Name: Jubilee Parterre and South Terrace
Start: 2019-02-15T10:00
End: 2025-12-31T10:00
Location: Hillsborough Castle

Discover the charming formal garden and 19th-century folly that adjoin the South Terrace of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens.

The Jubilee Parterre

The Jubilee Parterre was created to commemorate Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and redesigned in 2016 to a design by Catherine Fitzgerald.

A parterre is a formal garden, created by arranging planting beds symmetrically and linking pathways with tightly-clipped box border hedges.

The parterre at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens was recently replanted in a white colour scheme and opens out to stunning views of the Wild Meadow on the South Lawn.

A young couple walking across the stone-flagged South Terrace in front of the South Façade of Hillsborough Castle. Other visitors can be seen in the background. The sun is shining and a blue sky hangs above. Purple lavender is just visible in the foreground.

A couple on the South Terrace enjoying views of the gardens at Hillsborough Castle. The South Façade of the castle is clearly visible in the background. The water fountain of the jubilee Parterre rises-up in the foreground. A blue sky hangs above.

The South Terrace

In summer the South Terrace, which is directly overlooked from the castle, features an array of colourful thymes, hardy geraniums and roses.

In early spring plants to note include ancient wisteria on the walls of the castle and the yellow flowering thornless rose (Rosa Banskii Lutia). Later in the spring you can spot Mexican lilies.

Overlooking the South Terrace is the State Drawing Room, which features French windows that lead into this stunning terrace, down to the Jubilee Parterre. Members of the Royal Family enter the gardens through these doors for the annual royal garden party, which takes place on the South Lawn.

The Greek Temple

This mid-19th century folly marks the end of the original Moira Road as it entered The Square behind.

Temples such as this were usually set within a landscape so this setting is unusual, but had the advantage of offering shelter for those wishing to admire the view.

From here you can see the entire South Terrace, the Jubilee Parterre, Yew Tree Walk and Lady Alice's Temple in the distance.

The South Terrace of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, looking east towards the Greek Temple. Terrace flagstones and the Georgian exterior of the castle can be seen in the foreground under a partially cloudy sky and surrounded by bright green trees and other planting

A common spotted orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsia, on the South Lawn of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens

Wild flowers on the South Lawn

This summer, take a wander down to our wild flower meadow on the South Lawn, which is full of common spotted orchids, Dactylorhiza fuchsii . This orchid lives up to its name common spotted, and its name Dactylorhiza means the root is shaped like a hand.

Originally introduced to Hillsborough by Lady O’Neill in her time as Head Gardener, these early summer flowers can now be found in many of the uncut grass areas on the estate. Their flower colour varies from white to pale purple with purple spots. They are great for biodiversity as they attract day flying moths.

The meadow area will be cut later in summer with the arising being left for a couple of days before lifting so any seed remaining can fall out. Our gardens team hope to share the seed with Hampton Court Palace.