Spring bulb displays

The Daffodil Meadow at Exbury Gardens in Hampshire is a spectacular sight. The garden’s creator, the late Lionel de Rothschild, bought daffodils by the ton crate and new cultivars continue to be added to the meadow each year, many of them from Cornish growers. Follow one of several grass walkways cut through the meadow to arrive at the Beaulieu River where there are lovely views and walks to enjoy.

The Bulb Meadow at The Garden House in Devon is a spring treat, carpeted in Narcissus ‘Wee Bee’, N. cyclamineus, Chionodoxa and Eranthis. To the edge of the Bulb Meadow is a grass bank covered in Galanthus `S. Arnott`; a strong growing snowdrop which bulks up quickly, and is happy in borders or in grass. Don’t miss the Acer Glade, too, awash with thousands of Crocus tommasinianus.

As spring advances, hyacinths begin to fill the air with their exquisite scent. Delight your senses with a visit to Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, renowned for its displays of more than 4,000 hyacinths including Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Carnegie’ and H. orientalis ‘Blue Star’. Or, enjoy the National Plant Collection of H. orientalis at Ripley Castle Gardens in North Yorkshire. There are more than 1,000 hyacinths from 44 cultivars, creating a blaze of colour and scent in the walled garden.