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10 of the best secret gardens in Britain — and how you can visit them
The lure of a secret garden is as strong now as it was when Frances Hodgson Burnett first published The Secret Garden over a century ago. With a recent film adaptation — the fifth — having hit screens, Juliet Roberts selects a few of her favourite secret gardens.
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Iford Manor: How Harold Peto created a Wiltshire masterpiece that 'that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary'
Troy Scott-Smith, head gardener at Iford Manor, tells the tale of how the great Harold Peto found Iford and used it to his gardening and architectural dreams come to life.
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Painswick Rococo Garden: Hidden pavilions and romantic copses, watched over by the god of woodland revels
Tiffany Daneff visits Painswick Rococo Garden, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, one of the best examples of a Rococo garden in this country — a place of hidden pavilions and romantic copses watched over by the god of woodland revels. Photographs by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
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Bere Mill: The riverside gardens in Hampshire created in as natural and as sensitive a way as possible
Informed by the Japanese ‘landscape in the garden’ tradition, the naturalistic riverside gardens of Bere Mill, Hampshire, flow with ease into their languid surroundings says Tiffany Daneff. Pictures by Andrea Jones.
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The Gardens of Monteviot, a garden where magic lingers for future generations
James Truscott is entranced by a series of new gardens at Monteviot, near Jedburgh. that that successfully captures the magic of growing up in a place rich in history and legend. Photographs by Andrea Jones.
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Parceval Hall: Tucked away in a corner of the Yorkshire Dales, a great garden that's perfectly restored
Steven Desmond visits the early-20th-century garden created at Parcevall Hall in Skyreholme, North Yorkshire, by Sir William Milner and now triumphantly restored. Photographs by Richard Bloom.
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The national collection of rambling roses at Moor Wood, 'one of midsummer’s most beautiful and romantic gardens in England'
Charles Quest-Ritson visits the National Collection of rambling roses, which shows these most romantic of plants at their very finest. Photographs by Britt Willoughby-Dyer for the Country Life Picture Library.
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Inside the incredible Private Gardens at Petworth House, a space with 'a sense of privacy and intimacy' at one of Britain's great houses
Non Morris tours the Private Gardens at Petworth House, West Sussex , the home of Lord and Lady Egremont, and finds a secluded garden within the landscaped acres that’s been managed with great charm and panache. Photographs by Val Corbett.
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Arundel Castle Gardens: 'Sometimes, a garden catches you unawares... the thought keeps recurring: I’ve never seen anything like this before.'
Tiffany Daneff visits Arundel Castle Gardens, sitting in the shadow of the castle and the cathedral at this beautiful West Sussex town, where head gardener Martin Duncan and his team have worked wonders with their bold and innovative plantings.
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Reddish House: The 'dream house' and gardens of Cecil Beaton, restored for the 21st century just as he'd have wished
Reddish House in Wiltshire is the place where the great Cecil Beaton fell in love with gardening. Taking on this idyllic plot did not involve a slavish re-creation of his work, however — instead, it’s been a case of applying the same spirit. Non Morris assesses the results, with photographs by Val Corbett.
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Lowther Castle: The spectacular and historic gardens that rise from one of Britain's most evocative ruins
The gardens at Lowther Castle, Penrith, Cumbria, rise artfully from the ruins of their spectacular setting — yet the effort it has taken them to blend in so perfectly has been immense. Non Morris reports on Jim Lowther and Dan Pearson’s continuing work to restore these historic gardens; photographs by Val Corbett.
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Britain is blossoming – here’s where to make the most of this beautiful moment in Spring
With blossom trees across the nation bursting into bloom we've polled our team of writers and contributors to offer these wonderful suggestions for the best places to enjoy this glorious seasonal show.
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Flowers, greenhouses and political intrigue: The extraordinary tale of Fulham Palace Gardens
Fulham Palace Gardens have been bringing joy to garden-lovers in London for three centuries. Mark Griffiths pays tribute to the extraordinary figure who first created this idyllic space.
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Powis Castle: An exemplary, inspirational and uplifting garden full fit for the 21st century
Non Morris visits Powis Castle in Welshpool, a plantsman’s paradise that reveals more and more as you traverse its many terraced layers. Photographs by Val Corbett.
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Scotland’s first formal gardens, reinvigorated with geometric precision
The beautiful gardens at Kinross have come a long way since the days of Mary, Queen of Scots. Photographs by Val Corbett.
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Benvarden: A Country Antrim garden rich with of generations of care
For more than six decades, the present owners of Benvarden, near Ballymoney in Co Antrim, have been restoring and adding to the creations made by numerous earlier generations of their family. Non Morris paid a visit; photographs by Val Corbett.
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Nymans Garden: The West Sussex gem that's been at the cutting edge for over 120 years
Nymans Garden in West Sussex is one of Britain's great horticultural wonders, and with its relatively-new head gardener – only the fifth in over 120 years – now bedded in, George Plumptre paid a visit.
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Madresfield Court: A Worcestershire garden where new and old combine in perfect harmony
Steven Desmond visits Madresfield Court in Worcestershire, where high Victorian romanticism has been blended with modern ideas to create a remarkable garden.
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Ten simply magnificent photographs of Pashley Manor, Britain's greatest tulip festival
Every year, Pashley Manor's stunning tulip festival attracts people from across the world to enjoy these beautiful blooms in a perfect English country setting. We've picked out some wonderful images from the festival, while Jacky Hobbs describes some of the history and his favourite varieties.
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Ablington Manor: A magnificent house and gardens almost untouched by the passing of time
Ablington Manor: A magnificent house and gardens almost untouched by the passing of time
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The last word on Capability Brown – but one which comes with a health warning
This book on Lancelot 'Capability' Brown by the greatest living expert on his work is like nothing else – but it comes with one or two caveats, as George Plumptre explains.
