Best Secret Gardens Ideas

Explore our gallery of beautiful alliums

Explore Mijkra's 102714 photos on Flickr!

If it’s classic romance you’re after, it certainly isn’t hard to find in a secret garden tucked away on the property of an 18th century Irish Manor. And, in case that doesn’t immediately send you off to daydream land, imagine this: dilapidated stone, cozy cottages, a blooming greenhouse, and foraged florals. Now, ready to see...

Amanda Clark and her husband Stephen are the owners of Seend Manor in Wiltshire, England. The spectacular gardens within Seend Manor’s 28-acre grounds were designed by Julian and Isabel Bannerman, who have worked with clients including John Paul Getty and the Prince of Wales. The couple bought Seend Manor, their first home in the English countryside, […]

magic garden

A look at 10 of the most beautiful private gardens hidden away in the Cotswolds

Just another soul in the world, but one that it's in love with the beauty of the world and decided to spread it around. Enjoy it.

Cultivating your own garden means to take your time and to understand the value of time. It means not taking shortcuts, not multitasking.

Stroll along a meandering path on this secret garden hike in Bristol, Rhode Island. It's picture-perfect in every season.

“And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The eart…

welcome to our monthly international blog party consisting of invited members from around the world. with this post, I am delighted to announce our newest member, the brilliantly humorous professional writer & blogger, a beautiful woman, D. A. Wolf of the blog "Big Little Wolf's Daily Plate of Crazy" (whatever life dishes out) you will find her link below *************************************************************************** we all thought it would be interesting to talk about our challenges, maybe really big ones, or small ones, but ones which have changed us & educated us and, perhaps, enriched us. difficult things from which we learned much. one of my challenges which has forever been a problem is never having enough time. rushing, too much on a schedule, working, raising children, social life, managing everything because there was no one else to do it. and a husband who expected nothing less than perfection of everyone except himself, but he thought he was perfect, and for a very long time I believed he was too. I was always drawn to our garden, it was so very important to me, it was where everything slowed down, where the only thing important was to take the time to make the plantings flourish. I loved hibiscus because every single morning you would have new gifts in the awesome flowers, even though by evening they would close again, having spent their short life in the sun and allowing us to gaze in wonder at their beauty. I nurtured everything, and it didn't bother me when the rabbits ate the coleus, or when the 2 Collies laid down on the impatiens. They, too, were part of my solace and our garden. whenever a holiday came round I was the one who did everything. and I did a lot. finally realizing the reason I did so much was that I didn't dare risk criticism if it wasn't done perfectly. this, of course, was my own requirement, no one else's. I finally went to counseling, two times a week. not only because of my hectic lifestyle, I knew my marriage of many years was over, that I could not go on in the same way, I could not continue to do everything while a brilliant and talented man sank into the depths of depression & alcohol. you know, it takes a long time for one to speak aloud to a therapist before you hear & process exactly what you're saying. I mean, the answers are right in front of you. the one thing she asked me one day was this, "What would happen if you only did 1/2 as much?" I laughed out loud, and said "Nothing would happen, I would be the only one who would know." as with everything else, it's easy to recognize there is a problem, the difficulty is doing something about it. I did divorce. I thought it would be easy because it wanted out so badly. but, somehow, learned behaviors and habits take a long long time to change. I actually don't think I missed him, I just missed having a relationship. learning to live on my own was not easy. I had always earned enough money, and when I divorced I didn't receive one cent. I continued to earn a living, but transitioned from one 24/7 profession back into luxury retail / fashion where I had begun so many years ago, and where I always knew I belonged. when I wasn't working I cherished being at home, alone or with my dogs & kids, and I built the most beautiful garden, it grew & became lusher and more verdant. it was my satisfaction then, something I was so very proud of because I did it all myself. and I did it my way. my life has had ups and downs, like everyone who has lived awhile, it's been a good life, and there is still so much more to do. I am now never over-committed with endless charity projects, I almost never go to lunch, I've given up sports which have become hard instead of fun, aka skiing, white-water rafting, skeet shooting, tennis, running 3 miles (now it's walking 3 miles), water-skiing, skydiving, snowboarding, skateboarding & para-sailing. the challenges were overcome a long time ago, and I finally learned no one can be both the pitcher & the catcher. it is a good lesson to learn.

Pergola Hill Garden. I recently discovered Hampstead heath park. It is more than just a park it is actually a bit of countryside in the city.

This place is absolutely STUNNING.

Read our tips to grow and care for eryngiums (sea holly) including 'Miss Willmott's Ghost', including how to mix and match with other flowers.

{tuesday musings & hello} - a note to say that I've fallen behind on everything and need some time to catch up before posting new content

Ideas for the right garden decoration

Mid Winter Dreaming of Spring source Oh...a little whimsy of a garden house right in the middle of a perfectly overgrown garden. I took to Pinterest to find inspiration of what the perfect little garden shed might look like and found many examples. Today, as I drove off to work in a hurry as usual...I noticed all my little daffodils are up and blooming. Winter soon to be over. Such a mild one we had and I am so fine with that. source I felt terrible that my flowers are up and I'd been too busy to notice. source Well, not just too busy but too sick to notice too. source Sorry, I've been MIA this week. I've been working and sleeping and that is it. source But feeling better now. source And next week is shaping up to be a light week...work wise so maybe I can get some projects done around the house. source I am so in the mood for spring. The weather has been so mild here that it seems it's already arrived. source I love garden buildings, don't you? I'd love to have one of these in my backyard. source A place for a glass of tea. source So charming source Yes, I can't wait to get out in the yard and have things growing again. source I promise photos of Franklin next week. All the weenies are doing great. I'm doing fine except for having a devil of a cold this past couple of weeks and no energy to do anything extra. But I'm feeling way better. Hope you have a great weekend! Tweet

Today we’re taking a return visit to Adeline Kong’s garden in British Columbia, Canada. We’ve visited her garden several times over the years and it is such fun to see how it has changed and evolved over time!

A guide to visiting Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire, England. Wentworth Woodhouse was the largest private home in the United Kingdom and it has the longest façade of any country home in Europe; however, very few people have ever heard of this spectacular English house! We'll share some of the fascinating history of this house and its occupants, tell you all you need to know to visit Wentworth Woodhouse yourself, and share details of our own recent tour of Wentworth Woodhouse. We think once you know the story of this house, you'll be intrigued to visit Wentworth Woodhouse too!

Find the perfect blend of food, day spas, women-owned boutiques and outdoor fun when you visit Prince William County towns like Haymarket, Occoquan and Gainesville.

Take a sneak peek into the private gardens of five of the celebrities whose gorgeous estates are featured in Victoria Summerley's brand new book.

Want a lush garden? Join the club, who doesn't! You can have a lush feel to your garden space if you follow a few guidelines, show a little bit of patience, and take care of your plants needs the right way. Here's how to make a lush secret garden that is all yours!

For Ina Garten, a garden in East Hampton was a top priority. Now, more than a decade later, it is as vibrant as her entertaining empire.

We catch up with Ben Pen after a week long hiatus