A day out in a beautiful garden is one of life’s simplest pleasures.
Whether you enjoy a grand estate, a hidden gem, or a thoughtfully designed wild space, Essex has something to offer this month.
Several gardens across the county are opening their gates to the public in May as part of the National Garden Scheme.
Here is a round-up of the best gardens to visit this month:
The Mount – Epping Road, Roydon (Image: National Garden Scheme)
The Mount, Roydon
Open on Sunday, May 24, from 11am to 6pm, this eight-acre garden offers three acres of formal gardens and five acres of woodland planted in 2003.
The formal gardens are divided into nine areas, featuring seasonal displays from snowdrops and spring bulbs to summer blooms and shrubs.
Throughout the gardens, visitors will discover statues and sculptures.
Admission is £7, with free entry for children.
Mayfield Farm – Hungerdown Lane, Ardleigh (Image: National Garden Scheme)
Mayfield Farm, Ardleigh
Open on Saturday, May 30, from 10am to 4pm, Mayfield Farm has been transformed from a field into a seven-acre garden.
Features include a secret garden, topiary, and a display of more than 100,000 bulbs planted in recent years.
Visitors can explore a large glasshouse and polytunnels.
Admission is £12, with children entering free.
Waltham Abbey Gardens (Image: National Garden Scheme)
Waltham Abbey Gardens
On Sunday, May 31, from 11.30am to 5pm, four gardens in Waltham Abbey will be open to visitors.
Silver Birches on Quendon Drive features three lawns, mixed borders, mature trees, a wildlife pond, and a woodland walk.
At 76 Monkswood Avenue, visitors will find more mixed borders, a greenhouse, and another wildlife pond, while 34 Monkswood Avenue offers bee-friendly planting in a colourful rear garden.
The Chimes, a Grade II listed house built in 1537, features raised brick-edged borders planted with perennials and shrubs.
Admission for all four gardens is £7, with free entry for children.
Oak Farm – Vernons Road, Wakes Colne (Image: National Garden Scheme)
Oak Farm, Wakes Colne
This informal farmhouse garden will be open on May 31 from 2pm to 4.30pm.
Designed to make the most of views across the Colne Valley, the about-an-acre garden includes trees, shrubs, borders, roses, and a ‘secret garden’ area.
A prairie garden, along with salvias and dahlias, will be at their best in late summer to early autumn.
Admission is £5, with children free.
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