Discover summer displays across National Trust’s gardens in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire

Explore shady orchards, home to heritage varieties of fruit trees, and walk through informal wildflower meadows buzzing with insect life and supporting wildlife habitats.

Walled kitchen gardens which are bursting with seasonal produce, growing everything from salads to squashes, which are often harvested and used in the on-site cafes, where you can also find refreshments from ice creams to tea and scones.

Each garden is looked after by a team of National Trust staff and volunteers and is planted to not only add colour and interest, but to support wildlife.

National Trust has pulled together a list of the best places for a serene stroll in some of the most beautiful gardens in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire:

Warwickshire

Upton House and Gardens

Nestled in the lower part of the garden which runs along the side of the mirror pool, find the herbaceous borders which are now in flower and will look their best by early July. From here visitors can also spot produce in the Kitchen Garden.

Find a fantastic mix of colourful Lupins from rich reds to deep purple, all informally planted with groups of Iris germanica, bright purple Baptisia Australis with its blue grey foliage and pea-like flower heads. Enjoy the rich sways of naturalised Nigella ‘Persian Jewel’ and groups of blue flowering Linum Perenne next to Aquilegia ‘Nora Barlow’ and large flowering Peonie Officinalis ‘Alexandra Duff’ and Sarah Benhardt.

Coughton Court

The Throckmorton family created and continues to manage the spectacular award-winning garden at Coughton Court, offering something for everyone to enjoy. Head to Coughton Court’s walled gardens for stunning displays of vibrant roses in bloom and take a moment to pause and notice the sights, sounds and smells of summer. The walled garden is open from 12 noon, and visitors can also explore the knot garden, vegetable garden, orchard and bog garden, while not forgetting the lake.

Baddesley Clinton

With something for all the family, Baddesley Clinton will host child-friendly nature walks around its gardens this summer.

For those looking for something more leisurely, meander through the formal walled gardens with vibrant flower borders and a recently restored vegetable plot. The formal gardens mark a contrast to the woodland walks around the nearby fish pools.

Packwood House

Packwood’s contemporary ‘mingled’ style garden with herbaceous borders, Yew Garden and productive kitchen garden creates a variety of different spaces, each presenting the outdoor team with differing challenges, gardening techniques and management approaches.

Charlecote Park

Charlecote’s Parterre, overlooking the River Avon, bursts with colours throughout summer. Red begonias, bright marigolds, purple heliotropes, and cinerarias are just a few of the flowers planted in this year’s formal garden. Greenery and flowers are also blooming around the Orangery and Granny’s Summerhouse, a tiny, thatched cottage built in the Victorian era for children. A little further away, the secluded Woodland Garden offers some shaded paths to cool down on warm summer days.

Northamptonshire

Lyveden

Lyveden’s garden team have been hard at work planting new borders by the Manor, with a mix of herbaceous plants, from kitchen herbs to vibrant roses to delight the senses.

Enjoy the swathes of beautiful long-grassed meadows ahead of the yearly hay harvest. Take a relaxing stroll from the Manor and explore winding pathways cutting through a colourful sea of wildflowers. See if you can spot any Orchids popping up in the Orchard, or Grass Vetchling nestled in the Labyrinth. The ornamental Spiral Mounds make for an excellent photo opportunity with their abundance of Ox Eye Daisies.

Canons Ashby

Stroll around the gardens at Canons Ashby for an immersion into the joys of summer colours. Visitors can admire the long-reaching views down to the sundial terrace and beyond where the bold dark-leafed Cannas, bright red Salvias and Silver Cineraria can be seen. The front of the house has beautiful displays of mixed Dahlia, Amaranthus and Heliotrope. The fruit terraces are beginning to burst with berries, and the aroma of fragrant herbs and mints can be enjoyed from the tea garden.