Celebrating topiary at RHS Partner Gardens
Wild, wonderful, and sometimes wacky - celebrate topiary at RHS Partner Gardens
Gardens with art and sculpture at their heart
Heritage, horticulture and contemporary art come together in a continually evolving open-air gallery in this selection of RHS Partner Gardens
In some gardens, sculpture is an integral part of the visitor experience, rather than mere decoration. Transforming the landscape into immersive outdoor galleries, these works bring horticultural excellence and contemporary art into perfect harmony, rewarding visitors with moments of beauty and discovery around every corner. We’ve selected eight RHS Partner Gardens that bring this magic to life.
Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, North Yorkshire
Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park
Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park
The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park is home to an impressive permanent collection of around 90 contemporary sculptures set within 45 acres of woodland and gardens. In 2026, this collection is complemented by a seven-month Sculptures in the Landscape Exhibition , bringing together over 100 additional works by artists from the UK and beyond.
The exhibition showcases contemporary art within the dramatic natural setting, with new sculptures selected to enhance the landscape while inspiring and engaging visitors of all ages. A diverse range of styles, from figurative to abstract, is featured, with materials spanning from recycled compressed polystyrene from the fish markets of Hong Kong to wheatgrass root heads, forged steel, ceramics and glass.
Alongside works by international artists from Hong Kong, Armenia, Spain and America, the exhibition highlights nine large-scale sculptures from the collection of Michael Lyons, a founding member of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Vice-President of the Royal British Society of Sculptors .
- Find out more at Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park
- Please note: Check the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park’s website to see what current exhibitions are on when you visit
Houghton Hall and Gardens, Norfolk
William Miller
Art is woven into Houghton Hall’s award-winning five-acre walled garden
Houghton Hall and Gardens in Norfolk is becoming increasingly well known for its impressive collection of contemporary works.
As well as the extensive sculpture park, which displays pieces by world-class artists, and major seasonal exhibitions ( this year’s exhibition is with Lynn Chadwick and runs until 4 October 2026), art is woven into the award-winning five-acre walled garden.
Stephen Cox’s ‘Flask II’, carved from Hammamat Breccia, stands amid the fruit, flowers and vegetables in the potager. The garden is also home to Jeppe Hein’s astonishing ‘Waterflame’, a mesmerising fountain with a flame burning at its summit. The latest installations are three new ‘Domains’ – abstract, human-shaped sculptures by Antony Gormley, formed from open stainless-steel bars. They stand atop the garden walls, creating a floating, weightless presence.
As an elegant contrast to the bold contemporary art installations, classical statues nestle within the formal rose parterre, along the edges of the croquet lawn and among the blooms of the spectacular herbaceous border. At one end stands an oak temple designed by Isabel and Julian Bannerman, with a pediment of antlers gathered from Houghton’s deer park.
- Find out more at Houghton Hall and Gardens
Château du Rivau, France
Château du Rivau
Château du Rivau
The grounds of Château du Rivau, in the Loire Valley, evoke the medieval parks where striking sculptures blended courtly love with elements of surprise. A sense of wonder runs throughout, where symbols drawn from fairy tales and legends are playfully and poetically reimagined while raising questions about current practices regarding respect for the environment and .
The gardens have been developed since 1995 by Patricia Laigneau, creating an ongoing dialogue between heritage and contemporary creativity.
- Find out more at Château du Rivau
Château de Vullierens, Switzerland
Christophe Cosset
At Château de Vullierens, each work is positioned to create a dialogue with its surroundings
Set in the rolling countryside above Lake Geneva, Château de Vullierens is a historic family estate owned and cared for by the same family for seven centuries. Its 30 hectares of gardens unfold around the château, with sweeping views towards the Alps, Mont Blanc and the lake.
Eight distinctive garden areas combine formal design, mature woodland and exceptional seasonal collections of iris , roses , peonies , daylilies and other flowering plants. More than 120 monumental sculptures by Swiss and international artists appear among flower borders, beneath ancient trees, beside ponds and along woodland paths. Each work is positioned to create a dialogue with its surroundings, changing in character as the light changes and the planting and seasons evolve.
The collection was initiated in the early 2000s by artist and châtelaine Dorianne Destenay-Bovet after an encounter with sculptor Manuel Torres, and it continues to grow through new artistic discoveries. Visitors experience contemporary sculpture as part of a living garden rather than in isolation: polished metal reflects the sky and foliage, bold forms rise from generous planting and quieter pieces reveal themselves gradually along the walk.
