June may belong to roses, but across the UK their season stretches generously from late May through to July, when gardens reach their most fragrant and romantic peak.
From neatly clipped formal terraces to tumbling, cottage-style borders, these classic blooms are among the most beloved florals of the British summer garden. Expect everything from soft blush pinks and buttery yellows to deep velvety crimsons, often accompanied by that unmistakable, heady scent for which this romantic flower is so adored.
Southern England is particularly rich in historic rose gardens, though you’ll also find standout displays across Wales, Scotland and northern England too, especially in sheltered estates and walled gardens.
After all, life is quite simply lovelier when you remember to stop and smell the roses. These are the dreamiest gardens we won’t be missing…
Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent
Address: Biddenden Rd, Cranbrook TN17 2AB
DEA / G. WRIGHT
Revel in the romance of this iconic rose garden at its most abundant and alluring in early summer. Designed by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, the space is enclosed by warm brick walls and overflowing with old roses, climbers and ramblers in dense, fragrant planting.
Plan your visit to Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Bodnant Garden, Conwy
Address: Tal-y-Cafn, Colwyn Bay LL28 5RE
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Not one but two rose gardens await at this elegant estate, set against the backdrop of the Carneddau mountains. Alongside the formal beds, there’s an arboretum, terraces and a dramatic waterfall, making for a richly varied day out for rose enthusiasts.
Plan your visit to Bodnant Garden
Mottisfont, Hampshire
Address: Mottisfont Ln, Mottisfont, Romsey SO51 0L
Home to a National Collection of pre-1900 shrub roses, Mottisfont is one of the UK’s most important rose gardens. More than 400 historic varieties from gallicas to albas bloom in soft, romantic drifts, creating a painterly effect throughout June.
Plan your visit to Mottisfont
Ballindalloch Castle Gardens, Banffshire
Address: Ballindalloch, Banffshire AB37 9AX
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A lush bush of floribunda rose with pink, coral and red flowers
A riot of roses, including the coral-coloured ‘Ballindalloch Castle’ floribunda, flourishes at this dreamy Highland estate. Often referred to as the Pearl of the North, its swathes of formal planting only enhance the estate’s whimsical, picturesque setting.
Plan your visit to Ballindalloch Castle Gardens
Goldstone Hall Gardens, Shropshire
Address: Goldstone, Market Drayton TF9 2NA
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’Rhapsody in blue’ roses
Treat yourself to tea and cake on the Rose Terrace, where borders are filled with richly scented varieties. Look out for the luxuriously deep purple ‘Rhapsody in Blue’: a curious standout among the planting.
Plan your visit to Goldstone Hall Gardens
Queen Mary’s Gardens, London
Address: Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NR
Dan Kitwood
One of London’s most famous rose gardens is in the heart of Regent’s Park; this circular space contains more than 12,000 roses across 85 varieties. Visit at peak bloom for immaculate displays and vibrant colour combinations – and to enjoy a sniff like the woman below.
Plan your visit to Queen Mary’s Gardens
David Austin Roses Garden, Shropshire
Address: Bowling Green Ln, Albrighton, Wolverhampton WV7 3HB
Yulia Shaihudinova
Created by one of the UK’s most celebrated rose breeders, six award-winning themed gardens showcase hundreds of English roses, nurtured across beautifully curated borders with an emphasis on fragrance as well as form.
Considered one of the finest rose gardens in the world – and one of only three gardens in England to have received the ‘Award of Garden Excellence’ from the World Federation of Rose Societies – this garden is a must-see for those based in or visiting Shropshire.
Plan your visit to David Austin Roses Garden
Kiftsgate Court Gardens, Gloucestershire
Address: Kiftsgate Court, Mickleton, Chipping Campden GL55 6LN
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Best known for the enormous, climbing Kiftsgate rose, which clambers dramatically through the trees, this spirited hillside garden combines structured planting with a slightly wild, romantic feel.
