Didn’t get Tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show? Here’s how you can Feel Like You’re There

As the Chelsea Flower Show commences, garden-enthusiasts are gearing up to visit the incredible displays on the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Spanning 5 days, the show is a chance to celebrate green spaces and gain inspiration and insight into some of the world’s most beautiful garden designs and floral displays. 

But with the popularity of the show, many are left without tickets, or the chance to visit. So, in order to ensure none of you are missing out, we’ve analysed the best open gardens to visit instead. 

Whether you are looking for a woodland walk, spectacular water features, vast rose gardens or diverse wildlife, there is plenty to choose from in the National Garden Scheme’s collection of open gardens. 

The Most Instagrammable Gardens 

Whether you’re a photography enthusiast or simply making memories, we’ve got you covered. To find the most insta-worthy open gardens, we analysed hashtags on Instagram to determine the most popular and post worthy places. 

Here is our list: 

The Most Instagrammed Open Gardens 

1. Chartwell, Kent, 28,362 posts
2. Nymans, West Sussex, 8,276 posts
3. Penshurst Place & Gardens, Kent, 8,005 posts
4. Enchanted Gardens, Kent, 6,744 posts
5. Waterperry Gardens, Oxfordshire, 5,998 posts
6. Emmetts Garden, Kent, 4,756 posts
7. The Old Vicarage, Dorset, 4,064 posts
8. Sussex Prairies, West Sussex, 3,118 posts
9. Royal Trinity Hospice, Greater London, 2,265 posts
10. Christ Church Masters’, Pocock & Cathedral Garden, Oxfordshire, 1,815 posts

While you can find amazing open gardens to visit across the whole of the UK, the top 3 spots were taken by places in England. Read about these top locations below: 

Chartwell

Located in Westerham and built by Sir Winston Churchill, Chartwell is set on the hillside overlooking Weald of Kent. With an incredible rose garden and immaculate water features, this garden offers something for everyone. To check out popular posts, see here. 

(credit @jj.journeys) 

Nymans

Set in West Sussex, Nymans offers visitors a spectacular view of unusual plant collections, stunning woodlands, and excellent wildlife spotting. Visitors are also welcome to purchase plants, have refreshments and explore the grounds.

(credit @stontus)

Penshurst Place & Gardens

Situated on a breathtaking 11 acres of land, Penshurst Place & Gardens

has a fantastic rose garden, woodland trails, and arboretum to visit. The grounds also foster a great environment for wildlife, with a wealth of natural habitats on the property. 

(credit @prettylittletrips)

The Best Open Gardens Ranked

For those of you looking for the ultimate open garden experience, we also created an index ranking the best gardens to visit based on a variety of factors, including, plants for sale, refreshments, dog friendliness, and wheelchair accessibility for the perfect day out. 

Our list reveals: 

Top Ranked Gardens

For more information on open gardens and places to visit, you can visit the National Garden Scheme website, here. And for inspiration on how to elevate your own garden, check out our garden rooms page.