Discover where to find the best Spring flowers in London

It’s no secret that London’s great parks are popular destinations for stunning floral scenes. Carpets of colour and spectacular scents are one of the best bits of Spring time in the city. Park land and flower gardens are a real sanctuary for visitors and locals alike. But flowers are seasonal, so to avoid being disappointed it’s best to know where to go when! So where and when should you head to catch the best Spring flowers in London?

Richmond Park

The Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park is a haven of floral delight, especially in the Spring. Originally a boggy part of the royal hunting land, in the early 19th century it was fenced to keep out the deer. Eventually it was transformed into a woodland garden, rich in diverse flora and fauna.  

Camellias

Some of the plants along the southern ‘Camellia Walk’ date back to the 1800’s. The huge range of camellia varieties that grow here flower from January to March.

Azaleas

There are around 100 varieties of azalea in Isabella Plantation, flowering from April to May. These evergreen shrubs line the streams and ponds of the garden, which reflects the different hues of red and pink to stunning effect.

Magnolias

In March, you will find flowering magnolias among the western woodland of Isabella Plantation. These trees are striking with their large white or lilac-pink cupped flowers.

Kew Gardens

Famously floral, you can confidently expect beautiful floral displays on a visit to Kew. They’re called the Royal Botanic Gardens for a reason! But if you want to catch specific Spring flowers, you have to get the timing right!

Cherry Blossom

From the end of March to the beginning of May, different varieties of Sakura or Cherry Blossom, are in bloom along the paths and verges. Travel from ‘Cherry Walk’ to ‘Asano Avenue’ to find most varieties. The Kew Instagram feed helpfully tracks when the cherry trees are blooming so you can time your visit to perfection.

Crocuses

One of the earliest Spring flowers, you can expect to see crocuses from February. They pop up everywhere, but are at their most spectacular en masse. Kew’s ‘crocus carpet’ is just a part of the 5 million bulbs that flower across the garden as a whole.

Bluebells

There are few scenes that encapsulate British Spring than a sea of bluebells. Kew’s Bluebell Woods are an accessible destination to experience this from Mid-April to May. Alternatively, head out of London for some wilder woodland displays. 

Holland Park 

Renowned as a wonderful Spring garden, Holland Park is home to several specialist gardens that are a tranquil retreat from the bustle of the city. 

Tulips

The Dutch Garden is, fittingly, filled with tulip beds which flower from March to April. These walled gardens are formally planted and so make up an extremely stylish Spring time display. 

Wisteria 

Surrounding the Dutch Garden, wisteria climbs the perimeter walls and flowers in late April to early May. This pale lilac drooping flower is beautifully scented and falls in romantic clouds. It’s a popular plant to grow up building facades, and you will catch some wonderful examples by just walking around South Kensington.

Green Park

It may be a surprise that we’ve included Green Park since there are actually no formal flower beds here! But since Spring is the one season that you will see floral colour, we think it’s worth a mention!

Daffodils

Possibly the most iconic of Spring flowers, we see these popping up all over the place. There isn’t a park or garden that doesn’t have daffodils somewhere. Across Green park, however, there are around a million daffodils in bloom. So if you want to feast your eyes on a ‘host of golden daffodils’ without having to wander o’er dales and hills, head to Green Park in March and early April.