The Mansion Gardens

The Winter Garden is Wakehurst’s new horticultural spectacle, full of sensory delight and the perfect place to lift the spirits on a cold winter’s day. Designed by Wakehurst Garden Supervisor, Francis Annette, it weaves 33,000 plants into a bold, contemporary composition.

The Walled Garden is Wakehurst’s most exquisite, intimate space: a wonderful expression of the English Country Garden style and full of soft, subtle colours. Packed with bulbs in the spring and flowering until the hard frosts come in November, it’s a beautiful, peaceful place to spend time. 

Please note: The Walled Garden and Pleasance will be temporarily closed from the end of November whilst we carry out essential work to the historic stone walls.

An iconic spot to capture a memorable photo, the Mansion Pond reflects our ornate Elizabethan Mansion and is particularly stunning in the autumn as the surrounding trees colour in rich shades of red and orange.  

The Water Gardens are joyful to explore: full of sound, light and colour. Visit in spring to discover our magnolia collection, covered in flowers from late March to April, or venture into our Bog Garden later in the year to find black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Lobelias and other top garden plants that love moisture.  

The Iris Dell comes to life in spring. March brings carpets of crocuses and wild daffodils (Narcissus), then evergreen azaleas colour vibrantly in April. At the end of June, over 70 varieties of Japanese water iris (Iris ensata) bloom in a carpet of blues, mauves and purples, while the autumn colour of the coral bark maples (Acer palmatum 'Sango-Kaku') bring fiery hues to September.