{"id":3798,"date":"2023-04-22T16:00:43","date_gmt":"2023-04-22T15:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3798"},"modified":"2025-08-29T08:55:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T07:55:50","slug":"our-favourite-selection-of-cumbrian-spring-gardens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/our-favourite-selection-of-cumbrian-spring-gardens\/","title":{"rendered":"Our favourite selection of Cumbrian Spring Gardens"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have some amazing gardens throughout the Lake District, that are beautiful throughout the seasons, but we do love a wander through a garden in the spring.\u00a0 \u00a0The days are getting lighter and longer, plenty of birdsong and spring flowers and blossom brightening our day.<\/h4>\n

Read on for our small selection of lovely Spring gardens for you to explore….<\/em><\/h4>\n
\n

Holehird Gardens<\/a>, Windermere<\/h4>\n

Located in a stunning setting overlooking Windermere, it’s a 10 acre fellside garden, managed by the Lakeland Horticultural Society, Holehird is an award-winning RHS Partner Garden.<\/p>\n

Holehird Gardens has been home to the Lakeland Horticultural Society since 1969.\u00a0 However, written records of Holehird go back to the 17th century when a large part of the area was owned by Thomas Hird and his family. The Walled Garden, with its herbaceous borders and island beds, is the centrepiece of Holehird Gardens and is beautiful at any time of the year.\u00a0 In spring everything comes to life and the colours are just incredible.\u00a0 Elsewhere in the garden you will find spring bulbs, collections of rhododendrons, hydrangeas, alpines, six National Collections and much more.<\/p>\n

The Gardens are open to visitors every day, from dawn to dusk.\u00a0 Visitor Information is normally manned by volunteers from 10am to 4pm daily, from April to October.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Holehird Walled Garden<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

Fell Foot Park<\/a>, Newby Bridge<\/h4>\n

Fell Foot was once home to a glorious Georgian villa on the southern shore of Lake Windermere. Today, the house has gone but 45 acres of spring gardens, and wild flower meadows makes this a real all-season gem. Free for National Trust members and a great place to park up and explore on foot or by paddle. Fell Foot is unique in the Lake District, with a complex of historic gothic boathouses, one is now a cafe and another a shop. Its modern Active Base facilities for those water sport activity lovers and open parkland with play area for little ones. Here you’ll find a Pinetum, garden and native flower meadows. There is an easy 1.6 mile heritage circular walk, enjoy a picnic on the lawns or a dip in the lake the choice is yours.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Fell Foot Park, Windermere<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Brantwood House<\/a>,\u00a0Coniston<\/h4>\n

This 18th century house and garden occupies a wonderful location overlooking Coniston Water. Today it still houses the quirky character of its most famous occupant, Victorian art critic, John Ruskin. It\u2019s truly brimming with fascinating treasures from this avid collector\u2019s 28 years living in the Lake District.\u00a0 The estate ranges from lakeshore meadows to high, open fell with a stunning diversity of flora and fauna. A range of trails thread the estate and a trail guide is available in the shop.<\/p>\n

At the Estate\u2019s heart are eight unique and beautiful gardens which continue the many radical experiments in land management and horticulture which Ruskin began. They cover three areas \u2013 the northern and southern gardens, which involve some walking uphill, and the lower gardens which are suitable for all. \u00a0Dogs on a lead are allowed in the gardens.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Brantwood House, Coniston<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n

Larch Cottage Nurseries<\/a>, Penrith<\/h4>\n

Hidden away in the tiny hamlet of Melkinthorpe in the Eden Valley is one of the country\u2019s great horticultural gems. Established by the Cumbrian landscape designer Peter Stott, the owner in 1984, the business has grown from originally providing plants for his landscaping business into a true garden of Eden with a thriving nursery.<\/p>\n

Romanesque walls, draped with greenery, act as a backdrop for the plant displays bursting with mature stock plants that have been cultivated on the local land. There\u2019s an intimacy and tranquillity to these gardens, over the years Peter has created\u00a0romantic settings with pathways that lead the visitor on a journey through abundant herbaceous borders dotted with giant urns and statuary.<\/p>\n

There is also a shop and restaurant at Larch Cottage to really help you unwind and soak up the peacefulness of the place.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Larch Cottage Nurseries<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sizergh Castle<\/a>, Kendal<\/h4>\n

Sizergh’s beautiful gardens, estate walks, adventure trails, woodland discoveries and birdwatching mean you could spend all your time here outdoors. With acres of wetland and woodland to explore, along with the formal gardens, and one of the best fern and acer collections in the UK.\u00a0 You’ll also discover informal wild flower meadows, down to the bird hides Moss at Low Park, where you’ll see migrating birds coming and going.\u00a0 After all that you’ll need some refreshment so Ashbank Cafe beckons.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Sizergh Castle in spring<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Holker Hall<\/a>, Cark-in-Cartmel<\/h4>\n

The 25 acres of formal and informal gardens at Holker Hall are stunning all year round, and if you go in spring you’ll enjoy the enormous rhododendrons in full flower, along with the iconic Neptune Cascade at its best, and the gorgeous tulips in the formal garden.\u00a0 Spring bulbs sprout in the vast grass amphitheatre. Bluebells\u00a0 and wild garlic will follow in the lush, green woodland and the ultimate sign of spring – all types of blossom – cherry blossom, apple blossom, hawthorn. The house itself dates back to the 1600s,\u00a0 and is still the home of the Cavendish family -and the whole place is surrounded by 200 acres of parkland \u2013 where you’ll see the estate\u2019s fallow deer roaming in the trees.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Holker garden in the spring<\/p><\/div>\n

Wherever you choose to go, they all have cafe’s or tearooms, and many have shops to browse, selling fabulous local produce.<\/p>\n

If you love all things gardening here\u2019s a couple of our local garden centres to browse too:<\/h4>\n

Beetham Nurseries & Garden Centre<\/strong>:\u00a0 Beetham, near Milnthorpe.\u00a0 Lovely garden centre, with excellent caf\u00e9 and shop.<\/p>\n

Grasmere Garden Village:<\/strong> Grasmere. Cafe, gift shop including clothes and garden centre right in the heart of Grasmere village<\/p>\n

Hayes Garden World, Ambleside<\/strong> \u2013 large gift shop, garden centre, caf\u00e9 and Christmas central!<\/p>\n

Abi & Tom’s Garden Plants<\/strong>: Halecat, nr Kendal. Garden plant centre<\/p>\n

Ellie’s Hill Foot Garden Centre:<\/strong> Ulverston. Garden centre, cafe, florist and shop.<\/p>\n

\n

Step into spring and find your perfect garden retreat in the Lakes by browsing our collection of cottages!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We have some amazing gardens throughout the Lake District, that are beautiful throughout the seasons, but we do love a wander through a garden in the spring.\u00a0 \u00a0The days are getting lighter and longer, plenty of birdsong and spring flowers and blossom brightening our day. Read on for our small selection of lovely Spring gardens […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":162,"featured_media":3805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1029],"tags":[2040,2042,2041,2039],"class_list":["post-3798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do","tag-fell-foot","tag-holker-hall","tag-sizergh","tag-spring-gardens","location-lake-district"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/162"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3798"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8869,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3798\/revisions\/8869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lakelovers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}