When you’re struggling with Mothers Day gifts for a gardener and wondering whether you can give her yet another pair of secateurs, step back.
Okay, you say, but now what to do for Mother’s Day? Well, if you live near enough to your Mother and plan on seeing her over the Mothering Sunday weekend, why not take her to a garden?
Below are suggestions for garden visits for Mothers Day to help you find something she’ll be interested in. They’re arranged by type rather than location as, if you’re not a gardener yourself, you may not know if the garden has this is more helpful! Some of the gardens have their own garden visit blog review on Plews Potting Shed; check out the links below for these and other gardening related Mothers Day ideas for gardeners.
In 2019, Mothering Sunday falls on the last day of March, which hopefully means better weather for these places to go for Mother’s Day.
NB There aren’t links to all of these places as that can have adverse effects with Google thinking we’re spamming you.
Garden Visits for Mothers Day – Topiary and Historic Gardens
Houghton Lodge Gardens, Hampshire is a renovated 18th Century garden. It has grottos, wilderness garden, formal gardens, orchid house and alpacas (should I say the last bit twice?) Unfortunately, they have had problems with box blight, so the topiary is not currently at its best. But they have alpacas in the water meadows and dogs are welcome.
Hall Place, Greater London has wonderful topiary Queen’s Beasts planted in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II. Plus glasshouse, spring border, Butterfly Jungle and a Parliament of Owls (probably as exciting as Alpacas)
Brodsworth Hall, South Yorkshire is one of the most complete Victorian Gardens in the country. The gardens and tearoom are open for Mothers Day garden visits. Topiary trimmed 19th century evergreens form the main structure of the formal gardens.
Levens Hall, Cumbria, one of my favourite gardens, opens the Sunday after Mothers Day. Worth visiting for the world-famous topiary – you could always treat your Mother twice!
Garden Visits for Mothers Day – Spring Interest Gardens
Here we’re considering spring flowering bulbs and early flowering shrubs, with a dip into orchards that may be coming into blossom.
Wightwick Manor, West Midlands, has a garden designed largely by William Mawson. Dogs are welcome and there are 3 orchards as well. The house is also a Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Craft dream. You get the drift, pity it’s a bit far for a day trip, or you’d know where my lot were taking me!
Hergest Garden, Hereford has Daffodils, Scillas, Magnolias, Azaleas, Primroses and more in the Spring Border in Hergest Croft especially, but throughout the garden. Many rare trees and shrubs to admire. Dogs are welcome.
Trebah Garden, Cornwall – a dog-friendly, family-friendly, sub-tropical garden with an acid soil, Trebah is one of the 80 top gardens worldwide. It has plenty of Azaleas, Camellias, Magnolias and 100 year-old Rhododendrons to excite you. Plus tightly curled tree ferns to look down on, which is a treat in itself!
Garden Visits for Mothers Day – National Plant Collections
Choosing National Plant Collections for Mothers Day trip ideas is difficult through so much choice, not lack of. That in itself is a vote of thanks and appreciation to the volunteers and organisations who are the Holders of the Plant Collections. Altogether there are over 630 National Plant Collections in the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands.
Broadview Gardens, Kent for the National Plant Collection of Hellebores. Some Hellebore varieties are known as the Lenten Rose, some as the Christmas Rose. If nothing else, that gives a huge clue as to when they’re flowering!
Brodie Castle, Moray has the National Plant Collection of Daffodils with over 400 species and cultivars. A story of re-finding old cultivars that were nearly lost makes this National Plant Collection even more impressive. Dogs are welcome.
Stone Lane Gardens, Devon has National Plant Collections of Birch and Alder in a beautifully atmospheric woodland setting with streams and pools which you and the family pooch can enjoy.
Garden Visits for Mothers Day – Herb Gardens
It is early in the year for herb gardens; whilst the woody perennials will be visible, the annuals won’t have got started. However, small plants and seeds are guaranteed to be on sale. There will be inspiration for both formal and informal herb gardens with this selection.
Acorn Bank, Cumbria has the largest collection of herbs in the north of England set in a walled garden. They also have an orchard with heritage and local apple tree varieties.
Chelsea Physic Garden, London. Even when the herbs are a mere twig, the labelling informs you what it is, and the grouping together of medicinal herbs, poisonous plants and so on may be an eye opener!
Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire has a large herb garden which was recently re-designed and planted but there would have been one when Bess of Hardwick lived here in the 16th century.
If you can delay your visit for a week, Jekka’s Herbetum is open the first weekend of April
Mothers Day Trip Ideas for Wet weather
When the weather doesn’t look good, but you still want to go out (or you can’t think of any other things to do for Mother’s Day!) head for a garden with a lot of glasshouses. Any garden which is classed as a Botanical Garden will have a glasshouse.
Cambridge University Botanic Gardens – has 10 glasshouses with tropical plants, alpines, you name it! They have a National Plant Collection of species tulips in the Mountains House, which may just be in flower.
Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh – you can view their exciting plans for refurbishing and renewing their historic and listed glasshouses.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew – the Temperate House at Kew, the largest in the world, is now re-open.
Mothers Day Trip Ideas – extra info
All of the above gardens are open on Mothering Sunday, except where stated, with a café open onsite. I cannot of course guarantee all the info, so if you have particular requirements or are travelling any distance do check the website or ring beforehand.
Most of the gardens are largely accessible for wheelchairs and buggies, although there will be some gravel paths. Those with sloping sites may have steps rather than ramps. Worth checking on the garden’s website if you’re not familiar with the garden. Remember to keep children on paths not flower borders; these are gardens not play areas, although some places have an adventure playground. I haven’t gone through the list for this aspect, as currently our family are adults or small, easily portable, babies. With one toddler exception who has sufficient doting adults to keep him entertained!
Some of us have dogs as well as or instead of small children. Where it’s specifically mentioned on a garden’s website that dogs are allowed, I’ve said so. Presume they need to be on a short lead in the garden areas. And do check, as sometimes there are parts of a garden they’re not allowed into. This shouldn’t be a problem if there’s more than one human to take turns. Assistance dogs are of course welcome at all the gardens.
Hopefully this blog has given you lots of Mothers Day inspiration! If you need more, then have a look at our other Mothering Sunday ideas below.
And, as we’re on the Mother’s Day topic, perhaps your Mother would like a copy of our eBook, “Easter and Mother’s Day in Your Garden” available from Plews website.
Related Gardening articles from the award winning Plews Potting Shed
Gardening Gifts for Mothers Day – written by Nathan
Mothers Day flowers – 5 Favourites in your Garden
Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day, the Power of Plants
Garden Visits Category – sub-divisions by area and / or speciality, including Hall Place, Chelsea Physic Garden, Acorn Bank, Hardwick Hall, Levens Hall, Cornish Camellias – although many more have been visited! A Garden Visits eBook is planned.
