Best Gardens in Southeast England for bulbs in March
 

If I can persuade my husband to go.................

Which gardens, castles, houses have the best bulbs in mid to late March? It looks to me like it will be Magnolia and Daffodil time. At the moment I'm considering Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent. We love large trees and landscape gardens in preference to formal gardens.

Any/all of the gardens will have major displays of bulbs and early spring flowers. You really can't go wrong. But if it was me - I might choose RHS Wisley.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/gardens/wisley/index.asp

For larege trees and landscaped gardens, the bulbs display in mid-late March, I am afraid, would be less spectacular unless you mean bluebells.

In RHS Wisley you could find late daffodils and early Tulips near the restaurant, the boarders garden will be nice too.

If you are coming from London to Wisley on public transport, there are two gardens with lovely landscaped Parks on the same busline #515 (from Kingston to Gilford,cheap dayrover covers the route):
Claremont Landscape Garden (Nation Trust) http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main...andscapegarden , the ideal English park we see so many in paintings, with one of the oldest camellla trees in U.K..

Painshill Park http://www.painshill.co.uk/ another love landscape park nearby, but not much bulbs either.

For bulbs and landscaped gardens, Savill Garden and Valley Gardens http://www.theroyallandscape.co.uk/landscape/ outside of Winsor are lovely to visit.

If you are into bluebells woods and large landscaped park, you might find Sheffield Park( by Capability Brown) in Sussex very enjoyable http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main...parkgarden.htm
it is fun to take the Bluebell railway to get there.

Bluebells don't flower until April/May.

You are qutie right about bluebells, but once I walked through bluebell woods by Sissinghurst in late March.

Forget to mention Kew Gardens- one of the best places for bulbs and old trees by London.

Slight change of topic, but have you started your trip report of your September trip to England?

I replied to lots of your questions about north Devon and the Cotswolds, and would love to hear how it all went...???

Daffs really aren't park or Big Garden flowers, though they're nice scattered round parks.

From late Feb (most years) they're practically the national weed. Apart from those in your own back garden, I'd say the nicest are the ones you see in clumps all over the countryside - especially on rural roadsides, and in lots of ordinary fields you'd use to walk through.

For all the reputation Big Garden has, what's really nice as spring starts hitting England is just meandering along a decent footpath somewhere there's a fair bit of vegetation as well as the statutory few dozen lambs gambolling about. The scattered daff clumps are far nicer, in my view, than the big drifts you often see in managed parks and the like. Daffs just don't take to big, formal fields of the sort the Dutch have for tulips

hi wrenwood

to try to answer your question, you could try Wakehurst place [the RHS country seat], Scotney Castle, sissinghurst, Chartwell, possibly sheffield park.

actually, you're in the wrong county - you need to be in Cornwall to see daffs! Cotehele actually a has daffodill weekend and keeps a national collection, and i know that they are wonderful at LLanhydrock and Trelissick 'cos I've seen them. however some of the most spectacular are the ones i will soon see every day on my way to work which have been planted along the roadsides by a kind and benevolent local council.

[does that count as the least useful remark so far this year?]

just so as you know.

OK Julia you got me started on my Trip Report, first day is posted! I have been working on our DVDs that we make of trips with music, and neglected my Trip Reports. Still have 2 to do for Switzerland!

It sounds like we should maybe just concentrate on wonderful properties and gardens, the spring show will be there.

I have been looking for a neat place to stay the first night close to Wisley. That way we won't have to drive too far coming from Heathrow. Any ideas?

Kew, Wakehurst Place, Scotney Castle, Sissinghurst, Sheffield Park, Valley Gardens at Windsor, Borde Hill, Hever, Penshurst Place also possibilities.

I'm thinking of staying in Rye, would really like a small town base with a wonderful B&B and dinner spots we can walk to. I realize it's not "central" but it doesn't look to be too far from any place we might want to go.

Thoughts?

By the way Ann, I would LOVE to see Caerhay's Castle Gardens in late March, but alas, it's just too far. :(

hi wrenwood,

this is the place we stayed at in late August when visiting old friends who live in Claygate, near the Claremont landscape garden.

http://www.lilac-cottage-esher.co.uk/

it is very nicely done out, quiet, with medium sized rooms, good bathroom, great breakfast. the owner was exceptionally helpful, giving us a lift to our friends' house on the night of their party. it is right next to Hinchley Wood BR station for trips up to town, and 20 mins from wisley in one direction, Hampton Court the other.

if your intention is to see the gardens you've mentioned, honestly Rye is too far away. Westerham, Sevonoaks, Tunbridge Wells or somewhere in that area would be better. Alistair Sawdays has some good recommendations.

have a great trip

regards, ann

PS - how could I have missed Caehays out of my list?

Pashley Manor in Ticehurst, east Sussex near to Sissinghurst and Scotney, has a tulip festival in late April (so will not be of interest to you traveling in March but might be to others)
http://www.pashleymanorgardens.com/index.html

Penshurst place has lovely orchards underplanted with bulbs; I was there mid-March and it was glorious. The front approach to Hever castle is also filled with daffodils and fritillaries; the garden is gorgeous just then, although I wanted to go back in rose time. Both might be described as formal, but they also have shrubberies and (particularly Hever) lots of walks. And both Penshurst and Hever are fascinating indoors as well, especially if you're interested in the Tudors.

NGS have open gardens from March - you need to puy in a post code & dates to find one or search by county without a date. Each garden is described to help you decide. Some I have been to are excellent. Each garden should have 45 minutes of interest & you can sometimes cram in 3 gardens in an afternoon. In Liverpool 'one' open garden consisted of 4 gardens & an allotment that took all afternoon to walk around. We also have the field of hope that is filled with millions of daffodils at Easter & there should be such fields everywhere.

Still love the idea of staying in Rye.

What about first few days near East Grinstead, and a few days in Rye? These two places work as bases?

hi wrenwood,

personally, i wouldn't stay in East GriMstead, but Rye is lovely, if a bit off the beaten track. 2 ngihts there would probably suffice and give time to see Winchelsea, Camber sands, etc.

have you read the Mapp and Lucia books by EF Benson? they are set in fictional Tilling, which is in fact Rye, and were televised on the BBC with the wonderful Geraldine McKewen. [on DVD I believe].

i will have a think about alternatives to EG.

OK - Do you mean east Gri<B>N</B>stead -- or East Gri<B>M</B>stead? Two entirely different places.

Sorry ......... East GriNstead ~ Gravetye Manor has some specials if I decide I can swallow the price ...... :)

Ann ~ haven't heard of Mapp and Lucia books, but I might have to take a look if we go to Rye.

Working on places to visit from both bases

Have also looked at this B&B ~ looks nice, but I don't think I need 3 places to stay for just a week.

http://www.sissinghurstcastlefarmhouse.com/

janisj - sorry - East GriMstead was a jokE!!! No idea if it exists or not. I'll have to remember the smiley face next time!

wrenwood - we had an anniversary meal at Gravetye once - we turned up in my metro [very small, low value car] and parked it next to all the mercs and BMWs. they treated us like royalty - the best service we've ever enjoyed, anywhere. not to mention lovely food.

if you can afford it, go for it.

you could stay at Sissinghurst instead of East Grinstead, not as well as.

ok - alternatives to staying in EG -

Chiddingstone [frequently used to film locations where they need not to see telegraph poles, etc.]

Hever

Royal Tunbridge Wells

Westerham

Sevenoaks

plus, if you're in the area just north of T'Wells, have a look at the George and Dragon in speldhurst for lunch/dinner - 2nd oldest pub in the country, allegedly. it's changed hands since we lived in the area but still looks good.