What better way to celebrate summer’s arrival than to walk amongst vibrant colour and fabulous floral displays in a stunning National Trust garden? With long, refreshing days to look forward to, it’s time to make the most of nature – with a healthy serving of sunshine.

From towering topiary and borders bursting with fragrance to wonderful water features and stunning vistas, many National Trust gardens are at their finest over the summer months. See the very best of British gardens and enjoy making the most of perfect picnic spots and beautiful walks; ideal for soaking up the summer sun.

Here are the National Trust’s must-see gardens this summer:

Belton House, Lincolnshire

Relax by the fountain at the heart of the magnificent Italian garden, explore the Orangery with its lush planting and exotic foliage and enjoy timeless topiary and the fragrance of lavender in the Dutch garden.  Take a stroll along Statue Walk towards the lakeshore where the ‘swiss chalet’ style boathouse is a lovely feature in this tranquil landscape.

Beningbrough Hall and Gardens, North Yorkshire

Discover the picture-perfect Victorian walled garden and the spectacular pear avenue - its borders overflow with colour and scent while the walls shelter a range of pears, apples and figs. The new parkland restoration scheme is aimed to encourage more visitor interaction.

Make a weekend of it: Enjoy the garden and wood sculptures of this imposing Georgian mansion, built in 1717, with a stay in our holiday apartment, on the first floor over the Victorian Laundry, close to the hall.

Bodnant, Conwy Valley
Grand terraced lawns, a laburnum tunnel, a renowned collection of Chinese rhododendrons, a romantic waterfall and an 18th-century pavilion are sure to make a lasting impression.

Buckland Abbey, Garden and Estate, Devon

Visit the stunning Cider House Garden which has been newly acquired by the National Trust and will be open to the public for the first time in 2012. With a large kitchen garden and extensive herbaceous borders, this peaceful spot is surrounded by breathtaking views of the Abbey estate and Dartmoor beyond.

Hare Hill Garden, Cheshire

A ‘hidden jewel’ amongst Cheshire’s gardens, Hare Hill abounds with colour during the summer. Azaleas, hydrangeas and honeysuckle bloom in this tranquil woodland garden, whilst climbing roses, clematis and wisteria wind through the delightful Walled Garden. Bring a picnic and enjoy a game of croquet, giant jenga, quoits or noughts and crosses in the walled garden.

Hidcote Manor Gardens, Gloucestershire 
One of the most inventive and influential gardens of the 20th-century, Hidcote sets the trend for dividing a garden into ‘rooms’. Full of sublime contrasts, this garden is fiery and red at one turn and calm and white at the next.

Nymans, West Sussex

This Sussex Weald garden boasts a historic collection of plants, gathered from around the world. The June borders provide fresh and dynamic early summer displays using unusual perennial plants. Nymans’ famous double summer borders provide colour for July, August and September, with their unique style of annual planting. Look out for the eucryphias - dazzling shrubs from South America and Tasmania that produce big, starry white flowers in August.

Make a weekend of it: Stay at Woodlands Cottage, previously home to the estate game keeper, offering tranquil surroundings with walks and lakes on your doorstep.

Peckover House and Garden, Cambridgeshire

One of the Trust’s lesser known jewels, the gardens of Peckover are a sensory delight, complete with orangery, summerhouses, croquet lawn and a rose garden with more than 60 varieties of rose.

Rowallane Garden, Co. Down

This wild, relaxed garden blends seamlessly into the natural landscape. Laid out in the 1860s, it’s famous for its woodland rock garden, where blue Himalayan poppies and Asian primulas grow in drifts.

Sissinghurst Castle, Kent 
Discover garden rooms, vistas and exuberant planting schemes in this inspirational garden. Enjoy the scent-drenched rose garden, the colourful lime walk and the famous grey, green and white garden.

Make a weekend of it: Sitting on the edge of the White garden, the Priest’s House is a beautiful detached brick building still retaining many original features, and believed to be the former Elizabethan garden banqueting house. A must-stay for garden lovers (sleeps six).

For more information on fantastic National Trust gardens, be sure to check out our new, free gardens iPhone App available for download in the iTunes store which lists all our garden properties, providing overviews, photographs and seasonal highlights.