From a Welsh castle surrounded by sweeping fields of yellow daffodils to a Norfolk orchard about to burst into blossom, we have rounded up 21 National Trust gardens which are at their best and most beautiful at this time of year. Whether you’re looking for a quick day out, a long leisurely weekend, or a grand destination for your next staycation — and no matter where you are in the country — there’s a landscape for every occasion.
1. Buckland Abbey, Yelverton, Devon
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At this time of year the abbey’s lawn borders are bright with magnolias, rhododendrons and camellias — all of which are coming into flower now. Look out for the veteran Magnolia x soulangeana with its elegant goblet blooms. The Cider House garden is carpeted with crocuses while you’ll find early blossom in the sheltered corners of the upper walled garden. This part of Devon has a proud daffodil-growing heritage, and you’ll see glorious clusters of the flowers across the grounds; while later in the season, the surrounding woodland will be transformed by a mass of bluebells and wild garlic.
Details Open daily, 10am-5pm
2. Lanhydrock House and gardens, Bodmin, Cornwall
National Trust Images/Hilary Daniel
Lanhydrock is one of Cornwall’s most beautiful gardens in spring, its higher slopes home to an exceptional collection of over 200 magnolia varieties, many of them mature Himalayan specimens. In March, the blossom in the magnolia glade and the magnolia arch beside the estate’s thatched cottage are a beautiful sight. Take in the views from the garden’s raised terraces across the Fowey valley, or pause on one of the seats set among the borders to listen to the first bees of the season working their way through the blooms. From March 20, Lanhydrock will be launching a blossom‑bathing walk through the formal gardens — a gentle route underneath the fruit trees, taking in their colour, scent and the calm of this historic Victorian landscape.
Details Open daily 10.30am-5pm
3. Felbrigg Hall, near Felbrigg, Norfolk
The gardens at this 17th-century estate are beginning their spring transformation, when golden daffodils sweep across the lawns and throughout the West Garden, the meadows and the ancient Great Wood. The dovecote-lined walled garden is a highlight, with colourful borders, herb beds and historic fruit trees, plus early wildflowers and spring bulbs. Felbrigg’s orchard and woodland edges will soon burst into life with blossom, bluebells and birdsong, and provide beautiful views across the surrounding estate. Look out for robins, goldfinches and blackbirds, as well as green and great spotted woodpeckers and chiffchaffs — which have just arrived. It’s still early in the year for butterflies, but brimstone have been spotted already, with many other species to come.
Details Open daily 10am-4pm
4. The Vyne, Sherborne St John, Hampshire
National Trust Images/Rachael Warren
The season begins with early cyclamen, crocuses and daffodils at the Vyne, soon giving way to bold crown imperials, bright pink peonies and, later, clusters of alliums and camassia in soft blues and purples. The 18th‑century walled garden is particularly beautiful in spring, when its beds brim with daffodils and the carefully restored fruit and vegetable plots come back to life. From March to April, the orchard fills with plum, pear and apple blossom and, beyond the lawns, lakes lead into ancient bluebell woods which will reach their flowering peak in April and May. Presiding over the formal garden is the remarkable 1635 domed summerhouse, thought to be one of the earliest of its kind in England. Explore the site’s wetlands and bird hide for the chance to spot visiting and resident birdlife.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
5. Greenway, near Brixham, Devon
Agatha Christie described her family holiday home of Greenway as “the loveliest place in the world” and at this time of year it’s easy to see why. The tranquil, river‑hugging garden begins to glow with soft colour as magnolias and woodland bulbs brighten its winding paths and sheltered slopes above the River Dart. Greenway is celebrated for its historic plantings, including a rich collection of camellias and rhododendrons that thrive in the estate’s steep, wooded setting. From March 21 to April 30, the garden will host its annual Festival of Blossom, when visitors are invited to slow their pace and follow a gentle trail through flowering fruit trees and hedgerow blooms.
