Two walled gardens dating back to the 1700s, a collection of Chelsea-inspired gardens in a shopping centre and a landscape that inspired Jane Austen are among the new gardens joining the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Partner Garden programme in 2025. The partner gardens are spread across the British Isles and overseas, including Barbados, France, Japan and South Africa.
RHS members now have access to 230 spectacular gardens across the globe, along with RHS’s five own gardens in the UK. RHS 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 new UK RHS Partner Gardens
- Holkham Walled Garden, Norfolk. The 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 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, as well as azaleas, magnolias, 90 striking contemporary sculptures, a woodland playground and garden tearoom serving freshly prepared food.
- Chawton House, Hampshire. An enchanting and tranquil garden, and the setting for the ‘Great House’ referred to in Jane Austen’s letters, which 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. In its ten acres, it highlights naturalised fritillaries, 10,000 tulips every year, a potager and massed dahlias.
- Doddington Place, Kent. With historic 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 nestled 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.
New RHS Partner Gardens in France & 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, and now houses thousands of species, rare plants and renowned Wisteria and Agapanthus collections. It was awarded The Most Beautiful Park in Italy in 2022.