The gardens
Our remarkable gardens are one of the highlights of a visit to Glyndebourne and an idyllic spot for interval picnics.
That’s how poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West described Glyndebourne in 1953. That one of the 20th century’s greatest garden designers should include the gardens in her praise is an indication of the importance these spaces have always had for visitors.
The gardens are open to ticket holders before all performances during the Festival. As opening times vary, please check the performance schedule for further details.
The gardens are open a few hours before autumn performances at Glyndebourne. Check the performance schedule for details.
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Garden highlights
The sunken Bourne Garden takes its name from the underground stream that feeds the Glyndebourne lakes. It is planted with exotic and tropical plants that hint at the drama and the spectacle inside the opera house.
This area was inspired by the last act of Le nozze di Figaro. It is a calm space to escape from the bold energy of the rest of the garden. The Figaro Garden is enclosed by tall yew hedges with benches that overlook a reflecting pool, surveyed over by Henry Moore’s Draped Reclining Woman sculpture.
The garden of the Mildmay restaurant evokes an English country garden, with a softly murmuring fountain at its centre and an exuberance of roses, hardy geraniums, phlox, lilies and other classic cottage garden plants.
The Urn Garden stands at the crossway of two major garden paths. The area is full of scented flowers and the surrounding tall yew hedges help to contain their fragrance. On still summer nights, the air in this garden has a heady perfume.
The promenade around the lake is home to many mature beech and willow trees. More recent plantings include a small copse of ornamental cherries that flower in the spring and a group of Liquidambar that are aflame in the autumn.
The orchard produces apples, pears, greengages, plums and quinces and is surrounded by an old wildflower meadow, which is home to several rare species of wild orchid. The beehives in the meadow are tended by a local beekeeper.
Created as a tribute to Lady Christie, this is the most recently developed area of the gardens. There are roses in bloom here from early spring until late autumn. The bronze sculptures of a pug that laze about the garden are modelled on Lady Christie’s dog, Fred.