Details Open daily 10.30am-5pm
6. Bateman’s, Burwash, East Sussex
National Trust Images/Laurence Perry
A sanctuary for Rudyard Kipling and inspiration for much of his writing, Bateman’s sits within the quiet folds of the High Weald countryside, and its 12‑acre garden was created to reflect the tranquillity of the surrounding valley. Kipling shaped much of what visitors can still see today, from the orchard and lily pond to the formal rose garden. Spring bulbs will shortly be bursting into flower, but the Wild Garden, once Kipling’s tennis court, is the real star of early spring. Here, paths run beneath flowering cherries and other ornamental trees, their bases carpeted with a wide variety of blooms, creating a tapestry of colour and scent throughout March.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
7. Chartwell, Westerham, Kent
National Trust Images/James DObson
The gardens at Chartwell reflect the partnership of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill, who between them shaped the landscape, from Clementine’s Rose Garden to the brick walls of the kitchen garden, which Churchill himself helped to build. Right now, the grounds are bright with the blooms of magnolias, crocuses and daffodils. Around the Golden Orfe ponds, 30 varieties of camellia, plus azaleas and rhododendrons are all bursting into colour. A little later in spring, the orchard will come alive with apple blossom, while the woodlands beyond will be carpeted with bluebells, accompanied by the first bees and butterflies of the year.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
8. Nostell, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Tulips and magenta cyclamen brighten the borders at Nostell, while long, straight beds filled with scented hyacinths create a deep purple haze that perfumes the air on breezy days. In the rose garden pond, you can spot frogspawn beneath the statue, while a walk towards the Menagerie Garden takes you through a sea of pink‑and‑white magnolia blooms. Follow paths around a tranquil lake, through the estate’s historic apple orchard, or explore 300 acres of parkland beyond, with ancient woodlands and wildflower meadows.
Details Open daily 11am-5pm
9. Osterley Park and House, London
National Trust Images/James dobson
Osterley’s formal gardens still retain their original 18th‑century grandeur, with sweeping herbaceous borders, roses and meticulously laid ornamental vegetable beds. Through spring, snowdrops give way to bold drifts of daffodils in both the gardens and surrounding parkland. Tulips follow in the walled garden and formal beds, along with the brilliant white petals of the Great White Cherry in the Winter Garden. From mid‑April, the orchard’s plum, pear and apple blossom attracts early pollinators, and a delicate pink magnolia flowers nearby. Later in the month, visitors can witness one of Osterley’s most celebrated spectacles: the woodlands and meadow carpeted in bluebells, a display that fills the Long Walk and Great Meadow with seas of purple.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
10. Dudmaston, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
Hosts of daffodils cover the lakeside lawns and the wider estate in this historic garden. Ornamental blossom adds soft flashes of colour alongside the estate’s fabulous collection of rhododendrons and azaleas in the American Garden. Follow trails past herbaceous and rose borders framed by views towards the Clee Hills, or explore the peaceful surrounding parkland and woodland, with bridges and stepping stones crossing a gentle brook. Great crested grebes are doing their dramatic mating dance right now — keep an eye out from April for newborn chicks riding around on their parents’ backs.
Details Open Sun-Thu 11.30am-4.30pm
11. Nymans, Handcross, West Sussex
National Trust Images/Laurence Perry
Created in the late 19th century by the plantsman Ludwig Messel, Nymans remains one of Britain’s most horticulturally significant gardens, celebrated for its international plant collections. Drifts of tulips and naturalised bulbs will soon brighten the lawns, while rhododendrons and camellias display their flamboyant colours. Magnolias flower throughout the garden, including an unusual yellow magnolia in the walled garden, and daffodils and crocuses can be found across the Tennis Lawn, the Pinetum and either side of Lime Avenue. Many spring birds can be seen and heard in the woodland areas, as well as roe deer when it’s very quiet.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
12. Crarae Woodland Garden, Inveraray, Argyll
Set among the gentle hills of Argyll overlooking Loch Fyne, peaceful paths wind through these gardens towards a beautiful gorge, rippling burn and waterfalls. A signposted walk takes visitors on a trail through this Himalayan-style glen, home to a collection of trees from across the globe, while an abundance of rhododendrons and spring flowering shrubs are in bloom throughout March and April.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
13. Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Bangor, Gwynedd
National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Daffodils begin flowering in late February at Penrhyn Castle and reach their peak between mid‑March and late April, forming sweeping displays along the woodland edges and around the castle’s grand façade. At the Grand Lodge, a circle of sakura trees provides an early flourish of cherry blossom. Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas line the pathways and walled gardens, along with wisteria and the striking handkerchief tree, before brightly coloured tulips steal the show in April, decorating the Top Terrace. There are far‑reaching views down the north Wales coast to Llandudno, the Great Orme and Puffin Island from behind the castle, while the front gardens look towards Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) — on a clear day you can see Carnedd Llewelyn’s peak.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
14. Lyme, Disley, Cheshire
More than 4,000 bulbs are planted in the formal beds each autumn at Lyme — resulting in a display that begins with bright daffodils, followed by richly scented hyacinths, creating a continuous wave of colour outside the orangery. Within the grade II listed orangery, two beautiful 150‑year‑old red camellias are in flower now, with striking deep blooms, while in April the great white cherry blossom and Chinese crab apples put on a brilliant show. Take a stroll along the Rhododendron Walk to see a kaleidoscope of colour unfolding beneath towering oaks and beeches.
