Fabulous rose gardens

Few flowers capture the imagination quite like roses. From formal gardens bursting with colour to quiet corners where rambling varieties climb over old stone walls, garden roses bring beauty, scent and structure to every space. These RHS Partner Gardens – free to RHS Members on selected days – with rose mazes, archways and displays, will enchant you.

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Anglesey Abbey Gardens and Lode Mill, Cambridgeshire

© Issy Vetoshkina, National Trust

The rose garden has been extended thanks to a generous donation by David Austin Roses

This year, the much-loved rose garden at Anglesey Abbey Gardens and Lode Mill is more spectacular than ever, with 20 new beds and 180 glorious English roses planted in 2024 – each one chosen for its colour, abundance of flowers and resilience. Wander through waves of colour and scent and discover stories unearthed from the garden’s past. The roses flower from late June until early October, so there is plenty of time to enjoy them.

Backhouse Rossie Estate, Fife

© Caroline Thomson, Backhouse Rossie

Running east to west, the garden features the longest uninterrupted rose archway in Scotland

Stroll under Scotland’s longest scented rose archway, which winds along a unique DNA Pathway with a central flower bed made from cathedral rose window stone. The historic walled garden at Backhouse Rossie Estate is themed around art and science, and offers the opportunity to take a step back and relax among changing seasonal plantings.

Bodnant Garden, Conwy

© Joe Wainwright

Bodnant Garden Pin Mill and Lower Rose Terrace

With a collection of around 1,500 rose plants, a mix of traditional and modern varieties can be found at Bodnant Garden, including shrub roses,

A plant produced by crossing two distinct parents, often different species, to produce offspring that combine the characteristics of both. Hybrids can occur naturally, but crosses are often made deliberately by plant breeders to produce plants with better yield, improved flowering or vigour, or improved disease resistance.

Borde Hill Garden, West Sussex

© Claudia Gaupp

Borde Hill Jay Robins Rose Garden

During the height of summer, the garden becomes a sensory spectacle, with an abundance of colour arranged in a harmonious sequence of white, yellow, pink, orange and red roses. These are interwoven with small ornamental trees and framed by carefully sculpted topiary and century-old yew hedges, creating both structure and enclosure. Maintaining this display requires significant care, with annual mulching, regular hoeing, and a structured feeding programme to keep the roses thriving.

Cusworth Hall Walled Garden, South Yorkshire

© Cusworth Hall

Radiant roses in full bloom brightening the gardens at Cusworth Hall

Take a stroll through this once-abandoned walled garden, now brimming with colour and scent from the many roses and pollinator-friendly

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

Goldstone Hall Hotel & Gardens, Shropshire

© Julia Stanley

 At Goldstone Hall Hotel, an extensive walled garden is overlooked by a romantic Rose Terrace

The beautiful climbing rose arch, nestled within the historic walled garden at Goldstone Hall Hotel & Gardens, is a true delight for garden lovers. This tranquil retreat features a long double herbaceous border, now enriched with newly planted climbing and rambling roses that will come into their own this summer, making it an exciting time to visit.

Hever Castle & Gardens, Kent

© Hever Castle

Hever Castle Roses and Rotunda

The classic English-style rose garden provides a romantic backdrop for more than 5,000 blooms, at their best from June through to late September. Roses are arranged in colour-themed groups, ranging from soft blush tones to vibrant reds and deep purples.

The garden gained national attention when it appeared on BBC2’s Gardeners’ World, and has also attracted notable admirers, including Dame Judi Dench, who introduced Hever Castle’s own floribunda variety, ‘Horquinsey’, in 2011.

Jardin du Château d’Ainay-le-Vieil, France

In front of the Renaissance pavilions, the rose garden offers a mix of colours and perfumes

The rose gardens of Jardin du Château d’Ainay-le-Vieil in France are set within a series of enclosed spaces, each designed to highlight different styles and varieties. Surrounded by water and medieval stonework, historic roses are grown alongside modern cultivars, all carefully chosen for their resilience as well as shapes and fragrance. This thoughtful design makes the garden as informative as it is beautiful – a living showcase of rose heritage in a striking historic setting.

Waterperry Gardens, Oxfordshire

© Waterperry Gardens

Visitors to Waterperry Gardens can observe creative methods for training roses

Meander through the stunning Mary Rose Garden at Waterperry, where beds brim with colour and wonderfully scented plants that are at their best throughout June. The gardens showcase hybrid teas, floribundas, climbers and ground cover roses. Companion planting, including iris, provides early interest before the roses reach full bloom.

Please note: Opening times and free RHS Member days vary. Please check with the garden before you attend to avoid disappointment.