April might be renowned for its showers, but you can’t fail to be heartened by the waves of blossom washing our parks and gardens. Here’s our pick of the best blossoming hotspots in and around the capital.
Visit wonderful Wisley in Surrey, one of the stars of English horticulture and last year named Britain’s Favourite Garden by the BBC Countryfile Magazine. Enjoying an early spring, the orchards are now in bloom. Look out for the early-flowering pear trees and the delightful red blossom of the Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’, in Wisley’s rock garden.
Whilst there, don’t miss your chance to take a look at Henry Moore’s ‘King and Queen’, now on display outside the laboratory until the end of September 2014.
Open daily. Admission £12.20 for adults.
BROGDALE FARM, KENT
With over 4,000 varieties of trees – the largest number in one spot in the world – Brogdale Farm is a beautiful cornucopia of orchards and fruit trees. The gardens reopen in April after their winter hibernation, and kick start their spring/summer calendar with ‘Hanami at Brogdale’ – their take on Japan’s annual blossom festival. Book a tour on their website and enjoy Japanese snacks while you admire the cherry blossom, not to mention the apple, pear, plum and apricot blossom too!
From April 1 – November, open daily. Tours at 11am, 1pm & 2.30pm
Admission £12.50 for adults.
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW
As Alfred Noyes’ poem goes, ‘Go down to Kew in lilac time… And you shall wander hand in hand with love in summer’s wonderland’. With over 100 lilac hybrids, such as the early flowering ‘Hyacinthiflora’, the garden in full bloom is a spectacular sight - so make a date to head down there in late April. If you can’t wait that long, there’s plenty more to catch your eye - cherry, magnolia and crabapple trees to name but a few.
Open daily. Admission £14.50 for adults.
One of the delights of blossom is stumbling across it in hidden away places. Tucked behind Victoria Station, Eccleston Square sports the National Collection of Ceanothus, with over 60 varieties of the plant bearing its stunning deep blue blossom. Usually kept locked for the square’s residents, it opens up for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) on Sunday 11 May. To catch the April bloom, you can book an appointment via the website.
THE VALLEY GARDENS, BERKSHIRE
Embrace the spring, jump on a train to Windsor and get lost in the mesmerising Valley Gardens. First developed in the 1700s, the valley boasts 250 acres of woodland and enchanting views, known for flowering cherries, budding spring flowers and twisting trails.
Open all year round, entry is free.
A hop, skip and a jump away from GROW London’s site is this hidden gem in leafy Hampstead. One of London’s ‘paradise’ gardens, Fenton House offers the perfect spring-time walled garden. Take a stroll amongst the flowering apple trees in the orchard and enjoy the scents of the spring border.