Image credit: GettyImages/Langton-DaviesPhotography
As we shrug off our heavy coats, gardens across the country are bursting into life.
With scenic walks, flowers that tower over you, and varied wildlife, these gardens are well worth a visit this spring. Plus, many are hosting Easter activities, from egg hunts to interactive trails based on much-loved books.
Daffodils, magnolias and cherry blossom are in bloom at Kew Gardens in Richmond, on the outskirts of London, with bluebells on the way.
Boasting a lake, classical temples, and a five-arch Palladian bridge within its landscaped gardens, Stourhead in Wiltshire is beautiful in the spring sunshine.
The 1,072 hectare estate was used as a filming location for the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley, and offers walks through ancient woods, chalk downs and farmland.
Chirk Castle a medieval fortress is set within a 480-acre estate, with wildflower meadows, clipped yews, and a model farm.
There’s a café in the castle kitchens.
Home to an estimated two million plants, see flowers of every colour, shape and size at the Eden Project.
Their outdoor gardens promise striking displays of blues at this time of year (scilla, anemone, pulmonaria and iris), while the Damask rose and Persian buttercups are in flower elsewhere.
Normally only available to hire for private functions, the gardens of this 1653 country house are open to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme.
They include a 3.5 acre wildflower meadow surrounded by nearly 400 metres of hedgerow, Victorian walled gardens, and unique features including a carved beech statue of Robin Hood, and a sundial as old as the house itself.
This garden in Harrogate spans 58 acres, with plenty to look out for this Easter. In the woodland, you’ll find cowslips, primroses and pulmonarias on the ground, while their oldest rhododendrons tower above head height, having been planted in the early 1960s.
In the kitchen garden, you can see potted tulips, climbing pea plants, and the first rhubarb of the season.
One of the largest tower houses in Scotland, the building dates back to 1450.
The traditional walled garden is home to specimen trees, herbaceous borders, and plenty of fruit and vegetables – some of the produce grown here is served in their recently refurbished tearoom.
Red squirrels, roe deer and buzzards lurk in the parkland surrounding the castle, while otters live in the pond. Inside the castle, you’ll find hidden trapdoors, secret staircases, and an impressive portrait collection, so there is much to explore on a rainy day too.
Considered one of the prettiest houses in Ulster, the building is home to one of the largest collections of historic dress in Northern Ireland.
The library houses rare 17th and 18th century books in their original bindings, and there’s a second-hand bookshop run by volunteers.
Outside, the magnolia trees are thriving. The walk up to the 18th century tower is lined with beech trees, which are currently vivid green, including one that is approximately 300 years old.
On a short walk around the perimeter path of the estate, you’ll see great oaks, a display of rhododendrons, and finish in an ancient yew tree grove.
The extensive grounds at Felbrigg Hall include a walled garden, home to one of the few octagonal working dovecotes in the country, from the 1750s.
Their Great Wood is made up of 380 acres, with tree-lined avenues and an 18th century ice house.
The West Garden, surrounded by a ha-ha, is at its best in the spring.
Felbrigg is home to hares, stoats, and weasels, as well as eight species of bat. On early mornings, lucky walkers might spot a deer (their four species shy away from crowds).
Visitors to Dyffryn’s 55 acres of Edwardian gardens can admire a much-photographed bank full of crocuses, late snowdrops and daffodils.
Blossom is big here. With pear, apricot, apple and cherry varieties in abundance, they offer free blossom tours with their head arborist, or you can take yourself on a self-led walk, following their Blossom Watch map.
Most of the trail is handmade using natural or recycled materials, and they’ll get a chocolate egg upon completion.
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