Variety of flowers and Japanese garden ()
Spring is here and what better way to celebrate in the U.K. than to marvel at the beautiful flowers, trees and succulents blooming this season? There are gardens galore, plenty of parks and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) provides opportunities all spring and summer long for you to stop and smell the flowers.
Cheshire
Tatton Park: This summer you will want to make your way to the RHS Flower Show from July 17-21. The flower show will feature floral installations, talks, children’s activities, market shopping and plenty of great food. If you can’t make it for the flower show, all spring and summer long you can take a guided tour through the Japanese Garden on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and visit the historic glass houses, walled gardens and the Pleasure Grounds daily.
Liverpool
Sefton Park: Springtime is the best time to visit this 200-acre park because you’ll have the opportunity to see millions (yes, you read that right, millions) of daffodils around the lake. While seeing the daffodils, you can also go boating on the lake, visit the famous Victorian Palm House, grab a cup of coffee at the café and see the replica statues of Eros and Peter Pan.
Liverpool Festival Gardens: Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, these gardens have a harrowing story of their own. In the 1980s, a successful international garden festival was held on-site to promote tourism in Liverpool. Despite the success of the festival, much of the garden was turned into residential housing or left to decay. What remained was redeveloped in 2010 and now people can enjoy woodland trails, bike riding or picnicking by the water.
St James Mount and Gardens: Located next to the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, there is plenty for everyone in these gardens and cemeteries. Fans of history and macabre will want to see the centuries-old tombstones and sign up for a ghost walk or a “secret garden” story tour. Take a peaceful stroll through the gardens as a nice getaway from Liverpool’s noise. From the garden, you can also see the Cathedral which has events throughout the year and boasts beautiful architecture with stained-glass windows.
London
Kensington Gardens: The brainchild of Queen Charlotte in the 18th century, these gardens are now open to the general public. You can see the famous Peter Pan statue and meander through the Italian Gardens, flower walks and historic tree avenues. Children can play on the playground, and everyone can enjoy the cafes and kiosks after they work up an appetite.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show: From May 21-25, London Gate will host this fantastic flower show. The 2024 show is attempting to be “the most sustainable” yet. Walk through show gardens and sanctuary gardens and see the container gardens. There are tens of thousands of flowers here. At the 2023 show, Princess Kate joined children at the first-ever Children’s Picnic and King Charles III and Queen Camilla explored the gardens and awarded medals, so you may even spot a member of the royal family.
Malvern
RHS Malvern Spring Festival: Attend a talk or demonstration, shop plants, trees and shrubs, and sip tea in the Vintage Tea Room at this yearly garden festival. It runs from May 9-12 at the Three Counties Showground. While there you can see a pollinator garden, waterfalls, a fruit market and bar, feature gardens and more.
Manchester
RHS Bridgewater Gardens: On June 30, celebrate the end of Pride month surrounded by beautiful nature at Pride in Nature. From Vogue workshops to drag queen story time, this LGBTQIA+ celebration brings together a diverse community. Outside of special events, Bridgewater Gardens is a great place to meander around the meadow and lake, educate yourself at the Peel Learning Garden, marvel at the Chinese Streamside Garden and see all the colorful flowers of the Paradise Garden.
RHS Urban Show: This is a flower show all about household and urban gardening, so you can see beautiful plants even in cities. Since the pandemic lockdowns, there has been a rise in household plant ownership and over 80 percent of the population of the U.K. lives in an urban area, creating a need for a flower show such as this. As a brand new show in Manchester, this event presents its first iteration from April 18-21 at The Mayfield Depot.
Nottingham
Nottingham Arboretum: The 17-acre arboretum is Nottingham’s oldest public park and is home to over 800 trees, some of which are from the original 19th-century collection. All spring and summer you can walk along various “tree trails” containing trees native to the U.K. as well as rare species from around the world. Grab a bite to eat at one of the cafes or ice cream concessions and see the aviaries, tea rooms and bell tower.
Wollaton Hall Deer Park and Gardens: Wollaton has 500 acres of grassland, wetland, woodland and other natural habitats. Deer have roamed here since the 14th century. In addition, the Formal Gardens feature a Doric temple, several statues and the Camilla House. While at the Formal Gardens, you might even catch an outdoor theater show. You can visit the Botanical Garden, where volunteers tend and sell plants, on Sundays all spring and summer long. Wollaton is also home to family trails where you can hunt for clues to receive prizes and two play areas.
Pembrokeshire
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path: Spring is a great time to tackle this coastal path. Completing the coast path takes, on average, 10 to 15 days to complete. While on this trail, you can see plenty of coastal flowers like bluebells and pink campion that may overwhelm your senses with color and perfumed smells. In summer, catch the return of the puffins to Skomer Island.
Stackpole Walled Gardens: This walled estate garden is a great place to see seasonal flowers, fruits and vegetables growing all spring and summer. The garden shop is open daily where you can take home harvested fruits and vegetables along with handmade cards and crafts. The Cawdors Tea Rooms provides you with a great selection of coffee, teas, juices, soups, quiches and cakes with seasonal produce from the garden. What makes these gardens especially unique is their aim to “provide work experience and horticultural training to adults and young people with learning disabilities.”
Picton Castle Gardens: These 40-acre gardens are home to rare tree and plant collections from around the world. Along with an exotic jungle garden, there is a walled garden with an extensive herb collection, woodland rhododendrons and family trails. Kids will enjoy the adventure playground and maze.
Surry
Hampton Court Gardens: From July 2-7, make your way to the royal courts of King Henry VIII to attend the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. At the festival, you can enjoy live music, attend a talk or demonstration, see the Festival of Roses and visit the floral exhibitions. If you cannot make it out for the festival, visit the gardens in the spring and summer to enjoy 750 acres of parkland and 60 acres of gardens within a loop of the River Thames. The gardens contain a record-breaking grapevine and the world’s oldest puzzle maze.
Savill Garden: Savill Garden brings something new to visitors every season across its 35 acres. In spring, visitors will like the dwarf daffodils, Japanese cherry trees and azaleas. In summer, the roses come into full bloom, you can get out of the sun in the Shady Garden, the Dry Garden is at its peak and the colors are bright in the Jubilee Garden.
