Spring is on its way. After a long winter, London is getting warmer and signs of the season are popping up everywhere. All the parks and green spaces are looking prettier every day. If you want to know where to see the best of the season, today I bring you A Lady in London’s top picks for spring gardens in London.
Spring Gardens in London
From tulip beds to American gardens, the UK capital has lots of bulbs and blooms to get excited about in spring. Whether you want to discover secret gardens or formal gardens, rhododendron hedges or wisteria pergolas, there’s a perfect spring garden in London for you. Add to that events like theChelsea Flower ShowandChelsea in Bloom, and there’s a lot to love in the city this season.
When to Visit London’s Spring Gardens
Spring flowers are fleeting and bloom in stages, so make sure to time your visits so you see the spring gardens in London at their peak. In most years, crocuses come out in February, daffodils and magnolias bloom in February or March, tulips and pink blossoms emerge in March or April, and wisteria appears in April or May. It’s a good idea to check before you visit a garden if there are specific flowers you want to see.
1. Holland Park Spring Gardens in London
I’ll start my list withHolland Park, which is home to one of the prettiest spring gardens in London. Every year tulips bloom in neat patterns bordered by diamond hedges in the park’s walled garden. Surrounding the central sculpture, they’re a beautiful display of color and new life. Beyond the flower beds, clouds of purple wisteria cascade down the garden walls. It’s amazing to walk through the park when everything is in bloom and take in all the colors of spring. If you want to see more, my self-guidedHolland Park walkwill take you through the gardens and surrounding area.
2. Dulwich Park American Garden in Spring
Insouth London, theDulwich Park American Garden is full of plants from the east coast of the United States. Established in 1887 by Colonel JJ Sexby, the London County Council’s Chief Officer of Parks, the American Garden comes alive with pink and purple flowers in spring. The rhododendrons and azaleas are stunning in April and May. They create a fairy-tale world of color that feels like it’s straight out of a dream. If you want to see more ofDulwichwhile you’re there, my self-guidedDulwich villagewalk will lead you through the American garden and the local neighborhood.
3. Sexby Garden in Peckham Rye Park in Spring
Not far from Dulwich Park, Peckham Rye Park is home to another of the prettiest spring gardens in London. The Sexby Garden, which was designed by and named after Colonel JJ Sexby, is beautiful with itsspring flowers. They range from daffodils to tulips and everything in between. But what this spring garden in London is really famous for is itswisteriapergola. The purple petals grace its frame in April and/or May every year, and people come toPeckhamfrom all over the city to walk through it and take pictures.
4. Hill Garden and Pergola in Hampstead in Spring
Up in north London,Hampsteadis one of my favoriteplaces in the UK in spring. This is primarily because the Hill Garden and Pergola inHampstead Heathshows off the city’s seasonal blooms at their finest. From magnolias to wisteria, thissecret garden in London features every stage of the season. If you want to see more, one of my self-guidedHampstead Heath walkswill lead you through the Hill Garden and Pergola after taking you to the greater park.
5. Golders Hill Park in London in Spring
Just north of the Hill Garden and Pergola, Golders Hill Park is home to another of the best spring gardens in London. Starting with crocuses in February, its grounds are graced with all the colors of the season. But the real stars are the ornamental gardens in Golders Hill Park. Their flower beds burst into life in spring, and the tulips, daffodils, and other bulbs look beautiful next to the duck pond beside them. This under-the-radar spring garden in London is worth a special trip to Golders Green to see. You can add it to the end of the Hampstead Heath walk mentioned above if you want to combine the two.
6. St James’s Park Spring Gardens in London
St James’s Park is home to some of my favorite spring gardens in London. One of thebest parks in London, the whole place bursts with daffodils and pink blossoms in spring. Formal flower beds also bring St James’s Park alive during the season. The ones near Horse Guards Parade and Whitehall are my favorites, what with their floral designs and colorful patterns brightening up the greenery around them. If that’s not enough, Green Park is across the street and it’s full of daffodils every spring. While there are no formal ornamental gardens in Green Park, it’s still worth a visit to see the golden crowns.
7. Kew Gardens in London Spring
No list of spring gardens in London would be complete without without a mention ofKew Gardens. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew are some of the biggest and most impressive in the world. Everything from the greenhouses to the flower beds brightens up when the season begins, and it’s fun to spot crocuses and other spring bulbs and blossoms around the grounds. The formal gardens in front of the conservatories are great to see in spring, too. The tulips are particularly pretty.
Best Spring Gardens in London
I hope this list of the best spring gardens in London has gotten you excited to head outdoors and get into nature this season.
This article was originally published on A Lady In London.
