Where to see the best floral displays in Yorkshire

From meadows full of buttercups and daisies to perfectly preened gardens, spring is full bloom.
Bellis bloom in the Italian Gardens on  Scarborough's South CliffBellis bloom in the Italian Gardens on  Scarborough's South Cliff
Bellis bloom in the Italian Gardens on Scarborough's South Cliff

Daffodils, tulips and bluebells trumpet warmer weather and the desire to get out and about.

Here are our picks of some of the most floral locations and gardens to visit in Yorkshire.

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here are our picks of some of the most floral locations and gardens to visit in Yorkshire.

Burnby Hall Gardens Tulip Festival, Pocklington, near York

The annual tulip festival runs from April 27 to May 11. It sees a cascade of colours throughout these historical gardens, with more than 18,000 tulips and 130 varieties formally displayed in tubs and flower beds across the site.

Other highlights of the extensive gardens include the Upper and Lower Lakes, home to more than 100 types of hardy waterlily and home to thousands of carp, roach and rudd. There are also several formal gardens around the lakes and a new, more contemporary walled garden created in two years ago.

Constable Burton Hall, East Yorkshire

The Georgian estate will be hosting its annual Tulip Festival over the May Bank Holiday weekend from Saturday May 1 to Monday May 3.

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More than 6.000 tulips can be admired in the grounds of Constable Burton Hall. There are new colour-themed planting schemes to be revealed this year in the borders and there will be a display of cut blooms in the Festival Lawn Marquees from Chelsea award-winning Bloms Bulbs.

Away from the tulips there are woodland walks and garden trails to discover featuring cyclamen, lilies, ferns, hardy shrubs, roses and wildflowers.

Newby Hall and Gardens, near Ripon

The garden team at Newby Hall, famed for its eye-catching 188-yard long double herbaceous border, has planted more than 8,500 tulips this year for extra flower power. Visitors can enjoy the late spring blooms in Sylvia’s garden, the rose garden and the white garden.

The location is often used in film and screen productions such as Peaky Blinders, Victoria, and Gentleman Jack, and also boasts 14 stunning garden ‘rooms’, two heritage orchards and 30 acres of woodland.

Harlow Carr, Harrogate

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Featuring a meandering pavement that leads you around the colourful gardens, Harlow Carr is packed full of nature, with brightly-coloured blooms, sculptured trees, and picture-perfect settings to explore.

There’s a tearoom on-site and plenty of space for you to stretch your legs around, but it really is the impressive gardens that steal the show.

Middleton Woods, Ilkley

Middleton Wood, a cherished and frequently explored ancient woodland, is renowned for its breathtaking bluebell exhibitions every spring. Spanning 100 acres this wooded area encompasses the eastern and western regions of Curly Hill.

Newmiller Dam, Wakefield

The nature reserve has a lake, water birds and plenty of wooded area that comes alive with bluebells in the spring months.

Hackfall Wood, Masham

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The ancient woodland with original features such as grottos and glades, rustic temples and waterfalls. In the spring there are carpets of bluebells and numerous woodland birds.

South Cliff Gardens, Scarborough

A coastal garden and woodland boasting pleasant walks with plenty of seating and spectacular views, Italian gardens and small pocket parks such as Shuttleworth Garden and Prince of Wales Terrace.

Designed in the early 20th Century, the Italian Gardens were one of the many achievements of Harry W Smith, the noted landscape designer. The sheltered Italian Gardens feature formal planting, seating and a fishpond overseen by the Roman God Mercury

The gardens were often featured in the ITV drama series, The Royal.

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The South Cliff gardens include: Spa Gardens, Prince of Wales Gardens, the Rose Garden, Holbeck Gardens, Shuttleworth Gardens and the Italian Gardens.

Askrigg Meadows, Yorkshire Dales

The meadow is home to a number of flower species, with pops of colour throughout making for unbeatable scenery.

Helmsely Walled Garden, North Yorkshire

It boasts yellow wisteria arches, borders of lilac blooms, and oceans of red tulips. There’s a number of gardens within the site, including an orchard, a Clematis garden and a stunning white garden.