Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway will be closed on Tuesday 25th August 2020 due to extreme weather conditions forecast across the south coast.

Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway will be closed on Friday 21st August 2020 due to extreme weather conditions forecast across the south coast.

Exbury's must-sees in the gardens during the week of the 6th July, as compiled by our staff. The focuses this week are two of our summer gardens, the Centenary Garden and the Sundial Garden.

Exbury's must-sees in the gardens during the week of the 24th June, as compiled by our staff. The focus this week is Top Pond and the encompassing shaded paths.

Exbury's must-sees in the gardens during the week of the 17th June, as compiled by our staff. The focus this week is Herbaceous Garden and the gravel path towards Gilbury Bridge.

Exbury's must-sees in the gardens during the week of the 11th June, as compiled by our staff. The focus this week is Yard Wood and the northern section of the gardens.

Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway is the perfect place for October half term activities. Find out what we've got planned in this article.

The Prince of Wales has officially opened a new Centenary Garden at Exbury Gardens, marking 100 years since the banker and plantsman Lionel de Rothschild founded the now world-famous New Forest landmark.

Rare rhododendrons bred by the founder of the world-famous Exbury Gardens, Lionel de Rothschild, will be on show at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the first time in an exhibit by experts Millais Nurseries.

Exbury Director, Lionel de Rothschild, discusses the formation of Exbury Gardens in this article recently published in the Rhododendron Species Foundation Yearbook. 

Wildlife enthusiast and resident volunteer at Exbury, Juliet, describes the floral delights of Exbury in Spring.

Wildlife enthusiast and resident volunteer at Exbury, Juliet, describes the early signs of spring at Exbury.

Wildlife enthusiast and resident volunteer at Exbury, Juliet, describes some of the interesting things in nature to look out for during February.

Wildlife enthusiast and resident volunteer at Exbury, Juliet, describes the ways that fungi, spiders, wasps and bats prosper during Winter.

Resident volunteer at Exbury, Gill, discusses our National Collection of vibrant Nyssa trees.

Head Gardener, Tom Clarke, discusses the science behind Autumn colour changes and the various gardening projects underway at Exbury this Autumn.

Wildlife enthusiast and resident volunteer at Exbury, Juliet, describes the different types of water birds that inhabit the estuary.

Wildlife enthusiast and resident volunteer at Exbury, Juliet, describes the different types of moths that inhabit our gardens.

Wildlife enthusiast and resident volunteer at Exbury, Juliet, describes how the recent dry weather is affecting summer wildlife.

Wildlife enthusiast and resident volunteer at Exbury, Juliet, describes a recent rare wildlife sighting: Purple Hairstreak butterflies.

With the hottest June on record and zero precipitation here at Exbury, a lot of the plants that we are famous for are really beginning to suffer. However, some plants are enjoying being baked in the relentless sunshine.

The late spring this year has not been kind to our insects. They seem to be in lower numbers than usual, which is bad news for all the other species in the food chain above them. Birds, for instance, need copious supplies of insects to feed their young, and flowering plants need their pollinators.

The colony of house martins which nest on the water tower at the Estate Office entrance to Exbury Gardens is one of the largest in Hampshire. The nests are tucked up under the overhang of the roof on all four sides of the tower.

The recent hot weather has encouraged the spring damselflies and dragonflies to emerge. One of the most noticeable of the blue damselflies loves to bask on waterlily leaves or other floating vegetation

The annual bird walk, which is held in May to estimate the number of species that breed in the Gardens, recorded 51 species this year. 

The variable weather this spring has made life a little confusing for both plants and animals. Breeding and migration were put on hold when the snow came...

After one of the wettest, coldest and longest winters that anyone can remember it comes as a massive relief to finally see the Gardens springing into life.

The nest boxes on Jubilee Hill were cleaned out at the beginning of the month. There was nesting material in three of them, but no obvious signs of an old nest, whereas three had clearly been used in 2016. 

People always ask us Gardeners 'what do you do in the winter'? Managing a large Garden of over 200 acres means there is always more to do in the winter months than in the summer. The first job once we say goodbye to the visitors is putting the Garden to sleep for the winter. 

The annual fungus survey at Exbury Gardens was completed this week. Two groups, the Lymington Naturalists and the Hampshire Recording Group scoured...

One of the many privileges of being Head Gardener at Exbury is being able to watch the garden change throughout the seasons, this is never more obvious or beautiful than in October and November when the transition between summer and autumn begins...

We were delighted and very honoured to feature in the October issue of The English Garden magazine and are very pleased to share it with you.

A kingfisher has been frequenting Top Pond. It sits in a tree on the island. Given the size of the carp in the lake you might wonder what it is eating. The fact is that kingfishers take a wide variety of prey including insects, spiders and centipedes.

White butterflies are much in evidence at this time of year. Most people know the familiar "Cabbage White" but in fact this is two species: Large White (Pieris brassicae) and Small White. In appearance, the Large White can be identified by size, by more extensive black on the wing tips and in the female by two large black spots on the upper wing...

