The UK is booming with botanical gardens, and with the summer holiday fast approaching, there’s no better time to visit one. Summer is always a lovely time to visit a botanical garden as it’s when gardens are at their best in full bloom. As well as being a beautiful landscape to roam, explore and learn more about plants, botanic gardens host a number of events throughout the year and cater for little ones with crafts, trails and storytelling. So get packing a picnic and head to one of these lush botanical gardens this summer.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden – £6 for an adult, £5.50 for concessions and children under 16 go free.
Escape the bustling city, the ringing of bicycle bells and enjoy 40 acres of gorgeous greenery and fauna tucked away in the very heart of Cambridge. Away from the shouts of undergraduates and the tourist crowds, it is an oasis of calm. With over 8,000 species of plants from all around the world gracing the garden it is a visually stunning sanctuary to explore.
Sarah Davies
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew – Starting from £16.50-£19.80 for an adult, £4.50-£6 for 4-16 year olds and children under 4 go free.
Loved by celeb mum Fearne Cotton, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew holds the “largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collection” in the world. Spread across 300 acres, toddlers will be in awe of the sheer colour and range of exotic flowers, while older children will love learning about the different types of plants and trees. There is just so much ground to cover at Kew Gardens including the Temperate House that’s home to ‘the loneliest tree’ in the world, the Princess of Wales Conservatory and the Treetop Walkway that towers 18 metres above the ground, offering a birds eye view of the gardens. Little ones will love running free in the brand new Children’s Garden, that has been designed around the elements which help plants grow; Earth, Air, Sun and Water. The garden is the size of 40 tennis courts, with a 200-year-old oak tree and 4m canopy walk at its core.
Ventnor Botanic Garden, Isle of Wight – From £8.50 for an adult, from £5 for children aged between 6-16 years and under 5’s go free.
Known as Britain’s hottest garden, Ventor Botanic Garden houses an impressive collection of over 30,000 rare and sub-tropical plants and trees. Set across 22 acres of gardens, its unusual climate akin to the Mediterranean has attracted some amazing wildlife! So much more than a garden, the Ventnor Botanic Garden is the perfect place to help you find inner peace with its range of wellbeing classes that teach you the art of tai chi, yoga and qigong. For visitors wanting to see all of the gardens, we recommended booking a week or weekend stay with the option to go camping or glamping, stay in a cabin or a delightful cottage.
Ventor Botanic Garden
Sheffield Botanical Gardens – Free entry
Northerners will love wandering around Sheffield Botanical Gardens and meeting the friendly squirrels. Situated in the heart of Sheffield, Sheffield Botanical Gardens offers a peaceful retreat from the busy city. Having opened in 1836, Sheffield Botanical Gardens now cover 19 acres on a south-west sloping site.
Sheffield Botanical Gardens
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