Spring In The Garden
The clocks are about to "Spring" forward, so lets remind ourselves of some of those early joys that emerge at the start of another growing season.
Spring In The Garden - Flowers To Expect At This Time Of Year
Spring is such a joyful time of year. We can put the dark depressing days of winter and head outside to immerse ourselves in nature. And what better way to do that is to observe the sheer variety of newly emerging plants and flowers?
Many people associate flowers with the beginning of spring. The first snowdrop peeping through the frosty ground, the sight of a lawn studded with colourful crocus flowers or a little cluster of daffodils nodding in the breeze. If your garden is looking a bit bare this spring, why not visit one of the beautiful open gardens around the UK to look for ideas to bring colour into your own patch?
Here are a few of our favourite spring flowers and where you can go to see them.
- Daffodils
- Primulas
- Cherry blossom
- Rhododendrons and Camellias
- Tulips
Daffodils
Did you know there are over 26,000 different cultivars of the humble daffodil? From our native daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus, also known as the Lent Lily, to daffs with all kinds of combinations of yellow, white and even orange.
If you are feeling energetic, head to Gloucestershire and walk the Daffodil Way, a 10 mile circular path where the ground almost glows in springtime with the sheer volume of daffodils. https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/things-to-do/walks/23115137.10-mile-circular-walk-near-cotswolds-around-daffodil-way/
For a more leisurely daffodil experience, Anglesey Abbey has the most delightful spring gardens as well as formal gardens, a woodland walk and a Jacobean mansion to explore.
Primulas
Members of the primula family rarely make it into spring bouquets but they have a lot to offer gardeners. Primula is from the latin word for ‘first’ because these beauties appear very early in spring. Of course there are the multi coloured polyanthus to be found in every UK garden centre, but our native primroses and cowslips really shouldn’t be ignored.
At Fullers Mill Garden in Suffolk, there is a wonderful spring display of primulas growing beside the River Lark. Fullers Mill is owned by Perennial, the professional gardeners charity and every visit you make will help to raise funds to support gardeners, landscapers and horticulturists who find themselves facing tough times.
https://perennial.org.uk/garden/fullers-mill-garden/the-gardens/
Cherry Blossom
The Japanese are famed for their celebrations during cherry blossom season. And who can blame them for wanting to make the most of the fleeting, delicate beauty of trees in full flower. Here in the UK, many of us have invested in fruit trees for our gardens. Not only do they inject oodles of joy into springtime, they bring us free food in summer and gloriously coloured foliage in autumn.
If you’d like to see a similar cherry blossom spectacle to those in Japan - but you don’t fancy jumping on a plane to get there, Kew Gardens in London offers a truly delightful cherry walk.
https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/things-to-do-spring-kew-gardens
Rhododendrons and Camellias
Rhododendrons are sometimes given bad press for being a wee bit invasive, but actually, they’re a great plant for ericaceous (acidic) soils. The sheer flamboyance of a group of large rhododendrons in full flower is truly marvellous.
Camellias sometimes need a little TLC, particularly if they are subjected to late frosts. Fans of these plants sometimes put little socks over the tender flower buds to protect them from the cold.
The Lost Gardens Of Heligan in Cornwall holds a national collection of Camellias and Rhododendrons planted before 1920. These gardens have an amazing history too and are well worth a visit at any time of year.
https://www.heligan.com/explore-heligan/gardens/pleasure-grounds/
Tulips
The Laskett is a hidden gem of a garden, which has previously limited it’s visitors to a few private groups. But in 2023, for the first time this Herefordshire garden is opening to the public. In April, garden visitors will be able to marvel at the sight of over 20,000 tulips.
Booking is essential if you’d like to see this garden. Click here to secure your tickets. https://www.thelaskett.org.uk
Visiting Spring Gardens
It’s definitely worth exploring spring gardens in your area. Seeing plants growing in situ is a great way to get inspirational ideas for your own plot. But aside from that, spring flowers really do lift the spirits and boost wellbeing.
Maybe you’d like to take a walk through woodland carpeted with scented native bluebells? Or perhaps one of the large private gardens near to you is planning to open its gates for a couple of days to share the beauty of mass plantings of flowering bulbs or shrubs.
However you plan to celebrate spring, remember that most large gardens in the UK stay beautiful because of the hard work and expertise of professional gardeners.
Read our tips on maintaining your garden to professional standards here.. https://www.landscaper.org.uk/consumer-information/how-to-maintain-your-garden