This month we celebrate the return of Gardeners’ World to our screens with some of the gardens featured on the show, which you can visit using the 2 for 1 Gardens entry card
Small wonder
The Gardeners’ World team visited York Gate Garden three times in 2023. This Arts and Crafts garden on the outskirts of Leeds really packs a punch. With the site being composed of a series of beautiful garden rooms, it’s hard to believe that it only covers one acre.
Water is an ever-present feature, as well as the many reclaimed materials in use, like the arbour made from the remains of a fire-damaged church. The garden is a real fount of inspiration, having recently featured in GW’s podcast series Alan’s Favourites as one of the popular broadcaster’s most loved gardens.
Open Wed-Sun from 3 April. Visit yorkgate.org.uk
Restoration piece
Last autumn, the show visited Hever Castle in Kent. Once the home of Anne Boleyn, by the late 19th century it had fallen into disrepair. Then along came William Waldorf Astor, a wealthy American not short of ambition. First, he restored the castle moat. Next, he set about transforming more of the local landscape, digging his own lake. Highlights include the ornate Italian Garden, created to showcase Astor’s sculpture collection, and the giant topiary chess set, modelled on pieces once owned by Henry VIII.
ENTRY OFFER Open daily. Card not valid on event days. Visit hevercastle.co.uk
Rutland royalty
Before Longmeadow, Berryfields and Barleywood, there was Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland. Geoff Hamilton presented the show from this eight-acre plot, where he pioneered organic, peat-free gardening, through most of the 19 80s.
The 38 individual areas within the estate include a reclaimed garden, traditional cottage garden and apple-arch walkway. Many of the plants are labelled, so it’s a great place to discover new favourites. This March, look out for the big collection of hellebores or towards the end of the month, the generous white sprays of Ribes sanguineum White Icicle.
ENTRY OFFER Open daily from 1 March. For more details visit barnsdalegardens.co.uk
Labour of love
In 1940, when Colonel Harry Clive’s wife, Dorothy, was in the late stages of Parkinson’s disease, he decided to build her a g
