New gardens join RHS Partner Garden programme

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New gardens join RHS Partner Garden programme Credit RHS / Tim Sandall

Two walled gardens dating back to the 1700s, a collection of Chelsea-inspired celebrity gardens in a shopping centre and a landscape that inspired Jane Austen are among the 15 beautiful and unique gardens which will become Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Partner Gardens in 2025.

RHS members can now visit over 230 spectacular gardens worldwide, including the five iconic RHS Gardens in the UK.

RHS Partner Gardens Partner Gardens & Affiliated Societies Manager Prunella Murray says, “We are hugely proud of our Partner Gardens, which are all brilliantly unique and provide RHS Members with 231 opportunities to absorb themselves in stunning gardens free of charge. The new gardens enhance the variety and quality of gardens in the scheme and include some unusual locations that one might not normally visit.”

The RHS membership scheme provides unlimited entry into RHS Gardens throughout the year and the opportunity to visit Partner Gardens for free at selected times. Partner Gardens are spread across the British Isles and overseas, including Barbados, France, Japan and South Africa.

The newest RHS Partner Gardens are:

Holkham Walled Garden, Norfolk

Holkham Estate is an enchanting Walled Garden dating back to the late 1700s which contains a spectacular stand of Georgian and Victorian greenhouses and vineries, a formal ornamental garden, an established vineyard, a working kitchen garden, an exotic garden with a large lawn and a spectacular cutting garden with a beautiful array of blooms.

Springfields Festival Gardens, Lincolnshire

Springfields Outlet Shopping is stylish blend of retail and leisure set in 25 acres with award-winning gardens. The Gardens, which were established in 1966, are home to a Stephen Newby stainless steel sculpture collection including a water pyramid fountain, pillow planters and a specially commissioned 15’ ‘Kaleidoscope Wheel’ situated in the canal.

Moors Meadow, Hertfordshire

Moors Meadow is an intriguing and eclectic garden set in a seven-acre organic hillside site with views over the beautiful Kyre Valley. It is rich with unusual and exotic plants displayed in herbaceous borders, a grass garden, a rhododendron glade, a fernery, a cottage-style garden, herb garden and a highly productive kitchen garden. Assorted paths wind through the garden to add a sense of surprise and secrecy.

Ashridge House Gardens, Hertfordshire

Designed by Humphry Repton in 1813, Ashridge House, once a royal residence for Henry VIII, boasts 190 acres of Grade II* listed gardens with breathtaking views. The naturalised spring bulbs among impressive trees provide a place to wander and unwind in spring, and there is a cosy, dog-friendly café.

Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, North Yorkshire

An award-winning garden set in 45 acres in the heart of the North Yorkshire countryside, the Himalayan Garden offers the north’s largest collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, and magnolias. It also features 90 striking contemporary sculptures, a woodland playground, and a garden tearoom serving freshly prepared food.

Chawton House, Hampshire

An enchanting and tranquil garden, the setting for the ‘Great House’ referred to in Jane Austen’s letters, comprises a wilderness, walled garden, terraces and sweeping views. Carpets of snowdrops and daffodils, spring blossom, summer florals, autumn colours and festive lights give this garden, which also celebrates and promotes women’s writing, year-round interest, which is particularly poignant in 2025 – the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.

Staunton Country Park, Hampshire

Created by Sir George Staunton in the early 1800s, this 222-acre listed regency landscape boasts follies, an ornamental lake, Chinese planting, Champion trees and the National Plant Collection of Lardizabalaceae, all surrounded by beautiful woodland and meadows.

West Green House Gardens, Hampshire

A sylvan landscape encircles four walled gardens with a collection of follies, topiaries, a nymphaeum, and a lake. Its ten acres highlight naturalised fritillaries, 10,000 tulips every year, a potager, and massed dahlias.

Doddington Place, Kent

With historical importance and recognition as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Doddington Place comprises a woodland garden, sunken garden, large rock garden, clipped cloud yew hedges, specimen trees and herbaceous borders surrounded by wooded countryside.

Luton Hoo Walled Garden, Bedfordshire

A unique Capability Brown-designed Walled Garden, surrounded by its original 18th-century octagonal wall and supported by a selection of rare service buildings. The garden is the focus of a dynamic volunteer project and continues to be revived, repaired and re-imagined for the enjoyment of everyone.

Canonteign Falls, Devon

This historic, privately owned estate in the heart of Devon offers 90 acres of parkland with beautiful waterfalls in ancient woodland. Rocky cliffs give way to idyllic meadows and tranquil lakes, each offering a unique habitat for flora and fauna. The Victorian Fern Garden was awarded Plant Heritage National Plant Collection status in 2022, and the paved labyrinth adds further interest to any visit.

Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens, Wales

Alongside the Menai Strait, on the Isle of Anglesey, lies Plas Cadnant Hidden Garden, a spot which has been meticulously developed since 1996 and is fast becoming a plant paradise featuring many unusual plants and a huge variety of hydrangeas.

Abbotsford Gardens, Scotland

In the early 19th century Sir Walter Scott created the three walled gardens, set within a naturalistic wooded landscape beside the River Tweed. For the past 200 years, vegetables, herbs and fruit have been grown here, and are now complemented by herbaceous borders, spring-flowering shrubs and a profusion of beautiful roses.

Outside the UK, RHS Members have two new gardens to visit on trips to France or Italy.

Eyrignac Jardins, France

Situated high in the Dordogne and close to Sarlat, these magnificent French-style gardens feature three hundred sculpted plants superbly hand-clipped by gardeners in the tradition of times gone by. These are situated alongside fountains, reflective waters and flower beds.

Villa della Pergola, Italy

An Anglo-Mediterranean park on the Riviera, Villa della Pergola was created in 1875 and owned by British families (McMurdo, Hamilton-Dalrymple, and Hanbury). It was saved from building speculators in 2006 and restored by Paolo Pejrone. It now houses thousands of species, rare plants, and renowned Wisteria and Agapanthus collections. It was awarded the title of “The Most Beautiful Park in Italy” in 2022.

Details of all RHS Partner Gardens can be found at www.rhs.org.uk/partner-gardens. Garden lovers can become RHS members at www.rhs.org.uk/join

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