There are few better ways of spending a summer’s day (in our opinion) than wandering the quiet footpaths and country lanes of South West England, walking from village to village past humble cottages gardens bursting with colour and life. And stopping, of course, for a cream tea or spot of lunch at country inn or village cafe.
It’s one of the joys of hiking the English countryside in summer. When you’re planning a holiday from a different country with a different climate, however, it can be a challenge to know when’s the best time to visit to catch cottage gardens at their best. Here are our tips for choosing the best months for visiting country cottage gardens in England:
June is peak blooming season for roses with climbing roses scaling brick walls and rambling roses draping over doorways creating a dizzying array of varieties, colours and fragrances. Cornflowers, sweetpeas, irises, and oxeye daisies are just some of the other country classics in full bloom in June, all looking wonderful and filling the air with the heady scent of summer. Many villages also hold ‘open garden’ events in June, giving members of the public a chance to view private gardens normally closed to the public.
If you can’t plan your visit in these two months, there is still plenty of magic to experience in country cottage gardens at other times of the year:
April/May: Tulips, peonies and wisteria all bring fabulous bursts of colour to gardens in late spring.
August: As the heat of summer sets in, you can enjoy gardens full of the deep rich colours of dahlias, hydrangeas and echinacea. In more popular areas, some garden villages can get busy at this time (UK schools break for the summer from mid-July onwards). Seeking places off the beaten path makes sense in August.
September: Michaelmas daisies, Japanese anemones, apple and pear trees become the stars of the show in the golden light of early autumn as gardens and the countryside start to settle down for the winter to come.
As you can see, there’s something for every garden enthusiast from spring to autumn.
If you’d like to combine stunning walking trails with country cottage gardens and grand estates, our Country Houses & Gardens trip could be the perfect walking holiday for you. You’ll experience some of South West England’s most treasured grand country estates & gardens as well as tucked-away villages, cottages and gardens off the beaten path away from the crowds. To find out more, visit our trip page or send us an email at enquire@foottrails.co.uk. We’d love to hear from you
