Dyffryn Gardens

When looking for something to do in Cardiff with the family, discover National Trust’s Dyffryn Gardens, an Edwardian garden in restoration with an ever-changing seasonal landscape. On the outskirts of Cardiff, discover one of Cardiff’s top attraction. With more than 55 acres of horticultural variety, including grand historical vistas, a magical arboretum, intimate garden rooms, working kitchen gardens, an exotic glass house and two log stack play areas. During your visit, stop by the delightful café and beautifully curated shop to pick out some treats.

Winter highlights
At this time of year the aromas of scented shrubs including Christmas box, winter sweet and winter honeysuckle fill the chilly air. Discover more delicate scents from sarcococca, chimonanthus and hamamelisna as you head around the gardens on a winter wander. Look out for early snowdrops. You’ll often find them tucked under trees alongside clusters of hellebores dotted around the gardens. Other winter flowering plants to look out for include camellia and cyclamen. Inside the heated glasshouse, you’ll find orchids, bromeliads and aloes flowering in an oasis of colour and warmth, in contrast to the cold weather outside.

A garden for all seasons
The gardens at Dyffryn were commissioned by Reginald Cory and designed by the famed Edwardian garden designer, Thomas Mawson in 1906.
As a keen plantsman himself, Cory worked collaboratively with Mawson to create this garden oasis. The majority of the gardens you see today are true to the original design. There was also a strong theme of experimentation and fluidity to the planting as Reginald was passionate about propagating and breeding many exotic and foreign species that he and others brought back from plant hunting forays all over the world.

The Pompeiian Garden
This garden is inspired by Cory’s trips to Italy, was built in 1909. Like its Italian namesake, it was designed with an impressive colonnade, a loggia and a central fountain in a lawn square. One of the most enchanting features of the gardens is a series of themed outdoor rooms. This was a typical feature for a grand house like Dyffryn in the early 20th Century. The National Trust took over the restoration and protection of Dyffryn Gardens in 2012 and since then we have been working hard to restore these garden rooms back to their 1920s splendour.

Tropical glasshouse
The tropical glasshouse is filled with exotic orchids, vines, cacti and succulents. Split into three, the glasshouse is bursting with otherworldly delights. Be transported into the desert, the rainforest and see our intricate vinery. The orchid house contains some rare and particularly unusual specimens such as Bromeliads, Ethiopian banana (Ensete ventricosum montbeliardii), Spiral ginger (Costus barbatus), Urn plant (Aechmea Fasciata) and Bowring’s Cattleya (Cattleya bowringiana). There is also over 30 species of cacti and succulents.

Plant collecting
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries there was a huge surge in popularity for plant collecting as wealthy adventurers explored the globe in search of new and exotic species to bring back to Britain.

Log Stack play areas
There are two Log Stack play areas at Dyffryn, one outside the pay barrier near the Welcome Centre and a larger one in the Arboretum. These wild play areas have plenty of space for youngsters to run, jump, explore and play. Balance along enormous trees which were felled as part of the arboretum revival plan, jump from log to log along the stepping stones and have a picnic on hand carved picnic stumps. The area is home to squirrels, birds and lots of creepy crawlies, so bring a magnifying glass or some binoculars and get spotting.

A visit to the website will let you find out when Dyffryn Gardens is open, how to get here and what there is to see and do on your visit.