- Find out more at Château de Vullierens
Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, West Sussex
Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens
Visitors to Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens are treated to an extensive collection of sculptures
At Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, sculptures are not confined to a gallery. Monumental figures rise among mature trees, contemporary forms sit beside tranquil lakes and striking works emerge from vibrant seasonal planting as visitors follow the garden’s winding paths.
Carefully curated across 240 acres of Grade I-listed gardens, the art collection celebrates both established and emerging artists from Surrey and Sussex, alongside monumental works by the internationally renowned sculptor Anton Smit. Every piece – crafted in a wide range of materials such as bronze, stone, resin, glass and wood – has been thoughtfully positioned to complement its surroundings.
As the seasons change, so does the experience of the collection. In spring, magnolias , camellias , rhododendrons and azaleas provide a spectacular backdrop to the sculptures, while summer brings lush foliage and flowering borders. In autumn, rich golds and fiery reds transform the landscape, offering entirely new perspectives and ensuring that no two visits are ever the same.
- Find out more at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens
Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden, Kent
Tom Hart Dyke
Jo Clare
The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle showcases around 7,000 plant species, varieties, cultivars and hybrids, laid out as an interactive miniature map of the world. Countries and continents are represented in their recognisable shapes, with specimens planted to allow visitors to experience the world’s flora in one place.
The grounds comprise three acres of formal gardens and 20 acres of arboretum, including a woodland walk, river and lake. Throughout the gardens, unique and often quirky sculptures, each inspired by the continent in which it is located, create moments of surprise and enjoyment for visitors of all ages. Children, in particular, will have fun looking for ‘Colin the Cobra’ in India, ‘Pineapple’ in Brazil, the iconic ‘Baobab Tree’ in Africa and ‘Goddess Europa’ in Europe.
To mark the garden’s 20th anniversary in 2025, an eye-catching new sculpture resembling a Chinese lantern plant ( Physalis alkekengi ) was unveiled. The piece was designed by local sculptor and volunteer Will Jordan, who got the inspiration in autumn 2024 when he noticed the orange outer husks of the Physalis fruit beginning to decay, revealing an intricate lace-like pattern. The finished sculpture now sits beautifully within the Carnivorous Pit, close to the Moon Gate garden entrance, where visitors can admire it as they explore the garden.
- Find out more at Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden
Attadale Gardens, Scotland
Attadale Gardens
Attadale Gardens
Attadale Gardens’ sculptures were all chosen by owner Nicky Macpherson, who spent around thirty years designing the spaces and working in the gardens. Nicky worked closely with the natural layout of the garden to plosition individual sculptures in interesting locations.
There are 20 artworks scattered throughout the different areas of the garden. Artists include Bridget McCrum – creator of ‘Big Bird’ and ‘Exhaltation’ – and Hamish Mackie, who created sculptures of a cheetah and a roe deer. Joe Smith has contributed both an urn in the kitchen garden and an obelisk in the sunken garden. A salmon appears to be making its way upstream in the Japanese garden while a Wild Cat carved by Graciela Ainsworth holds up the gnomon on the Giant Sundial.
- Find out more at Attadale Gardens
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
The Giant’s Head at The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Hidden among the ancient woodland paths of Cornwall’s Lost Gardens of Heligan lies a remarkable collection of living sculptures.
The Giant’s Head, Mud Maid and Grey Lady emerge quietly from the woodland, blending seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. Cloaked in moss, foliage and seasonal growth, these enchanting sculptures appear to have grown from the earth itself, revealing themselves gradually as visitors explore the sheltered paths.
Deeper within the Heligan Estate, along the historic Georgian Ride, stands Heligan’s newest woodland sculpture. Lowarnes – Cornish for ‘vixen’ – was created in 2025 by local artists and lifelong friends Sue Hill, Pete Hill and Hal Silverster.
Standing six metres tall, Lowarnes is crafted from rhododendron wood salvaged from a 150-year-old tree that fell in Heligan’s subtropical jungle during Storm Darragh in 2024. The wood’s warm, rich tones reflect the fiery coat of a vixen and, over time, will weather to a soft silver-grey, echoing the way a vixen’s coat subtly changes after she becomes a mother.
- Find out more at The Lost Gardens of Heligan
