After cherry blossom and wisteria, the capital moves on to the next blockbuster botanical: Roses are beginning to bloom across London right now…
The London rose season normally runs from late May through to July. Looking for the best rose gardens where you can sniff (and snap) them this year? Places like Regent’s Park and Kew Gardens are home to some of the more glorious looking (and smelling) rose bushes in the capital — and many of these rose gardens are free to visit.
Struggling to keep up with London’s botanical calendar? We’ve put together a guide to which flowers are in bloom when.
London’s best rose garden: Queen Mary’s Garden, Regent’s Park
We discovered Queen Mary’s Gardens in Regent’s Park by accident a good few years ago. Then it took us a couple of years to actually find it again. If it’s roses you’re after, these well-tended gardens should be high up your list; this is home to London’s largest collection of roses (about 12,000, across 85 different varieties).
The circular layout is surrounded by a pagoda-style structure, with abundant climbing roses showing off their colours too.
Queen Mary’s Garden is located within the park’s Inner Circle, beyond some of London’s fanciest gates, along with the gorgeous Japanese pond garden, home to all manner of fairy tale bridges and trickling streams. It’s also not far from the Open Air Theatre, and the new Queen Elizabeth II Garden, which opened in spring 2026.
Roses in central London: The Rose Garden, Hyde Park
Although Hyde Park’s rose garden‘s variety doesn’t compare to that of Regent’s Park, it’s hard to believe such a beautiful space can be found so close to the roaring traffic of Hyde Park Corner. And it’s not just roses — herbaceous plants are mixed in too. The yew hedge, meanwhile, is apparently designed to be the mouth of a trumpet or horn heralding your arrival in the park, while the flowers represent music notes emerging from said instrument.
Throw in fountains, statues and a pergola for natural beauty steered by the hand of man, smack dab in central London. Find other things to do in Hyde Park, and neighbouring Kensington Gardens, while you’re there.
Roses at Kew Gardens
Botanical paradise Kew Gardens has a rose species named after it, so as you’d imagine it’s got the odd rose bush lying around. You’ll find the main Rose Garden right behind the Palm House, the resplendent glasshouse overlooking a lake. There’s been a rose garden at Kew since the 1920s, but it’s been expanded and replanted in the last decade. The gardens are also home to a gorgeous rose pergola crawling with colour every summer — find it in the Agius Evolution Garden near the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
If you’re visiting in summer 2026, leave time to seek out the large-scale Henry Moore sculptures, currently in situ in the gardens.
Roses in Holland Park
Head for the Orangery in the centre of Holland Park to discover its rose bushes, planted between the cafe and the stable yard. It’s a petite offering, with just nine flower beds, but they’re planted with precision, each species keeping itself to itself in a satisfyingly neat and tidy manner.
Roses at Ranger’s House, Greenwich
Not only is Ranger’s House the place to see cherry blossom in London, it’s also an excellent spot for rose-bothering. Greenwich Park’s own rose garden is planted right in front of the villa house, its redbrick frontage offering a rich backdrop to yellows, pinks, maroons and creams across 40 rose species. Sure, it’s an uphill trek from the centre of Greenwich (though there’s plenty to see at the unassuming end of Greenwich Park), but in rose season there’s a satisfying symmetry about the place, making the schlep so worth it.
The Rose Garden was originally planted here in the early 1960s, and it was enhanced and restored between 2023-5 with new obelisks and herbaceous borders, so it’s looking magnificent for the 2026 season, with more seating added, inviting you to linger.
The Rose Garden at Hampton Court Palace
Although Henry VIII had a great many things built at Hampton Court Palace (wine fountain, anyone?), a rose garden wasn’t one of them. The Rose Garden is in fact a fairly recent addition, in an area previously used as a kitchen garden. The beautiful scents and colours are only enhanced by the sprawling palatial backdrop. The Hampton Court gardens can be an exhausting excursion — 60 acres, for goodness sake — but make sure the roses are on your route. Visit on a Garden Open Weekend and enjoy free admission.
Roses at Lambeth Palace Gardens
Usually off-limits, Lambeth Palace opens its gardens occasionally between May and September. It’s not awash with roses, but the one we spotted on our visit are absolutely charming, scrambling romantically up the old stone walls, and adding a vibrant contrast to the statues.
Find out about upcoming open days.
Rose garden at Morden Hall Park
National Trust-owned Morden Hall Park has been home to a rose garden for almost 100 years, and its origins may lay in the nearby snuff mills. Roses were used to scent the tobacco-based product, although the rose garden here was built shortly before the mills closed, so it wouldn’t have been put to that use for long. Recently, the rose garden has been restored to how it would have looked in the 1920s. In total, it has 50 formal flower beds, with around 45 different varieties.
Where to find London’s best rose gardens: mapped
Plan your rosy day out around the capital with this map pinpointing our favourite spots to view roses:
