Spring in the gardens at Mottistone

Mottistone Gardens may be best known for its beautiful formal borders, but in spring, just as in nature, it’s the wilder areas of the gardens that really come to life. The warmer weather and sheltered location mean that across the gardens, bright and colourful petals unfurl. And with each new month, something different starts to bloom.

Spring favourites 

Taking a stroll through the orchard, under the fruit trees, is like walking through an avenue of pink and white confetti as the apple, cherry and crab apple trees blossom high above. Nestled around the trunks, and lining the path between the fruit trees, white and golden narcissi are opening their trumpets in the spring sunshine. And across the banks Little Witch and jonquil narcissi fill the gardens with delicate colour and fragrance. From late April, at the very top of the gardens, a carpet of bluebells covers the woodland floor in Shearn Place.

Narcissi 'Little Witch' on the banks in Mottistone Gardens
Yellow Narcissi Little Witch on the banks in Mottistone Gardens
Narcissi 'Little Witch' on the banks in Mottistone Gardens

New arrivals

New life is an important feature of spring, so it’s only appropriate that we also have new spring flowers for the gardens. Last year our team of gardeners planted delicate Leucojum, a relative of the snowdrop, which shares its nodding white bells; and tall Camassia whose star shaped flowers will hopefully appear on the banks by early May. And if the April showers have been kind, the purple petals of Iris should flower across the banks, warmed by the May sunshine.

Just by the organic vegetable patch is our plant propagation area. Here our gardeners nurture new plants for the garden and visitors, and in spring you’ll see plenty of new growth. If you’ve been inspired by nature, you can take home some new spring colour for your own garden in our plant sales area.

Bright and shady

Even in the shady Gully that runs along the edge of the gardens, spring colour is blooming. Follow the path behind the tea garden and you’ll come across vivid pink and white azaleas, and rhododendrons that bloom profusely. Camellias and deep purple hellebores have provided colour in the garden all though the winter, but are still producing their flowers to brighten the Gully in spring.

Hellebore in Mottistone Gardens
Purple Hellebore with yellow daffodils in the background on the banks at Mottistone Gardens
Hellebore in Mottistone Gardens

Although these are a few of our seasonal highlights, there are many other plants and flowers waiting for you to discover them this spring. And with each new day, another bud bursts open. So every time you visit, there'll be more to see, and you're helping us to plant extra colour for the future.