800 different plants grown for their seasonal beauty and regarded as one of the largest in Europe. Open daily, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Tickets cost £14 adults, £4 children and £32.50 for a family.
