American Museum and Gardens

About the garden

Overlooking the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the American Museum & Gardens commands spectacular views across the Limpley Stoke Valley. Set within a 125-acre estate, its Grade II-listed gardens include 2.5 acres of formal design, blending history, artistry and ecology. Led by Head Gardener Annie Talbot, the team champions ecological gardening and environmental sustainability. The estate features the striking New American Garden, renovated in 2018, the Mount Vernon Garden, the Children’s Garden, an arboretum, sweeping parkland and a newly opened woodland walk.
 
The New American Garden, inspired by OvS’ signature style, offers sweeping lawns, dramatic vistas and garden vignettes that embody the aesthetic of the American meadow. Throughout the year, waves of colour, texture, and movement create a living tapestry from thousands of spring bulbs to bold blocks of prairie-style perennials in summer.
 
Step into history at the Mount Vernon Garden, a faithful recreation of the 18th-century Upper Garden at George Washington’s Virginia estate. Here, box parterres frame ornamental plantings, fruit trees, and productive edible borders. Echoes of the estate’s past remain in remnants of its Italianate pleasure gardens and parkland, dating to the 1820s. Explore period features, including a grotto, balustrades, curtain walls and ornamental stonework.