Guide to beautiful London gardens

Enjoy the beautiful blooms and tranquillity at the world-famous Kew Gardens in Richmond. This wild botanic garden comprises 500 acres of woodland, lakes, flower-lined pathways, and the world’s largest seed conservation project. It’s also home to the Princess of Wales Conservatory, where you’ll find ten computer-controlled climate zones alongside micro-ecosystems.

Holland Park is the largest park in Kensington and Chelsea, but inside you'll find a charming Japanese garden - the Kyoto Garden - a landscaped space gifted by the Chamber of Commerce of Kyoto in 1991. This manicured garden houses a pond and waterfall surrounded by plenty of greenery and woodland, as well as a koi fish pond, plants and free-roaming peacocks.

This free museum is located in an 18th-century Grade I-listed building in Kingsland Road. Not only does it feature displays of how the average British home has changed through the years, but it's home to a stunning garden offering a peaceful sanctuary from the city streets. It houses a set of domestic period gardens, including Georgian, Victorian, Elizabethan and Edwardian, plus beautiful seasonal displays.

This pretty garden was established by the Apothecaries to grow medicinal plants and is set across four acres along the Thames. It has one of the largest and most diverse collections of plants in the world, including more than 4,000 species. Several rare and endangered species are flourishing here thanks to the garden's warm microclimate. There are also glasshouses over a hundred years old, which have allowed gardeners to cultivate exotic species for more than 300 years.

Considering it's London's highest public garden, it comes as no surprise that it boasts incredible views of the city skyline. The conservatory-style top floor of the Walkie-Talkie building is the ideal spot to surround yourself with lush foliage whilst enjoying a drink or bite to eat with a stunning backdrop. The garden is free to visit but you'll need to book ahead.

Culpeper Community Garden is a multi-award-winning community garden run by people recovering from mental health problems and from disadvantaged backgrounds. It's a peaceful city park that functions as an environmental community project. Inside, the garden has communal ponds, a lawn, a wildlife area, a rose pergola and a dry garden, perfect for strolling around and taking a moment from busy city life.

This 17th-century merchant's house was initially purchased by Lady Binning (the niece of Victorian art connoisseur George Salting) in 1936. After her death, she left it to the National Trust along with her furniture, paintings, and collection of 18th-century porcelain. Inside you'll find unique collections of ceramics, paintings, instruments and intricate needlework, whilst outside there's a lush garden with lawns, herbaceous borders, a 300-year-old orchard, and a sunken rose garden.

You'll find Ham House and Gardens in leafy Richmond. Inside, it houses unique collections of artwors and cabinets, whilst outside, several gardens are compartmentalised into sections perfect for peaceful moments from the busy city. There's a cherry garden made up of mazed box-hedged compartments and a kitchen garden that uses organic principles and provides home-grown produce used in the on-site café.

This tiny, charming garden takes up only 1/5 of an acre behind a 1930's terrace in Muswell Hill. It was once voted 'Best Back Garden' by the London Gardens Society and is home to a vast collection of rare and unusual Mediterranean and Australasian trees and shrubs. The garden has been purposely sculpted and designed to give it a three-dimensional effect, emphasising texture, shapes and contrasting foliage colour.

This world-famous garden has gained a reputation among bloom lovers for its vast collection of roses - which includes over 12,000. Roses are the garden’s main appeal, but there’s also a stunning begonia garden, a Mediterranean delphinium border (which has full National collection status) and a jungle border. It’s the perfect spot to stroll and enjoy the wonderful sights and smells.

Known for being the home of Henry VIII, Hampton Court Palace is still owned by the monarchy today. Visitors are welcome to explore the grand Grade I-listed building as well as the extensive gardens that surround it. The spacious grounds are carefully manicured and include water features, floral arrangements, and sculpted shrubbery.