Plan your visit to Kiftsgate Court Gardens
Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire
Address: Quy Rd, Lode, Cambridge CB25 9EJ
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The Emily Brontë rose is a variety of English shrub rose, introduced by David Austin in 2018 to mark the beloved author’s bicentenary.
This beloved National Trust garden was extended in 2024 to create even more impressive displays for visitors.
Thanks to a generous donation by David Austin Roses, 20 new rose beds and 180 new roses were planted by the Anglesey Abbey gardening team on the south side. With an additional 19 rose cultivars added since, the abbey’s Rose Garden now boasts a vibrant display of 60 rose varieties, including the ‘Emily Brontë’.
Plan your visit to Anglesey Abbey
Drummond Castle Gardens, Perthshire
Address: Muthill, Crieff PH7 4HN
Michael Boys
An Italianate garden in the heart of Scotland, Drummond Castle Gardens is often named among Europe’s finest formal gardens, pairing its grand parterre with vibrant seasonal planting. Dating back to the 17th century, the gardens seen today were replanted in the 1950s, but preserve many of their original features; this is one for the history buffs who also have a soft spot for roses.
Plan your visit to Drummond Castle Gardens
Hidcote Manor Garden, Gloucestershire
Address: Hidcote Bartrim, Chipping Campden GL55 6LR
Eric Gilbert
Set in the rolling Cotswolds and famous for its garden ‘rooms’, Hidcote’s Grade I-listed gardens – created by celebrated horticulturalist and plant collector, Major Lawrence Johnston – weave roses throughout its intimate Arts and Crafts-inspired beds. Climbing varieties soften the warm stone walls and archways, adding fragrance and colour throughout.
Plan your visit to Hidcote Manor Garden
Wollerton Old Hall Garden, Shropshire
Address: Wollerton, Market Drayton TF9 3NA
A masterclass in garden design and a self-described ‘garden for all seasons’, Wollerton’s borders are meticulously planned. Roses play a central role in its trio of north-south and east-west vistas, which create a collection of six separate gardens, each with its own style.
Plan your visit to Wollerton Old Hall Garden
Alnwick Garden, Northumberland
Address: Denwick Ln, Alnwick NE66 1YU
Set within the grounds of Alnwick Castle, this formal rose garden celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026.
To celebrate, some of David Austin Roses’ experts visited the site, which is currently undergoing an intensive rejuvenation project. After marking out planting placements and positioning canes, Alnwick Garden’s team planted around 400 new David Austin roses. It’s sure to be a bountiful bloom come summer.
Plan your visit to Alnwick Garden
Newby Hall & Gardens, North Yorkshire
Address: Newby Hall, Ripon HG4 5AE
An ode to romantic, old-fashioned rose gardens and their varieties, Newby Hall’s Rose Garden was designed just before the Second World War by Major Compton and replaced an old grass tennis court. Look out for classic hybrids and cultivars – gallicas, damasks, albas, centifolias, mosses – and enjoy the circular pool centrepiece which casts beautiful, colourful reflections in the water.
Plan your visit to Newby Hall & Gardens
Coughton Court, Warwickshire
Address: Coughton Court, Alcester B49 5JA
Nestled behind a striking English Tudor house, the star attraction of this garden is considered by most to be its ‘Rose Labyrinth’. Set within a 1½-acre walled garden and created in 1996, it contains 200 varieties of rose, including a large selection of ramblers and climbers, alongside more contemporary blooms.
In fact, in 2006, the Rose Labyrinth became the first British garden to be given the prestigious Award for Garden Excellence from the World Federation of Rose Societies, firmly marking it as worth a visit.
Plan your visit to Coughton Court
Gardening must-haves
Filberts of Dorset Gardeners Hand Salve
Haywards Garden Bee and Butterfly Water Stations, Garden Décor, set of three colourful bee water cups .
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Maddy Ando
Homes Writer, House Beautiful and Country Living
Maddy is the Homes Writer at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she can be found writing about the latest interiors news and collating inspiring trend edits. She has previously worked for Good Housekeeping, Prima and Red, and has an MA in Classics and Ancient History from the University of Manchester and a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, where she was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.
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