Visiting the garden at Hardwick Hall

A view of wintry trees in the garden at Hardwick looking towards the low winter sun — Winter sun kisses the trees | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Hardwick's historic garden bursts with colour no matter the season and it is the perfect place for a spot of calm. Discover the garden highlights to look out for on your visit.

Courtyard Gardens

Laid out in Elizabethan fashion, four rectangular courtyards each contain their own unique garden, surrounded by high sandstone walls.

Enjoy exploring the twists and turns of the gardens and discovering hidden corners. Each courtyard garden at Hardwick is unique. Find out more about their individual past, present and future.

The Herb Garden

Today, Hardwick is home to one of the finest herb gardens in the country, along with fabulous borders, orchards, lawns and formal hedges.

While most plants lie dormant in winter, some plants in the Herb Garden take on a beautiful wintry look during the colder months. See the spiky teasel standing proud or the sage covered in frost.

Snowdrops

A pure delight each year is seeing the snowdrops burst from beneath the frozen soil. We have lots of beautiful snowdrops at Hardwick from December onwards.

Most of Hardwick's snowdrops are clustered in the east and west corners of the South Court. Look out for them under the boughs of the yew and lime trees, the snowdrops appear to almost glow.

Following on from the flowering cyclamen and before the deep purple crocus, the display of snowdrops is a special time of year at Hardwick.

A close up picture of the Snowdrops at Hardwick Hall with the old hall burred out in the background and the flowers in focus. — Snowdrops at Hardwick Hall | © National Trust/ Jo Rawson

Ask the team

The garden is cared for and managed by a team of four gardeners, with the help of a trusty team of volunteers. They are keen to share their knowledge, so feel free to ask them a question if you see them.