Six beautiful gardens from across the country compete for the title of Best Historic Home Garden (HH) 2023.
Established in 1984, voting for the award is open until August 31 – and you can vote on the Historic Houses website. The winner will be present at the general meeting of the organization on November 14th.
The six finalists are as follows:
Blair Castle in Perthshire
Blair Castle Gardens, Perthshire.
Hergest Croft Gardens in Herefordshire
Hergest Croft Gardens in Kington.
Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye
Round pool with a flower bed in the garden of Dunvegan Castle.
The walled garden of Glenarm Castle in County Antrim
Castle Glenarm. Picture: Historic houses
Mount Stewart on the Isle of Bute
Mount Stewart belongs to the Stewarts of Bute.
Walled Scampston Garden in North Yorkshire
Scampston walled garden. Picture: Historic houses
In addition to the overall winner, HH will offer a second, outright award to a garden that it believes “embodies excellence on a smaller scale, whether in area, staff, or access, and therefore has less power to influence the popular poll”; this would be known as the Judge’s Choice award.
“The Garden of the Year Awards are a great opportunity to recognize and celebrate the beauty and quality of independent historic gardens,” says Ursula Cholmeli, Chair of the HH Horticulture Committee. “The hard work put into maintaining and developing these gardens is undeniable and it is so important that not only the owners, but also the gardeners and teams of volunteers who put in their time and efforts day by day to preserve the independent heritage are celebrated. .
“These gardens are some of the finest in the country and we hope you enjoy visiting some of them and voting for your favorite.”
The Little Dargle (a tributary of the River Dodder) got its name because its beautiful valley looked like a miniature version of the Dargle River valley at Powerscourt. The garden at Dunsmoat, near Dublin, is the home of Mr. Adam Clayton. ©Jonathan Hession Credit & Copyright: Jonathan Hession
