It’s time to enjoy the winter walk at The Gardens. Appreciate the pinetum area of the garden which is planted with mature conifers and the wonderfully scented winter shrubs, such as Hamamelis (witch hazel), Daphne and Sarcococca (Christmas box). These will continue to flower throughout January.

Spot some of the 10,000 new bulbs that have been planted during 2023. Drifts of snowdrops (Galanthus) and daffodils (Narcissus) will delight you as you walk to the Woodland Walk and through the Pinetum. Don’t forget to take the opportunity to warm up in the Lily and Palm Houses and see what is flowering.

It’s blossom time! Magnolias, alpines and other blossoms abound in the Gardens to raise our spirits.

Prepare for an explosion of colour as the fabulously showy Rhododendrons start to flower across the lower half of the Gardens. Purple, yellow, orange and pink flowers spectacularly clash in a riot of fabulous colour.

The alliums welcome visitors to the car park and along the Terrace Boarder as they start to flower. Over 3,000 bulbs were planted for 2024 and will deliver a wow moment for everyone to enjoy – whether you are driving by or coming to visit.

Time to enjoy the shape, colour and scents of roses. The Rose Garden starts to bloom with new shrub and climbing roses, companion planting and ten obelisks.

It s time to visit the Alpine Gardens and watch some tennis. The limestone outcrops in the Alan King Garden currently shares 400 species of alpines and the summer planting around the rock pools in the Hugh Nettlefold Rock Garden offers a chance to experience beautiful planting around water. You can also top up your vitamin D levels in the sun along Cameron Path, and enjoy the energetic and enthusiastic members of the oldest lawn tennis club in the world.

Enjoy the colourful border that lines the West Lawn by the playground. A mix of familiar herbaceous favourites, it is inspired by the legendary Gertrude Jekyll. Jekyll was one half of one of the most influential partnerships of the Arts and Crafts movement. Her planting style is remembered for outstanding designs and a subtle, painterly approach to arranging gardens, particularly her “hardy flower borders”. The Gardens’ border is inspired by her approach.

Don’t forget to visit the historic Terrace planting and glasshouse displays, which will be full of colour and scent. Take time to enjoy views across the whole site as you relax on a bench. Don’t miss the colchicums (Colchicum, autumn crocus), which will also be starting to flower on the West Lawn and across the site.

Our fabulous tree collection is the highlight of October (and November) as the leaves start to change colour. From the historic Terrace you will see accents of orange, red and yellow as the leaves start to turn before they drop (that is of the wind doesn’t get help them to the ground first). Its a great time to get creative and create some nature art with the multitude of leaf shapes and colours!

The Grass Garden looks beautiful this month. Tender perennials jostle with the stunning structural ornamental grasses, providing drama as the weather becomes increasingly colder and the grasses start to frost. The transformation after the amazing summer growth and colours is astounding.

Time to wrap up warm and enjoy a brisk walk outside. You will notice how many of the outside plants are now saving their energies ready for the new spring and summer season. The Winter Walk planting is starting its own different cycle again. Marvelling at the spectacular planting in the Glasshouses is the perfect way to warm up and take a botanical tour around the world before you go home.