Gardens to fall in love with this year

With almost 40 gardens opening for the National Garden Scheme over the Valentine’s weekend of Saturday 14 and 15 February, braving the weather with a loved one to keep you warm is a perfect opportunity to reignite your love of gardens in 2026. And, with many gardens opening again in the summer you can fall in love with our gardens again and again. Here’s a small selection to set your heart on.

Visit the lovely Lexhall Hall in Norfolk on Sunday 15 February for swathes of snowdrops and then return on 24 May or 15 July to see this beautiful garden blossom into the perfect romantic idyll with formal terraces, roses and mixed borders.

With it’s beautiful, borrowed view of Melbourne Pool the gardens at The Dower House in Derbyshire deliver a delight of winter blooms with snowdrops and many scented plants including two huge Daphne bholua Jacqueline Postill on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February. Rekindle your love affair with this lovely garden when it opens again on 6 and 7 June for herbaceous borders and glorious roses.

Cotswold Farm in Gloucestershire is a beautiful Arts & Crafts garden overlooking a quiet valley on descending levels with terraces designed by Norman Jewson in the 1930s. Enclosed by Cotswold stone walls and yew hedges, the garden has year-round interest including a snowdrop collection with over 80 varieties to enjoy on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February. The terraces, shrub garden, herbaceous borders and bog garden are full of scent and colour from spring to autumn and can be enjoyed by visitors in May and September too.

Billy Old Rectory Peace Garden in County Antrim is a mature 3 acre garden on an historic site which includes 20 small peace gardens. Enjoy the snowdrops and winter blooms on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February and return for the roses on 20 and 21 June.

For glorious snowdrops on Valentines’ Day visit Horstead House in Norfolk.  With its stunning display of beautiful snowdrops carpeting the woodland setting along with winter flowering shrubs. Another beautiful feature are the dogwoods growing on a small island in the River Bure, which flows through the garden. There is also a small walled garden.

To explore all the gardens opening this Valentine’s weekend click here