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  • Timeline of activity in our Gardens

  • One eye on the past; one eye on the future

    One eye on the past; one eye on the future

    As you wander through our Gardens you may notice that there are some substantial changes happening. Our Head Gardener Andy Mills is leading a project to completely transform our Formal Gardens, which will be the biggest change to our landscape in over 100 years. Scroll down our timeline to see the latest gardens activity and exciting project developments! 

  • The lost Parterre reappears

    The lost Parterre reappears

    This summer's prolonged dry weather has revealed the hidden outline of our 300-year-old parterre on the South Lawn, offering a rare glimpse of the formal garden that once graced the grounds. Created in 1705 by royal gardener Henry Wise, the original parterre stretched the full width of the Palace, was enclosed by a high stone wall with bastions, before being dismantled by Capability Brown in the 1760s. It serves as a brilliant reminder of the Formal Gardens that came before and the layers of history that continue to shape the landscape we are working so hard to restore.

  • Lakeside Lillies

    Lakeside Lillies

    Fabulous Martagon Lillies have flowered at the Lakeside Walk, one of the oldest cultivated lilies in the world, they not only look good, but smell amazing and are increasing every year. Do take a stroll along the Lake to enjoy them at their best.

  • The Temples are open

    The Temples are open

    With the fences at the Temple of Diana and the Temple of Health freshly painted, we have opened the gates to both structures so that visitors can step inside and enjoy them as they were intended. As the warmer weather arrives, we hope they offer a welcome moment of shade and rest during your visit to the Gardens. Do take a seat and take it all in.

  • The Alliums have bloomed in the Rose Garden

    The Alliums have bloomed in the Rose Garden

    Discover the fresh new look of our Rose Garden as over 1,000 alliums planted last winter have now flowered, creating a striking display of purple. These will prepare the soil for 200 new rose varities arriving next year.

  • A Tunnel of Living Willow

    A Tunnel of Living Willow

    A new fedge (a cross between a fence and a hedge!) has been created in the Secret Garden. The archway is crafted from living willow trees, and it has recently just begun showing it's greenery. This will continue to flourish until it covers the entire archway, creating a natural structure and route to walk through which is perfectly inkeeping with the intimate feel of the Secret Garden. 

  • First shoots on our grapevines

    First shoots on our grapevines

    The Gardening Team's painstaking cleaning of our grapevines back in winter has paid off - fresh shoots have now sprouted along the carefully tended stems and their new growing season has officially begun, with hopes for a late summer harvest. 

  • Have you visited our new <br> stump garden?

    Have you visited our new
    stump garden?

    Around the back of the Secret Garden, a new stump garden is beginning to take shape. Introducing a strikingly different character to the landscape, the area has been planted with birch trees, ferns, and sculptural tree stumps to create a textured, ‘spiky’ aesthetic. Over time, this space will evolve into a shaded woodland garden, with naturalistic planting of shade-suitable plants and flowers beneath the tree canopy.

  • Our new crab apple trees have been planted

    Our new crab apple trees have been planted

    The Gardening Team have planted an avenue of crab apple trees which line the path between the Rose Garden and the Temple of Flora, creating a gentle, immersive transition between these two floral themed spaces. In spring, the trees burst into blossom, allowing you to walk beneath a canopy of delicate flowers. We can't wait to see them in situ and in their full glory! 

  • A sea of snowdrops

    A sea of snowdrops

    The Gardening Team has introduced 15,000 freshly planted snowdrops along the banks of the ha-ha wall, carefully placed to establish a beautiful white carpet and naturalise over time. We also have beautiful drifts of snowdrops throughout our Arboretum and South Lawn. Chosen for their resilience, these early blooms thrive in harsh winter conditions and will gradually spread across the landscape, creating a naturalised sea of white that signals the arrival of spring each year. 

  • An annual clean for our grapevines

    An annual clean for our grapevines

    In the greenhouses at the Walled Garden, winter is anything but quiet. While the vines rest in their dormant phase, the Gardening Team get to work giving them a careful, hands-on clean. This ensures a healthy growing season ahead. By gently scraping away old bark, the gardeners remove hiding spots for pests like mealybugs, helping to protect the vines before they burst back into life. Come September, the reward is a fresh crop of grapes, continuing the long-standing tradition of supplying fruit for the Palace.

  • The Temple of Flora <br> is unveiled

    The Temple of Flora
    is unveiled

    After being hidden from view for decades, the Temple of Flora has now finally been revealed. This Grade II listed structure, dating back to the late 18th century, had become engulfed by dense shrubs and enclosed by an imposing iron fence - so much so that even long-serving members of the Gardening Team had never seen it. With the overgrowth cleared, fencing removed, and improved drainage installed, the Temple has been brought back into the landscape and made accessible once more. It is now set to reclaim its historic role as a focal point within a revived garden setting, just as it was over 250 years ago.


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