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Brilliant Daffodil Gardens to Visit for Spring Inspiration
Carpets of cheerful daffodils paint a glorious picture of spring, casting off the dark days of winter and heralding sunnier days ahead. In public and private gardens across the United Kingdom, the vast range of species provides endless inspiration for gardeners and visitors alike.
From zingy tall drifts of bright yellow blooms to patio doubles, multi-stemmed fragrant varieties, and colours ranging from creamy white to deep apricot, these resilient flowers signal the seasonal shift. There are almost 32,000 daffodil cultivars listed globally in the International Daffodil Register, maintained by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Tracking Spring's Arrival
The RHS's annual Daffodil Diaries campaign returns on February 16, inviting gardeners to log sightings of daffodils flowering in gardens and public spaces across the country. More than 3,000 submissions were sent in 2025, helping to monitor how environmental factors and geography influence daffodils and evolving gardening fashions.
The best way to appreciate these spring heralds is to visit gardens offering impressive displays, which typically start flowering in late February and continue well into the season. Here are eleven exceptional gardens where you may find inspiration.
1. RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire
A glowing 'golden mile', created by some 22,000 daffodil bulbs planted by the garden team on the approach, brings a massive burst of spring cheer. Once within the garden, visitors can bask in the colour and scent of more than 70,000 daffodils across 70 different narcissus species and cultivars. Head for the Woodland edge, around the Queen Mother's Lake, in the Kitchen Garden and Alpine House for the best displays.
2. Lower Bowden Manor, Berkshire
This stunning seven-acre garden created by designer Juliette Cox-Nicol features specimen trees with contrasting bark and foliage, underplanted with great carpets of daffodils in spring. Versailles planters with standard topiaries line a rill, while a stumpery leads to the orchard's swathes of daffodils in shades of yellow, ivory and fragrant white, followed later by a wave of white hydrangeas. The garden opens by arrangement for the National Garden Scheme to November 27 for groups of between 12 and 40.
3. Albury Park, Surrey
The 14-acre grounds of this country park were laid out in the 1670s by diarist and landscape gardener John Evelyn for Henry Howard, who would later become the 6th Duke of Norfolk. The garden is famed for its terraces, a yew walk, a fine collection of mature trees, a lake and a river. It opens on March 22 for daffodils as part of the National Garden Scheme.
4. Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Gwynedd
When winter seems a distant memory, expect a show-stopping display of narcissi at this fantasy castle built in the early 19th century and managed by the National Trust. The display peaks from around mid-March until late April, with many daffodils carpeting the wooded areas and front of the keep. As the daffodil is synonymous with Wales, there should be colour by St David's Day on March 1.
5. RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon
RHS Garden Rosemoor has long enjoyed blankets of glorious daffodils throughout its grounds. To make displays even more spectacular, the garden team have planted thousands of additional bulbs in recent years, including 2,000 of its namesake Narcissus 'Rosemoor Gold'. See drifts of the native daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus in the Stream Garden, while unusual hoop petticoat daffodils turn Lady Anne's Arboretum golden.
6. Clumber Park, Worksop, Nottinghamshire
This 3,800-acre park transforms in spring with carpets of daffodils painting the woodland and flower beds yellow. More than 180,000 bulbs have been planted in recent years, with planting schemes working in unison to create an impressive blanket of colour throughout the season. Look for a spectacular burst of golden blooms in front of the Greek Temple on the south side of the lake.
7. Brodie Castle Gardens, Brodie Moray, Scotland
The daffodil is synonymous with Brodie Castle thanks to Ian Brodie, 24th Laird, whose interest led to him becoming an eminent breeder in the late 19th and early 20th century. The castle gardens became his workshop, where he raised tens of thousands of plants, and it remains one of the best places in Scotland to see daffodils. It's home to a National Daffodil Collection with around 400 types of Brodie Daffodils.
8. Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, County Down, Northern Ireland
Drifts of sunny daffodils grace the 100-acre gardens of this grand Georgian estate and royal residence 20 minutes outside Belfast. Managed by Historic Royal Palaces, more than 19,000 bulbs were added in 2022, with narcissi prominently featured on the castle mound, in formal gardens and throughout the grounds. Visitors will also see hyacinths, camellias and rhododendron in spring.
9. Stourhead, Wiltshire
Take a walk by Turner's Paddock Lake to find vast drifts of cheery bright yellow daffodils around the 18th century Palladian bridge. The lake is designed to resemble a flowering river and is part of a 2,650-acre estate, with the main designed landscaping covering around 80 acres and featuring temples, grottos and ancient trees.
10. Rydal Mount and Gardens, Cumbria
Situated between Ambleside and Grasmere in the Lake District, Rydal Mount was William Wordsworth's family home and is still owned by his descendants. Visitors can admire the five-acre garden he created featuring an abundance of daffodils, with breathtaking views of surrounding fells and Rydal Water. The garden opens for the National Garden Scheme on specific dates from March 30.
11. Goldsborough Hall, North Yorkshire
Fans of garden designer Gertrude Jekyll will appreciate the 120ft double herbaceous borders, woodland walk and rose garden she inspired in this historic 12-acre garden. Set around the former residence of HRH Princess Mary in the 1920s, the 17th century historic house near Harrogate also offers five-star stately stays. The garden opens on March 29 for the National Garden Scheme.
These gardens represent just a selection of the magnificent daffodil displays awaiting visitors this spring across the United Kingdom. Each offers unique planting schemes, historical connections, and seasonal beauty that celebrates the golden glory of these beloved spring flowers.
