Floors Castle Walled Garden

FLOORS CASTLE WALLED GARDEN

Partner Garden
Free access for RHS members at selected times

Roxburghe Estates Office
Kelso
TD5 7SF

Signed in Kelso.

4 acres

Tel
01573 223333

Visit website

Opening Hours

10am–5pm, daily, Apr–Sep; 11am–4pm, daily, Oct–Mar.

Admission

Please see website for admission prices.

RHS members

Free access (member 1 only for joint memberships) applies Tue & Wed.

Facilities

  • Baby changing facilities
  • Children’s play area
  • Children's activities
  • Dogs welcome
  • Free carer entry
  • Gift shop
  • Group rates
  • Parking
  • Picnic area
  • Plant sales
  • Refreshments
  • Toilets

Features

  • Glasshouse (open to public)
  • Herbaceous border

About the garden

Owned by

Owned by the 11th Duke of Roxburghe and playing host to some of the finest herbaceous borders in the Victorian tradition, the Walled Garden at Floors Castle is a showpiece of seasonal colour and interest. Combining the Victorian kitchen garden with the formal Millennium Garden, it is a perfectly balanced mix of tranquillity, inspiring planting and bursts of colour resulting in a garden ideal for gardeners and visitors alike to enjoy.

Traditionally built as a kitchen garden providing produce, there is now a wonderful vegetable garden showcasing heritage vegetables and fruit. With one original 1850s glasshouse and three newer houses built on original footings, the variety of plants cultivated is of great interest. Peaches, nectarines, grapes and figs are still cultivated using traditional methods and with a growing cacti collection, a stunning pelargonium house and tomato and fuchsia houses, there is something for everyone to see.

Outside, the herbaceous borders are renowned for their seasonal interest with the spring, summer and hot borders ensuring a succession of colour. A new addition to the gardens are the Tapestry Garden laid out in 2015, which adds a less formal and quiet area for contemplation and the Fern Garden, showcasing shade loving plants and designed as an 'homage' to the Victorians love of ferns.

Adjacent to the walled garden is the Millennium Garden, a formal garden in the French style. There are three varieties of trained apple trees in this area showcasing different styles. This formal garden features the intertwining initials of the 10th Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe. Also situated within the Millennium Parterre is a charming building known as the Queen’s House. It was built in 1867 especially for Queen Victoria to take afternoon tea during her visit to Floors in August of that year.   

Please note: this garden is partially accessible.

Plants of special interest

  • Agapanthus
  • Asters
  • Autumn bulbs
  • Begonias
  • Bluebells
  • Clematis
  • Cut flowers
  • Cyclamen
  • Daffodils
  • Dahlias
  • Delphiniums
  • Fruit blossom
  • Fruit bushes/trees
  • Fuchsias
  • Grasses
  • Hellebores
  • Hemerocallis
  • Herbs
  • Irises
  • Lavender
  • Lilies
  • Rhododendrons/azaleas
  • Roses
  • Shade-loving plants
  • Snowdrops
  • Spring bulbs
  • Sweet peas
  • Topiary
  • Vegetables
  • Wildflowers
  • Wisteria

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.