Here's where to see spring flowers in London (2024)

1.Crocuses

Where?Kew Gardens, Cannizaro Park (Wimbledon), Battersea Park.

When?March-early April.

Flowery factKew’s impressive ‘crocus carpet’ makes up just part of the whopping 5 million bulbs planted in the gardens. In total, it’s the biggest spring flower display in the country. Who needs the countryside?

Image: Kew Gardens, RBG Kew

2.Camellias

Where?Chiswick House, Kenwood Garden,Isabella Plantation (Richmond Park).

When?February-April.

Flowery factChiswick House is home to one of the world’s rarest varieties of camellias, the deep pink‘Middlemist’s Red’. It was brought back from China in 1804 by Londoner John Middlemist and the only other known plant of this kind is in Waitangi, New Zealand. Hopping on a train to west London doesn’t seem like quite so much of atrek now, does it?

Image: Chiswick House, John Fielding

3.Cherry blossom

Where?Greenwich Park, St Paul’s Cathedral,Kew Gardens.

When?March-April.

Flowery factIn Japan, cherry blossom is thought of as the unofficial national flower. They call it ‘sakura’, which is also the word for ‘raw horsemeat’. No prizes for guessing which will get you more likes on Instagram.

Image: Greenwich Park, @shadz_ig

4.Bluebells

Where?Osterley Park (Hounslow), Highgate Wood,Wanstead Flats.

When?Mid April-May.

Flowery factBluebells are a protected species, so don’t be tempted to pick them and take them home.What would Sir David Attenborough think?

Image: Osterley Park,@loucamera

5.Azaleas

Where?Isabella Plantation, Kenwood House.

When?April-May.

Flowery factHidden away in Richmond Park, Isabella Plantation is home to 100 different varieties of azaleas – but it hasn’t always been a flowery haven. Back in the seventeenth century, it was known as The Sleyt, which meant ‘boggy ground’. Doesn’t sound quite as aesthetically delightful.

Image: Isabella Plantation,Shereagh Dunphy

6.Daffodils

Where?Green Park, Hampton Court Palace,St James’s Park.

When?March-April.

Flowery factGreen Park is a sea of yellow in spring, with1 million daffodils in bloom – but that’s the only time you’ll see flowers there. The park has no formal flower beds – rumour has it that’s because King Charles II’s wife had them removed after she caught him picking flowers there for another woman. Busted.

Image: St James’s Park, @rodwey2004

7.Tulips

Where?Buckingham Palace Memorial Gardens,Regent’s Park, Kensington Gardens.

When?March-May.

Flowery factCreated in honour of Queen Victoria, the Memorial Garden outside Buckingham Palace is filled with around 50,000 yellow wallflowers and red tulips. Replanting takes up to ten staff around two weeks. That’s a lot of bad backs.

Image: Buckingham Palace,@piccoloexplorer

8.Wisteria

Where?Peckham Rye Park, Hampstead Heath Pergola, Holland Park.

When?April-June.

Flowery factBuilt in the 1900s, the Hampstead Heath Pergola is as long as 1 Canada Square at Canary Wharf is tall. In spring, it’s even more impressive, as it gets covered with Parma Violet-coloured, sweet-smelling wisteria. Cop a whiff of that!

Image: Peckham Rye Park, @misskizzylew