Exbury Gardens in the New Forest opens early in March with its Camellia Walks, Heather Garden, Daffodil Meadow and early rhododendrons in full bloom, bulbs in flower, rare trees on show and recently planted new features reaching maturity.
The world-famous 200-acre woodland garden on the banks of the Beaulieu River is renowned for its award-winning rhododendrons and azaleas, collected and bred by the Gardens’ owners, the Rothschild family, over nearly nine decades.
Exbury holds a stupendous collection of trees. Many of these were brought back by pioneering planthunters in the early years of the 20th century, while Exbury’s head gardener, tree expert John Anderson, is carrying on the tradition of planting unusual specimens, making the sheltered Garden a haven for many rare species from around the world.  
“It is only right that we add to this collection to keep Exbury high on the list of the world’s top woodland gardens,” said John, who is looking forward to seeing the further development of the Hydrangea Walk and recently planted “Jurassic Boardwalk” this year. This follows on from the recent opening of the New Camellia Walk and a Maple Walk. John will also be leading a series of seasonal strolls through the Gardens, including popular New Forest Breakfast Walks and a recently devised “scratch and sniff” walk, so that visitors can enjoy the unusual trees and especially those that are strongly scented.
Railway enthusiasts will enjoy the arrival of a new engine for the hugely popular garden railway which carried record passenger numbers in 2007.
Exbury, opening after its short winter break, is at the height of its early summer beauty in May, when the famous rhododendrons and azaleas put on an unrivalled show of colour in the celebrated ‘azalea bowl’ and 20 miles of ‘technicolor pathways’. But with the railway, new herbaceous plantings, the unrivalled collections of trees and shrubs, a changing programme of exhibitions in the Five Arrows Gallery and its famed autumn colour, the award-winning Gardens on the banks of the Beaulieu River, are an all-seasons attraction.

Visit www.exbury.co.uk for more information