Whitehall Gardens is a relaxing garden perched along the River Thames. The garden was designed by renowned British architect George Vulliamy in 1875 and has gained status as a designated Site of Importance for Natural Conservation because of its contribution to wildlife. The garden showcases a spectacular display of trees and shrubbery as well as three statues commemorating General Sir James Outram (1803-63), William Tyndale (1494-1536) and Henry Bartle Frere (1815-1885).

Fulham Palace has a long and storied history dating back more than 1,300 years since it became the home of the Bishops of London (having hosted 133 different Bishops in its time so far). Not only is the house a reason to visit, but the adjoining botanical garden contains 13 acres of beautiful flora and plants, including rare trees and a remarkable walled garden.

This rooftop garden is located 15 storeys at the top of the Fen Court Building at 120 Fenchurch Street. It’s been designed by German landscape architects Latz + Partner and is home to a stunning 200 ft-long water feature, over 30 fruit trees and 85 jaw-dropping Wisteria trees. It also houses a coffee hut, so you can grab a cappuccino before taking a stroll around to enjoy all that the garden has to offer.

This secret garden perched on top of Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to a variety of eye-catching wild native plants and a plush lawn perfect for perching on and enjoying the panoramic views of London’s epic skyline. The on-site Cafe & Bar also serves exquisite coffee, homemade pastries and cocktails inspired by the garden.

This traditional London pub is more than just a drinking hole and boutique hotel; if you head to the rooftop, you’ll find a space where the staff at The Culpeper grow their own fruit and vegetables to be used in the food and drink served at the premises. It may be small, but it’s a nice spot to enjoy a botanical cocktail and a bite to eat amidst growing fruits and veggies.

Explore British gardening through exhibitions, events, and gardens at The Garden Museum, Britain's only museum of the art, history and design of gardens. The museum began as a way to save an abandoned church due to be demolished; it's the burial site of the first great British gardener and plant-hunter, John Tradescant. Enjoy the exhibitions and stroll through the lush gardens before grabbing a drink and something to eat at the award-winning Garden Café, serving a daily changing menu of seasonal dishes.

Inner Temple Gardens is the ideal spot to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and soak up nature. The gardens have a fascinating history, set on the premises of a professional association for judges and barristers. It's chock full of flora and fauna, including unusual species. You can stroll around spring bulb meadows and towering trees whilst enjoying the selection of flowers and plants scattered throughout the park.

Named due to its proximity to the former headquarters of the General Post Office, Postman's Park is a spacious public garden that opened in 1880 in a former churchyard. There's plenty of greenery and it's a pleasant place for a walk. What makes it even more touching is the Watts' Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice, a memorial that commemorates ordinary people who died whilst saving the lives of others.

St Dunstan in the East is a unique London garden that's a big hit on Instagram and a popular location for photoshoots. Originally a gothic church designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it was bombed out during the war and turned into a peaceful garden that opened to the public in 1970. Leafy foliage and places to sit combine with the distinctive ruined architecture to create an unusual space to relax in.

Russell Square is an attractive garden square in Bloomsbury that was built in 1806. Today it has its own café as well as a central plaza and a water feature. This spacious garden is great for taking a walk or you can simply sit on a bench and soak up the atmosphere. The square is filled with plenty of appealing plants and flowers.

Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is a community garden and social enterprise based on an old railway line. There are plots for residents to grow food, plants that are wildlife-friendly, and an on-site café-bar. Enjoy the lush displays of flowers and plants whilst you absorb the atmosphere here. Events take place regularly and you're welcome to bring your dog along.

Discreetly tucked away just moments from the hustle and bustle of Regent Street, Cavendish Square Gardens is a peaceful green space enclosed by hedges. It was first developed in 1717. There are plenty of benches to sit on and paths to wander, as well as public art for visitors to admire.

Tucked away in suburban Finchley, Stephens House & Gardens is a historic attraction gifted to the public. There's the Grade I-listed house that's open for special events but many visitors come for the attractive grounds surrounding it. You'll uncover landscaped gardens, ponds, play areas, and even a bat colony in this space.