Best places to see spring displays

Enjoy displays of daffodils, tulips, bluebells and blossom with the National Trust in Hampshire

Nothing beats nature for an uplifting and joyous experience. And spring is surely the ultimate season for moments like this. 

With a big helping hand from our gardening teams who planted thousands of bulbs last autumn, National Trust gardens in Hampshire reveal lawns and borders packed with daffodils, jewel-coloured tulips and fragrant hyacinths. 

Orchards reveal canopies of pink and white blossom, and in the woods nearby fragrant bluebells mingle with other wildflowers – tiny violets, celandines and wood anemones.

Find out more about National Trust spring gardens in Hampshire: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/hampshire/gardens-parks

Here are the best places to see spring flowers at National Trust places in Hampshire. Displays vary every year; these photographs reflect displays in previous years:

Daffodils (late February to April)

This year our garden teams have planted many more late-flowering daffodils, to extend displays beyond early spring.

Mottisfont: daffodils cover the grass under Mottisfont’s giant plane trees and spread across the lawns. You’ll find more on show in the kitchen garden – look out for fragrant Sir Winston Churchill with clusters of double petalled flowers and orange centres, and the deliciously-scented waxy white narcissus White Lion.

Mottisfont guided garden walks: Spring is a lovely time to take a deeper dive into Mottisfont, on a free daily guided walk with our Garden Guides. From its medieval past to magnificent trees find out what’s on offer when you arrive.

The Vyne: pop by in early spring for cheery daffodil displays across the gardens – packing borders in the walled garden and carpeting the South Drive at the front of the house. There are fresh bunches for sale too, at the visitor reception point.

Hinton Ampner: is famous for its spring bulb colour; it’s a true plantsman’s garden. Soak up the sight of thousands of daffodils, with cream and yellow scented flowers, on show in the pretty walled kitchen garden and littering the tufty grass in the cherry orchard.

Magnolia (mid- to late March)

Mottisfont: look out for the magnificent ‘umbrella’ of white magnolia by the stableyard. You can take a lovely selfie from one of the benches on the other side of the flint wall, with the flowers as a snowy backdrop behind you.

Tulips (late March to late April)

Hinton Ampner: this year’s tulip displays are a colour palette of pastels – a favourite with former owner Ralph Dutton. Look out for frilly-edged candy-pink Huis Ten Bosch and purple-blue Bleu Aimable in the sunken garden’s long borders. They are paired with fragrant daffodil ‘Thalia’ and clusters of bright blue forget-me-nots. You’ll find hundreds more tulips in the yew garden – soft pink Synaeda Amor, slender goblet-shaped Purple Dream and the large peach-pink flowerheads of Pink Impression, mingling with ivory wallflowers. There are nearly 1,000 tulip bulbs in pots too, around the gardens.

Mottisfont: the parterre in front of the house will be a sight for sore eyes – a mass of rich purple tulip Negrita, lilac-pink tulip Candy Prince and scented creamy-white narcissus Pueblo. Stroll up to the walled kitchen garden to find large apricot-pink cups of tulip Mystic van Eiji which has a rosy red streak, and the elegant goblet-shaped violet tulip Maytime.

The Vyne: in the historic walled garden you’ll find a dazzling mix of tulip colour and varieties, including dark purple Queen of the Night, towering apricot-pink Menton and the flared creamy petals of Spring Green with their green stripe.

Blossom (between late March and late April)

Mottisfont: from late March, Mount Fuji cherry trees burst into flower in Mottisfont’s orchard, releasing a honey fragrance that makes them a favourite with visiting bees. In the tussocky grass you’ll spot splashes of colour from naturalised narcissi, species tulips and snakeshead fritillaries. In the walled garden gnarly fruit trees display candy-pink apple buds and white pear blossom.

Hinton Ampner: frothy pale pink and white Japanese cherry blossom gradually unfurls in Hinton’s cherry orchard. You’ll find more blossom beside the ornamental pond, and in the walled kitchen garden beautifully trained espaliered fruit trees bear tight clusters of pink and white petals.

The Vyne: the orchard reveals delicate blossom displays from heritage plum, pear and apple trees – a much-needed food source for our spring pollinators. There are arching fans of fruit blossom in the walled garden and displays of almond-scented ‘bird’ cherry blossom in the wild garden.

Sandham Memorial Chapel: some of the apple trees in Sandham’s orchard are over 90 years old. You can picnic on benches close to the trees for a lovely springtime experience. Behind the chapel, young crab apple trees line the garden path with a mass of white blossom.

Bluebells (mid-April to early May)

Hinton Ampner: a gentle one hour stroll across Hinton’s parkland takes you into ancient woods, transformed into a sea of blue as scented native bluebells fringe woodland paths. This really is an amazing spectacle.

The Vyne: if you follow the path beyond the garden at The Vyne you’ll discover beautiful beech woods. In late spring they’re awash with native bluebells.

Mottisfont: there are some terrific opportunities for bluebell-spotting on Mottisfont’s estate walk, which actually starts in a bluebell wood a few minutes’ drive from the garden – at Spearywell.

Always bring wet weather footgear or check terrain conditions with property before setting off on a woodland walk.