Gooderstone Water Gardens (c) Norfolk Tourism

Gardens in Norfolk

Norfolk has a huge collection of gardens, from small higgledy piggledy cottage gardens to wonderfully relaxing water gardens and magnificent stately home gardens. There's something deliciously decadent about gardens. Laze around on the grass listening to bird song and gazing up at the sky. Feast your eyes on a riot of glorious colour - tumbling wisteria, clambering sweet peas, rambling roses and delicate hellebores. Rub your fingers over the lavender and mint or stoop to smell the parsley and sage. You can't beat wandering around someone else's garden and enjoying the rewards of all their hard work!

Jump to: Grand gardens // Open gardens // Norfolk's nurseries

 

 

 
 
 
Bluebells in Norfolk (c) Norfolk Tourism

Grand gardens

Even if you know nothing about gardening you can't help but be impressed when you visit one of our heritage gardens in Norfolk including the most famous of all, Sandringham, HM The Queen's country residence, with its sixty acres of glorious gardens, lawns and lakes, dells and glades. And you really must visit Blickling Hall with its 55 acres of topiary, sweeping lawns, herbaceous borders, temple and lake. Or pause to admire Oxburgh Hall's famous French parterre or Houghton's walled gardens and deer park? Or simply spend an afternoon enjoying the wildlife at Mannington's medieval moated manor house with its country walks, arboretum, observation hide and wild flowers.

Other exceptional gardens include Raveningham Gardens with its rare plants, sculptures, parkland and church and Priory Maze & Garden where you can walk amongst 10 acres of atmospheric woodland, water and meadows as well as its plant centre brimming over with rare and unusual plants. One of the county's best kept secrets has to be the East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden. A privately owned garden, it is open for public viewing so visitors can see the love and attention that has been put into a wonder collection of gardens from exotic to woodland and plants from desert cacti to prehistoric tree ferns. Pensthorpe is home to two delightful gardens both designed by Chelsea Flower Show gold medallists including, The Millennium Garden, a spectacular summer garden filled with drifts of perennials and grasses and the Wave Garden, a late winter and spring garden which enhances the resident trees with meandering Luzula flitting through crests of yew hedging.

In the heart of the Norfolk Broads, discover Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, which features some wonderful collections including its renowned candelabra primulas and magnificent ancient woodland. Gooderstone Water Gardens offers a chance to really escape from it all. Immerse yourself in the enchanting gardens, stroll around the delightful nature trails and then savour a delicious cream tea.

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Oulton Hall - Norfolk National Gardens Scheme

Open Gardens

Norfolk has a huge collection of gardens. Big ones, small ones, formal ones, higgledy piggledy wild ones, cottage gardens, town gardens, wonderfully relaxing water gardens and magnificent stately home gardens. There are even dozens of private gardens in Norfolk that open to visitors during the summer months so other gardeners can share with you their passion and raise money for charity. Peep inside intimate cottage gardens such as Hill Cottage densely planted with climbers, shrubs, perennials and organic fruit and veg - paradise for butterflies and wildlife. Or roam through the Bishop's garden in Norwich dating back to the 12th century with extensive lawns, specimen trees and ancient yew hedges. Or perhaps you prefer to go wild in an exotic garden owned by BBC Norfolk's very own expert gardener, Will Giles? Wander amongst a riot of colour with towering cannas, bananas, aroids and palms and feel that you are truly somewhere subtropical!

Find more information on Norfolk's Open Gardens

 
Norfolk Lavender (c) Norfolk Tourism

Norfolk's nurseries

And if all these gardens inspire you, we have dozens of nurseries and specialist growers for you to source your materials! Visit Peter Beales for roses, Bressingham Plant Centre for specialist plants (and home to the well-known Foggy Bottom and Dell Garden), the African Violet Centre at Terrington St Clement or the Thorncroft Clematis nursery at Reymerston. And don't forget the fragrant Norfolk Lavender at Heacham - famous the whole world over.


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But even if you don't step foot inside a formal garden or nursery you'll appreciate nature's own handiwork ... swathes of dancing red poppy fields, hedgerows bursting with berries, acres of beaming sunflowers, carpets of delicate bluebells and trees heavy with blossom or autumn leaves. Norfolk is nature's own garden.

 

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