Enjoy a sensational summer at Blenheim Palace’s Formal Gardens

Immerse yourself in the botanical beauty of Blenheim Palace’s magnificent Formal Gardens this summer, which offer not only a walk into the past but a glimpse into the future.

The Gardens are in a continuous state of change, now being finely curated by visionary Head Gardener Andy Mills who is drawing on the garden’s extensive heritage to bring rediscovered treasures to the fore for visitors – the biggest change to the Blenheim Palace Landscape in over 100 years.

Created over the centuries by esteemed garden designers such as Henry Wise and Achille Duchêne, Blenheim Palace’s Formal Gardens capture different horticultural styles from across the ages.

You can experience an extensive variety of features as you wander through the Gardens, including the magnificent and calming Water Terraces, the Duke’s Private Italian Garden, the tranquil Secret Garden with all of its hidden treasures, the Churchill Memorial Garden and the beautifully delicate Rose Garden, at its peak in the summer months.

Blenheim Palace’s Formal Gardens offer soothing seasonal sights, sounds, scents and sensations all year round, but are particularly spectacular in the summer.

As part of Andy Mills’ exciting transformation project, The Secret Garden is being brought back to life to restore the tranquillity the 10th Duke originally strived for. This hidden horticultural oasis offers gently babbling streams and abundant woodland plantings set amongst mature cedar trees, keeping it tranquil and secluded.

The Rose Garden is not only coming into flower with its myriad rose blooms, but this summer boasts a display of exotics including agaves, yuccas and hardy bananas, alongside deliciously scented stocks which add a cottage garden element to the area.

Other summer Gardens highlights include:

  • A nod to soldiers at the Battle of Blenheim, a platoon of red lobelia now stands guard around the stunning Italian Garden, contrasting with the surrounding silver bedding plants
  • Walk in the footsteps of the former Duke and Duchess as you follow the newly recreated path from the Temple of Diana to the Rose Garden – originally created as a Rosarium for the 7th Duke in the 19th Century
  • Marvel at the beds brimming with dahlias and vegetables in the Potager Garden; there’ll also be plenty of vegetables to gaze upon in The Walled Garden
  • Visit the splendour of the Butterfly House, which was given a fresh look earlier this year, including a host of new spring flowers including amaryllis and fritillaries, which now sit alongside exotic plants from Africa, Madeira and South America. The changes are aimed to make it more accessible and immersive for visitors, as well as an even better environment than before for its winged inhabitants.
  • In the Walled Garden, learn all about the importance of bees and other pollinators in the all-new Rowse Honey Hive
  • Study the stunning new herbaceous borders along Churchill’s Walk
  • From July 10th to September 9th, a selection of images from the prestigious International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) will be on display at Blenheim Palace, including a selection of higher-placed awarded images from the latest ‘Beautiful Blenheim’ Special Award
  • Take a Formal Gardens Audio Tour – the perfect way to learn more about the Gardens as you explore them at your own pace.

The Gardens are open daily from 10am to 5.45pm – to book tickets, visit: Blenheim Palace Ticket Prices | Annual Passes & Discounts

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Blenheim Palace and Estate. For more information please contact Jon Perks at Cab Campaign – estate@cabcampaign.co.uk

About Blenheim Palace

Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. 

Set in over 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland and designed by

Vanbrugh in the Baroque style, it was financed by Queen Anne, on behalf of a grateful nation, following the first Duke of Marlborough’s triumph over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession.

Today it houses one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe, which includes portraits, furniture, sculpture and tapestries.

Blenheim Palace is also the birthplace of one of Britain’s most famous leaders, Sir Winston Churchill, and it was his father who described the vista on entering the Estate from the village of Woodstock as the ‘finest view in England’.