Spring at Stowe

Move out of the way winter and put a spring in your step with bright days reflecting rays across the glittering lakes, the chatter of birdsong filling the air and crisp breezes that take your breath away on refreshing walks in the gardens.

Seasonal highights

Stowe comes to life in spring, from the thousands of bulbs shooting through to bloom to the countless young animals being born, there's lots to enjoy on a spring saunter in the gardens. It's the season to be brave and throw aside the winter coat and embrace April showers - no matter what month it is. We're open daily from 10am-5pm, or find a moment such as Mother's Day or Easter to make time for sharing the season with family. 

Spring colour

In 2018, we were overhwhelmed by the generosity of the general public, community groups, and corporate volunteers who helped us in the Big Bulb Pant. All together, a whopping 335,000 bulbs were planted  - some of which now can be enjoyed.

Here are just a few spring blooms to encourage your curiousity and look out for:

  • As you stroll down the historic entrance to the gardens, look to the outer paths for a new meadow of bluebells - 125,000 were planted recently. The best ones can be found in the dell opposite the Sleeping Wood

  • Scilla bloom up by the Grotto within the Elysian Fields, famously designed by artist, architect and landscape gardener William Kent

  • Turk’s Head Tulips are an eighteenth-century spring bulb and can be found by the Temple of Concord and Victory

  • Old varieties of daffodils look splendid between Grenville’s Column and Stowe House

  • Discover Wood and Blue anemones in the Sleeping Wood

  • 200,000 Snakeshead fritillaries were added to exisiting spots down Gurnet's Walk by the sleeping wood. This'll make a rare delicate meadow as often this flower pops up in lonely occurances

Purple crocuses
Stowe   Buckinghamshire

Step into spring

Discover signs of spring with this guide of garden highlights and walk. From Martagon lilies to delicate Turks' head tulips, you'll find them on a warming spring walk at Stowe.

Download the guide

What wildlife could we see?

If you’ve got plenty of time to spare, try a walk in our parkland. With lots of open space to enjoy you may get to see the new arrivals amongst the sheep and long horn cattle. The views within the parkland open up the wider landscape and will surprise you with views you may have never seen before of the temples.

Within the gardens the swans are on the Octagon and Eleven Acre Lakes. If you are lucky you will see last year’s signets with their tiny bit of remaining grey down. Baby animals are full of the joys of spring but are still vulnerable at this stage. Please consider this and enjoy the view from afar.

White spring blossom is on branches revealing a statue at Stowe Play Video
Video

Spring is...

Relax and refresh body and mind on a blossom spotted walk at Stowe. What does spring mean to you?

A refreshing menu

Welcome in the warmer weather with refreshing main meals in the cafe and scrumptious cakes to rival any Mary Berry recipe. We use seasonal produce and herbs from our Farmhouse Garden to spruce up casseroles and add a zing to tasty treats.

A wide variety of home-grown produce in the Farmhouse Garden at Stowe
A man in chefs uniform bends down amongst growing herbs to select for use in the cafe at Stowe
A wide variety of home-grown produce in the Farmhouse Garden at Stowe

Captured on camera

Small light blue to purple flowers in the grass.
At the top of tall green stems are large orange flowers called Crown Imperials
Tight pink buds open up to a white old English rose, named the Stowe rose.
Yellow daffodils, little white snowdrops
A baby bird with stippled colouring of grey and yellow is a little gosling
Two purple flowers
Blue tit in Winter
Sheep and lambs are in their hundreds across the hillside at Stowe on a sunny spring day
Purple lilies face downwards with their petals unfurling upwards to create a delicate bell shape on Martagon lilies at Stowe
Little purple flowers sit in a flower bed.

Memories of childhood

Forget-me-nots have had so many meanings through time, from Greek legends to a medieval representation of faithfulness.

Regal flowers

Look out for the mighty impressive Crown Imperial flowers as you walk from the Elysian Fields up towards the Temple of Concord and Victory.

A new variety

The Stowe Rose is a unique variety found at the front of the New Inn visitor centre. Tight pink buds open up to a white old English rose, it blooms late spring to early summer.

Blooming across the Elysian Fields

The Daffodils will start to pop up amongst the 'Stowedrops' in the Elysian Fields between Grenville's Column and Stowe House.

Something to melt your heart

Spot many goslings along the lake sides in the gardens. Did you know less than 24 hours after hatching, they'll be led to water by their parents to learn how to swim. The goslings can dive 30-40 feet underwater by the time they are one day old.

Warmer weather

Snakeshead fritilaries are delicate drop flowers. Look out for these mostly lonesome fellows in May.

Birdsong

Keep your eyes peeled for birds at Stowe, particularly Blue tits around the New Inn.

Bountiful lambs

Watch newborn lambs bounce and spring across the Hawkwell Field by the Palladian Bridge and Gothic Temple. They'll head down to the side of the Eleven Acre Lake for a drink too.

Pretty as a picture

Martagon lilies create a bell shape with their petals curling in on themselves.

Petite petals

Bright purple crocuses litter the Sleeping Wood at Stowe.