Rosemoor Gardens: North Devon's horticultural paradise

Stunning, charming, captivating, a glorious treat for the senses…these are all fitting descriptions for the gorgeous RHS Rosemoor Gardens. The information below provides insight into what to expect during a visit and why these gardens are well worth spending a leisurely day in.

Background to the gardens

Rosemoor Garden is a world-famous collection of informal and formal gardens covering 65 acres not too far from Bideford in North Devon. Lady Anne Palmer created the original garden at Rosemoor and spent decades collecting plants from around the world to add to the garden. Her extensive travels to places as diverse as the USA, Japan and New Zealand contributed to an impressive collection and in 1988 she gave the garden, along with the house and pastureland at Rosemoor, to the Royal Horticultural Society.

The RHS carried out extensive work on the garden in order to reduce the steepness of the site’s slope, as well as create a series of pools and a lake. Today you can explore both the informal original gardens created by Lady Anne Palmer and the formal gardens created by the RHS.

The acidic soil and the location of the garden at the bottom of a valley, which is subject to periods of frost from October to May, influence the varied selection of plants that are grown here which includes ornamental shrubs, roses, perennials and native trees to name but a few.

Things of interest to see at Rosemoor

Rosemoor Gardens offers something for every season, with a wonderful mix of landscapes that contribute to a variety of textures and colours to delight visitors. There is a beautiful rose garden with over 2000 roses, vegetable, herb and fruit gardens, a water garden, a woodland garden, an arboretum as well as woodland walks to explore here.

One particular highlight is the unusual stream and rock gully. The RHS used boulders in landscaping the underpass track that connects Lady Anne’s Garden to the formal garden in order to create the effect of strolling through a rock gully. The stream boasts a variety of colourful plants around it each year, particularly in spring when plants such as Narcissi, Camassia and primulas are on display. Plants have been grown in interlocking drifts to more closely resemble nature.

The woodland garden is part of the original garden created by Lady Anne and it contains an extensive collection of ornamental trees and shrubs. You can follow a series of pathways that lead up the valley side here which provide picturesque views of Rosemoor House. Woodland plants from across the globe feature within this garden, though rhododendrons are particularly prominent due to the acid soil that is rich in humus.

The rose garden boasts a huge range of roses and is a superb sight that will please gardeners with a particular preference for these plants as well as anyone who is simply eager to see splendid blooms.

There are many opportunities to enjoy wonderfully relaxing walks along the footpaths in the gardens and there is also plenty of seating so visitors can take a break and simply enjoy the sights and smells around them.

Practical information for visiting Rosemoor Gardens

Rosemoor is located at Great Torrington and is open every day except Christmas. Opening hours are 10am to 6pm from April to September, as well as 10am to 5pm from October to March, with last entry an hour before closing. Standard entry is £7.95 for adults and £3.95 for children aged 5 to 16.

There is a shop and plant centre as well as a restaurant and tea rooms, so visitors can take home a souvenir of their trip and enjoy some tasty refreshments during the day.

Gorgeous gardens for anyone and any time of the year

Rosemoor Gardens are a delight for gardening enthusiasts as well as visitors who are keen to spend time surrounded by magnificent nature. The layout of the gardens provides excellent inspiration for gardening ideas and techniques that can be incorporated in home gardens, while also providing superb places to meander at a relaxed pace or to sit and relish the spectacular beauty that is on offer during all seasons.