Painswick Rococo Garden is a wonderful place to visit, whatever the season.
Once a pleasure garden for gentlefolk, Painswick Rococo Garden is the UK’s only surviving example of an 18th century rococo garden, nestled in a hidden Cotswold valley. It’s now one of Gloucestershire’s best-loved cultural attractions, with a fascinating history, family activities and creative planting to experience all year round – with season tickets offering unlimited free entry for 12 months, starting at just £28.
It’s celebrated around the country as one of the finest places to see snowdrops but, with something new to discover almost every calendar month, Painswick Rococo Garden is truly a garden for all seasons.
With unmissable highlights and floral photo opportunities all year round, SoGlos shares 12 reasons to visit Painswick Rococo Garden from spring through to winter, that’ll make you want to return time and time again.
Springtime visitors should arrive armed and ready to take some enviable Insta snaps – with over 9,000 spring bulbs popping up in the Exedra Garden in April; bluebells blooming from around mid-April to late May; and the large wisteria looking its best towards the end of May.
Springing up in March, nature lovers won’t want to miss the carpets of daffodils at Painswick Rococo Garden. With tens of thousands of bulbs planted over the years, visitors can admire the sunny yellow display in the orchard, wildflower meadow and throughout the garden.
Keen gardeners can take home a small reminder of Rococo Garden, with a whole range of high-quality plants for sale on-site – perfect for anyone looking to breathe new life into their own backyards during spring!
Come summer, Painswick Rococo Garden is flooded with heavenly scents, with lavender and heritage roses gracing the Exedra Garden in June; and the heady aroma of sweet peas, bergamot and jasmine to enjoy in July. Plus, visitors can see late-flowering daisies and lemon-coloured sunflowers in August.
Providing a scenic spot for alfresco theatre, Rococo Garden doubles up as a stage in the summertime, hosting a programme of outdoor productions in its adjacent field that are good fun for audiences of all ages – with light-hearted performances of Twelfth Night and Rapunzel to look forward to in 2022.
With the summer holidays falling in July and August, Painswick Rococo Garden is a fantastic destination for parents and grandparents to enjoy with the little ones, with special family trails to complete every school holiday. Plus, explore the magical follies, run wild in the rustic play area and compete to find the centre of the maze; with dogs welcome on short leads as well.
The Exedra Garden’s colourful flowers will continue to bloom well into autumn, while visitors can witness the woodlands of Rococo Garden turn gold and red in October. Its exotic tree species look particularly good, too – with its Japanese maples a particular highlight.
Depending on what nature provides, there’s the chance to tuck into baked goods, soups and salads that have all been created with produce from Rococo’s very own kitchen garden at the on-site café; with homemade products that may include gin, pickles, chutneys, jams and fresh-pressed juices for visitors to pick up in the shop, too.
Families can save their pennies by visiting Painswick Rococo Garden in November, when the attraction runs a special offer that totally cuts the admission cost for children aged four to 16 – which is usually priced at £4.90 per child.
Soak in the low winter sun and embrace Rococo Garden during its quieter season, as it prepares to go into hibernation over winter. With no leaves on the trees, the skeletal structure of the garden is striking – and whatever the weather, those Cotswold views still look incredible.
Packed with gorgeous gift ideas, souvenirs and locally-made produce, forward-thinking visitors are sure to find a special Christmas present in Painswick Rococo Garden’s dedicated gift shop.
Painswick Rococo Garden is renowned for its spectacular snowdrop grove, which is home to around five million of the iconic winter flowers. The garden tends to reopen when the snowdrops typically start to flower in January, with avid seekers travelling from all over to see them at their best throughout February.
By Annabel Lammas
© SoGlos
Thursday 03 March 2022
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