As with any garden, the weather at Exbury plays a huge part in how the garden is presented to the visitors and of course how the plants behave. This happens in a myriad of different ways from how they form buds for next year’s show of flowers...

There's more to a bumblebee than you might think.  To begin with there are 22 species in the British Isles, of which 7 are common and widespread. You could expect to find all these seven species in the average garden.

This summer has been kind to butterflies, or it was until the recent rains and squally weather. In spite of this deterioration there are still good numbers flying...

This warm summer has give the butterflies a bit of a boost. For the first time in several years White Admirals were gliding along the wooded edge of Jubilee Pond. This is one of our less common species...

It's always a treat to come across a mammal when walking around the Gardens: birds, bees, grasshoppers, butterflies are all expected and easy to see. But coming across this young fawn lying up in its "form" in the long grass was completely unexpected...

In 1919 when the Gardens at Exbury were first laid out by Lionel de Rothschild it very soon became apparent that although the pH of the soil was very favourable for the cultivation of Rhododedrons the climate was far from perfect and for this we have to thank the Isle Of Wight...

Damselflies can be seen around the edges of most of the ponds at Exbury. They are slender, threadlike insects, mainly coloured blue or red, which when perched hold their wings along their body...

A good variety of spring butterflies were on the wing in late May. Especially pleasing was the sighting of a Green Hairstreak. This tiny butterfly actually looks brown in flight, which is the colour of the top side of its wings...

There was great excitement this week in the gardens team when we received a parcel of young Vireyas, a little sub-group within the Rhododendron genus...

At this time of year it's worth looking closely at deciduous trees, including our native trees, which are producing the flowers which later turn into seeds, nuts or fruit. Most are not flamboyant and some are scarcely noticeable...

North Pond where there is now a railway halt has a good crop of tadpoles this year. They are "toadpoles", which differ from "frogpoles" in that as they develop they stay darker...

Song thrushes are in full voice all over the Gardens. Their fluty whistle, repeating each phrase twice, can be heard ringing out where they sing from high perches...

Exbury has never looked so good. Blossom and colour is everywhere, and this early spring has brought on the wildlfowers as well.

As I sit and type this for the Head Gardeners notice board, the garden here at Exbury is literally bursting into life, and with it the full ambition of Lionel de Rothschild’s original design...

Butcher's Broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is a rather strange native plant which you can find growing along the River Walk. It is an evergreen low-growing, stiff, spiky shrub...

Wednesday March 15 was a warm, sunny day which resulted in the sight of several early butterflies on the wing. Newly hatched Brimstones in lovely bright yellow...

If you see a bird clambering up a tree trunk or upside down along a branch, it will be one of three species: a great spotted woodpecker, a nuthatch or a treecreeper. 

Although this is still a quiet time of year at Exbury there are encouraging signs that spring is on the way. Before the season gets into full swing, however, it's worth taking stock of the winter. 

As any keen gardener will know, winter is one of the busiest times of the gardener’s year. With over 200 acres of fabulous woodland garden to maintain, Exbury is no different...

We have a fantatic collection of Conifers from all over the world...

The year is moving along and there are now definite signs of autumn in the Gardens. Some trees have begun to shed their leaves, as can be seen...

There are quite a number of butterflies around at present. Beautiful fresh-looking Red Admirals are nectaring on flowers or basking in the sun...

September is the month for hawkers. Hawkers are medium to large dragonflies with a restless hawking flight... 

There are various different groups of dragonflies, not all of which are called "dragonfly". There are darters and hawkers and chasers as well as plain "dragonflies"...

At this time of the year most of the damselflies are over, but there are plenty of dragonflies still around. In fact, this year, they seem to have emerged quite late...

On Daffodil Meadow Gatekeeper butterflies are at their peak. These small bright orangey-brown butterflies are often the last of the browns to emerge...

The House Martins at their colony on the water tower are well into their nesting season. Of the eight nests which I am watching...

There is a magnificent lime tree on the main drive near Exbury House. From a distance it appears to be in full flower...

Wildflowers are beginning to come into their own. A delicate-looking white umbellifer is flowering in profusion in Daffodil Meadow. 

The house martins at their colony on Exbury Water Tower have been busy since their return in early May.  The numbers have built up gradually, with nest reconstruction their first job. 

"I know a bank where the wildflowers grow...." , to misquote the Bard, and this is the time to come and see them.

Hedgehogs have been in the news recently, with conservationists asking gardeners to provide gaps in their fences to allow hedgehogs to roam around looking for food. 

What is a lichen?  It is a composite organism consisting of a fungus and one or more algae. The fungus provides the body, and the algae produce nutrients through photosynthesis.

Birdsong is gathering pace as the resident species claim their territories, look for partners and prepare for the breeding season.

It is always exciting when the first spring butterflies are sighted. On a mild and sunny morning in mid-March I saw three Brimstone butterflies, two males and one female...

In late January a dead bird of prey was picked up in the Winter Garden by some of the gardeners who were working there.

Birds are not the only creatures attracted to nest boxes: spiders, woodlice, beetles and all manner of other creepy crawlies take refuge there, often making it their winter home.