Details Open daily 10.30am-4pm
15. Seaton Delaval Hall, Seaton, Northumberland
National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
The Van Sion daffodils that grow here — historic, double‑headed blooms thought to date from the early years of the hall — create a dazzling golden carpet across the grounds in March. Spring bulbs create colourful displays in the parterre beds, while rhododendrons and azaleas flower in vivid shades between the hall and the Church of Our Lady and, later in spring, bluebells and wildflowers dot the woodland floor.
Details Open Wed-Sun 10am-5pm
16. Mount Stewart, Newtownards, Co Down
Throughout the gardens, magnificent magnolias, flowering cherry trees and rhododendrons create a cloud of blossom and colour — a stroll around the lake is the best way to see the full spectacle. Visit in April and May to experience Mount Stewart’s “Tulip Time”, a tradition that dates from the 1940s, when over 15,000 tulips planted across the Mairi, Shamrock and West Terrace beds burst into colourful life, from white and blue to striking reds and glowing yellows. Keep an eye out for red squirrels, which can often be seen here scampering through the trees.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
17. Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex
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The displays of thousands of daffodils at Petworth are thought to be some of the best in recent years (despite the wet winter), and many other flowers are beginning to bloom early, with over 100,000 blooms on show. These 18th-century gardens were designed by Capability Brown, and include sweeping lawns leading to the romantic Ionic Rotunda, a folly inspired by the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli in Italy, and a herd of roaming fallow deer. The colours from primroses, crocuses and cyclamen in formal beds are wonderful, with tulips, hyacinths, Persian fritillaries and muscari soon to come. Visit between April 4-19 for Petworth’s spring festival, with fabulous displays of potted spring bulbs, creative workshops, talks and garden tours.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
18. Inveresk Lodge Garden, near Edinburgh
On the outskirts of Edinburgh, the sloping borders at Inveresk Lodge Garden put on a fabulous display alongside wildflower meadows, ponds and woodland. The garden design has an emphasis on plants suitable for growing on the east coast, meaning there are brilliant displays of colour and fragrance throughout the year. Highlights in March include collections of spring bulbs, wildflowers, Viburnum tinus and forsythia, while in April, look out for tulips, flowering currant, star magnolia and camellia.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
19. Winkworth Arboretum, Hascombe, Surrey
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The first bursts of colour on the wooded hillsides of Winkworth Arboretum come from great clusters of daffodils and magnolias, which line the paths of the upper arboretum and glow along the main approach. Winkworth’s celebrated camellia collection brings splashes of red, white, pink and striped blooms to the Upper Arboretum from March, while drifts of daffodils brighten the paths between the Winter Garden and the lower banks of Sorbus Hill. For flowering trees, Magnolia Wood offers towering specimens whose showy, waxy blooms fill the landscape with white, pink and purple, their timing shifting slightly each year with the weather. Keep an eye out for glimpses of robins, wrens, blue tits and blackbirds among the trees, with the occasional buzzard wheeling overhead.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
20. Barrington Court, near Ilminster, Somerset
Influenced by Gertrude Jekyll, these gardens include orchards, formal lawns, a lily garden and a rose garden. Crocuses, irises and daffodils provide bursts of purple, pinks, blues and yellows, with thousands of tulips soon to follow, including the scented Tulipa ‘Ballerina’ and the stately Tulipa ‘Hakuun’. In April the wisteria in the White Garden fills the air with fragrance. Take the bridge leading over the moat and through a weathered oak door to explore beautiful walled gardens, or walk through parkland grazed by sheep and cattle for beautiful views back across the South Lawn.
Details Open daily 10am-5pm
21. Stagshaw garden, Ambleside, Cumbria
Jason Wells/Shutterstock
Just a short walk from picturesque Ambleside, this secluded woodland garden is in a beautiful spot, with far-reaching views across Windermere and towards the rugged fells beyond. Rambling paths through the woods give the site an enchanted feel, and there are wonderful collections of rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas to see, as well as more than 300 shrubs set beneath large native oak trees. Carpets of native daffodils cover the woodland floor, which will soon be covered in bluebells.
Details Open daily dawn-dusk
For more information or to find your nearest National Trust garden, visit nationaltrust.org.uk
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