A winter garden of delights at Blenheim Palace

From the first flowering snowdrops and primulas to The Cascades waterfalls looking their most majestic, winter walks at Britain’s Greatest Palace are a feast for the senses.

Winter might be a dormant time for much of the flora and fauna, but the Blenheim Palace Gardens team are busy as ever, under the direction of Head Gardener Andy Mills, preparing the famous gardens for spring and beyond.

Visitors in January and February can enjoy the early show of snowdrops across the gardens, as well as beautiful displays of primroses and cowslips throughout the grassland areas. The stunning Cascades are in full flow, with the Capability Brown cast ironwork doing just what it was designed to do - making the water froth and appear majestic and tumultuous.

Visitors to the Secret Garden will soon be able to see the Hellebores in flower, along with other spring colour, including Epimediums, Bergenias, alkaline-loving Rhododendrons and drumstick Primulas.

Blenheim Palace’s magnificent gardens are in a continuous state of change, finely curated by visionary Head Gardener Andy Mills, who is drawing on the garden’s extensive heritage to bring rediscovered treasures to the forefront for visitors - the biggest change to the Blenheim Palace Landscape in over 100 years.

Current work which forms part of Andy’s vision across the gardens at Blenheim Palace includes:

An array of new areas planted with a variety of spring bulbs, including daffodils which will begin blooming next month

New trees being planted in the Arboretum - including stunning red-stemmed willow trees along the riverbanks; an avenue of ornamental crab apples leading from the Rosarium to the Temple of Flora

40 new fruit trees in the Walled Gardens to include "Bloody Ploughman", "Belle de Boskoop" and "Belle de Louvain"

Planting the banks at the "old Ha Ha" to the south east of the Rosarium with approximately 15,000 snowdrops ‘in the green’, 2,000 Winter Aconite ‘in the green’ and around 25 Prunus "Tai Kaku" cherries to increase the seasonal interest through this area

As well as the stunning Formal Gardens themselves, visitors to Blenheim Palace and Gardens this winter have a wealth of other activities:

Take part in the free-to-enter Beautiful Blenheim IGPOTY (International Garden Photographer of the Year) Competition. All winning images will be displayed at the IGPOTY Blenheim Palace exhibition in 2026 and receive an official award certificate. The first prize also includes a Champagne afternoon tea for two, a private tour of the Palace and a Blenheim Palace hamper.

Dogs of Blenheim Palace Trail - from February 1st to the end of March, discover stories of dogs at Blenheim Palace over the centuries; the trail starts in the East Courtyard, to the Grand Bridge, crosses the lakeside and towards the Column of Victory before looping back to the Flagstaff Gate main entrance.

Winter wellness walks - shake off the winter blues with a refreshing walk through 2,000 acres of magical nature - whether that’s a gentle stroll through the gardens or heading out across the wider Estate.

Admission to the Gardens and Parkland are included with a valid Park and Gardens Day Ticket or valid Annual Pass which allows year-round access to Britain's Greatest Palace.

The Gardens are open daily from 10am to 5.45pm - to book tickets, visit: Blenheim Palace Ticket Prices | Annual Passes & Discounts