Anyone looking for an energetic day out will find plenty of inspiration at their nearest RHS Gardens Free Entry Day, 2 March. Take this opportunity to visit one of the RHS inspirational gardens for free and enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of the Gardens as they awaken from their winter slumbers and discover the advantages of becoming a member of the RHS.
RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate
Located on the outskirts of Harrogate, Harlow Carr captures the essence of Yorkshire within a beautiful garden setting. The garden design replicates the natural spirit of the region, with features evoking the surrounding landscapes, including water features, dry stone walling, wooded areas and also some ornamental aspects redolent of Harrogate itself. For families, the garden offers a combination of wilderness and sense of adventure in a landscaped, self contained setting, with a log maze, family trails, children’s play area and woodland dens.
RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex
With wide open skies and far reaching views, RHS Garden Hyde Hall is the perfect place for families to discover the great outdoors, with plenty to keep children occupied. Located just outside Chelmsford in Essex, it consists of an 8 acre, intensely cultivated hilltop area, with numerous features, including a colour themed herbaceous border, two ponds, a rose garden, farmhouse garden and woodland garden. This more formal area is surrounded by vast open countryside, with vast swathes of grasses and perennials on Clover Hill, and an estate beyond comprising of developing woodland, hedgerows, bee hives, meadows and pasture. It is a haven for wildlife with multitudes of songbirds and brown hares running across the meadows.
RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon
Nestled in the Torridge Valley in North Devon, just south of the North Devon coast and west of Exmoor National Park, RHS Garden Rosemoor is spread across 65 acres. Within a dramatic backdrop of steep wooded valley sides, it consists of sculptured gardens intercepted by cool restful areas of parkland, meadows and trees. It is a wonderful place for children to explore, with its winding paths and different areas to discover. The Brash is the family picnic and play area, a natural hideaway in the woods for children (and adults) of all ages to enjoy. With log stepping stones, dens that are perfect for hide and seek, giant bugs to spot and bird feeding there’s plenty to keep everyone busy.
RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey
The RHS flagship property, RHS Garden Wisley is one of the finest gardens in the world. For more than 100 years it has been a showcase for horticultural excellence, world class plant collections and outstanding large scale gardening displays. Witness, early spring bulbs such as crocus, heathers and the Pineutm and National Heather Collection. The arboretum and pinetum are great for spotting pine cones, there is a fascinating ‘plants for bugs’ area and seasonal bug-collecting and insect- identification activities, whilst children of all ages will love the outdoor play area ‘Wild at Wisley’ with its naturally created climbing, balancing and den building equipment. For families, the sheer size of Wisley gives great scope for exploration and discovery. There is even a dedicated RHS Garden Wisley I-Spy book to keep younger visitors on track. Would-be jungle explorers can venture into the Tropical Zone of the Glasshouse, whilst bird lovers can visit the bird hide, or see the ducks on the lake. There are over 200 acres to explore, encompassing countless styles including majestic borders, an iconic Rock Garden with an extraordinary range of alpine plants. The Bowes Lyon Rose Garden features over 4,000 roses and there is also a Jubilee arboretum, extensive fruit and vegetable fields and gardens, a vineyard and a magnificent lakeside Tropical Glasshouse, which demonstrates tropical plants from three climatic zones.