Blooming England
With the summer landscape bursting with blooms, there’s inspiration in spade-loads for flower lovers this season. If you’ve got a passion for petals, take a look at our suggestions of where to see summer flowers. We love to fall under the spell of a splash of crimson poppies or succumb to the profusion of perfume and life, the gentle refrain of bees and birdsong. From sun-kissed walks through wildflower meadows and cliff-top rambles scented by honey-sweet gorse to rambling cottages clad with voluminous roses and country gardens billowing with colour, now’s the time to get out and witness nature at its zenith.
Uncover a political scandal at Cliveden House
Pay a visit to the stately home in Buckinghamshire where John Profumo met Christine Keeler.
Location: Taplow, Buckinghamshire
Follow in the footsteps of 18th Century tourists at Stowe
Explore Capability Brown’s first major commission incorporating over 40 historic monuments.
Location: Stowe, Buckinghamshire
An Italianate country house in the Chilterns
West Wycombe Park is 45 acres of landscaped park in the Chilterns countryside and home to the Dashwood family for over 300 years.
Location: West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Small pleasures come free at Dimminsdale Nature Reserve
Just a few small snowdrops bring cheer to the colder, shorter days of England’s winter, and seen at Dimminsdale, they’re simply breathtaking.
Location: Staunton Harold, Leicestershire
See breathtaking vistas at Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens
Explore these breathtaking and inspirational gardens created by 10-time Chelsea Gold Medal Winner and Gardening Author, Beth Chatto OBE.
Location: Colchester, Essex
Sip Earl Grey where it was created: Howick Hall
Earl Grey tea is enjoyed – usually at around 4pm – all over the world, but few know it was invented in Northumberland for Charles, 2nd Earl Grey.
Location: Howick, Northumberland
Take an inspiring trip through Shanklin Chine
This leafy gorge on the Isle of Wight is lined with rare plants, wildlife and waterfalls, making for a magical walk day or night.
Location: Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Lose yourself in England’s hottest garden
Experience the Isle of Wight’s incredible microclimate firsthand at the exotic Ventnor Botanic Gardens.
Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Keeping it in the family at Castle Howard
The Howard family has called Castle Howard home for 300 years but their house is your house as you explore one of Yorkshire’s finest historic estates.
Location: York, North Yorkshire
Elegance and nature at University of Leicester’s Botanic Garden
See how The University of Leicester’s Botanic Garden enhances the beauty of an already breathtaking place.
Location: Oadby, Leicestershire
Expect the unexpected with a visit to Croome
Escape to Croome and explore its Palladian Bath stone mansion house set in extensive parkland designed by ‘Capability’ Brown.
Location: Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire
Discover green Birmingham
Birmingham has more than 8,000 acres of award-winning green spaces and parks – more than any other European city.
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands
Visit the hidden hedged gardens of Hill Close Gardens
See the rare survivals of Victorian gardens, which were used by townsfolk who wanted to an escape from the busy town centre.
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire
Visit the Dorothy Clive garden
The Dorothy Clive Garden was created as a demonstration of love. Discover the intimacy and tranquillity of this special garden.
Location: Market Drayton, Shropshire
Explore the picturesque Mottisfont House and Garden
What’s better than a summer’s stroll amid ancient trees and rolling lawns? Enjoy the splendour of one of Hampshire’s greatest country houses –Mottisfont.
Location: Test Valley, Hampshire
Discover plants at Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Don’t miss your chance to find out about plants from all over the world in the 40 acres of gardens and glasshouses.
Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Sheffield Park Garden
The perfect place for relaxation and nature photography.
Location: Brighton, East Sussex
A botanical treasure trove on the Jurassic Coast
Sniff your way around the award-winning Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, a coastal haven filled with rare and exotic plants from all over the world.
Location: Abbotsbury, Dorset
See flowers in bloom at The Savill Garden
Enliven your senses with a walk around one of Britain's finest ornamental gardens.
Location: Windsor, Berkshire
Visit the tranquil Sissinghurst Castle Gardens
Sissinghurst is known to green-fingered enthusiasts the world-over as the epitome of an English country garden.
Location: Sissinghurst, Kent