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Why The Savill Garden is so special at any time of the year
Always bursting with seasonal displays and steeped in royal history, The Savill Garden is a gardener’s dream whichever month you visit.
If you like getting out and exploring the great outdoors, you’ll love The Savill Garden, set in the heart of Windsor Great Park. Commissioned by George V and created by Eric Savill in 1932, it’s a 35-acre haven of beautifully designed gardens and woodland that can be enjoyed by everyone, whether you’re a dedicated horticulturist or simply looking for a relaxing day out.
Plus, when you buy an adult ticket, you can use your BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine 2-for-1 Gardens entry card to get one of these two fantastic discounts. If you’re visiting with a guest, you can get free entry for another adult with code GARDEN241. Alternatively, if you’re planning a solo trip, you can use code GARDENS50 for 50% off a single ticket.
A royal garden of distinction
A visit to The Savill Garden will connect you with many years of royal history, from the original weeping willow tree to the Queen Elizabeth Temperate House, opened by Queen Elizabeth II herself in 1995. Later, she also opened the Golden Jubilee Garden, a modern cottage garden that was designed to mark the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne, and the Rose Garden, with its iconic walkway that immerses you in wonderful colours and scents.
If you have time for a longer visit, you could even explore the wider areas of Windsor Great Park. There are several pre-planned walking routes available, whether you want to head towards the Virginia Water lake, the picturesque Valley Gardens or the Long Walk – a tree-lined avenue created by King Charles II in 1682-5.
A garden for all seasons
Many generations of plant-hunters have brought back specimens to be nurtured in The Savill Garden, so there’s always something remarkable to see throughout the year. Here’s just a little taste of what you can expect in each season.
Spring
You’ll be met with a host of early flowers in the springtime. The Spring Wood comes alive in March, while swathes of crocus and dwarf daffodils appear in the Alpine Meadow in April. At the same time, the garden is awash with its National Plant Collection of magnolias and award-winning rhododendrons, and the Japanese cherry trees start to blossom. Highlights in May include trilliums, erythroniums, primulas and dazzling azaleas.
Summer
This is the perfect time to enjoy the soothing colours of the Golden Jubilee Garden and the beautiful scents of the Rose Garden. When June arrives, the borders are packed with French musk roses, interplanted with a range of shrubs and perennials. Elsewhere, the Dry Garden, which is the first of its kind in the UK, offers a Mediterranean feel with hordes of South African angel’s fishing rods. In July and August, you can take a break from the sun with a shady walk in the Hidden Garden or feast your eyes upon the blooming hydrangeas in the Summer Wood.
Autumn
In September, the long swaying grasses of the New Zealand Garden start to change colour, and the Herbaceous Borders and Summer Wood continue to flower, bringing even more colour. In October, the Autumn Wood is alight with a glorious blaze of colour, while November marks the arrival of the garden’s National Plant Collection of mahonias. This is also the time when many birds come to the garden to feed on seeds and fruit, particularly from the mountain ash, hollies and grasses in the Dry Garden.
Winter
Throughout the winter months, the garden comes alive with incredible vibrancy on sunny days, thanks to the mass planting of dogwood willows and a variety of other bulbs. In January and February, the Winter Garden is full of the scent of daphnes and the colours of flowering snowdrops, irises, daffodils and hellebores. You can also find plenty of winter-flowering camellias around the garden at this time of year, especially in the Queen Elizabeth Temperate House.
Ready to start planning your visit to The Savill Garden?
*The 2-for-1 offer must be booked online at least one day in advance of your visit. Book online for the best price. You’ll need to present your 2-for-1 card when collecting your tickets.
