Live in London, or heading here to visit, and fancy treating your eyeballs to some flowers? Bookmark this guide to when and where to see flowers at their beautiful best in London. Fill your life with even more flowers with this guide to days out in the capital for garden lovers.
The best time of year to see flowers in London
When to catch flowers in bloom depends exactly what you want to see. The snowdrops emerge as early as January, followed by a whole host of other floral displays put on by nature, right around to the leaves dropping from the trees in autumn. Here's a rough calendar of when the most popular flowers flourish, though bear in mind that exact dates each year are down to Mother Nature.
Snowdrops (January-February): Barely has a new year begun when the first signs of spring make themselves known, in the form of snowdrops pushing through the often frozen ground. Myddelton House Gardens in Enfield is worth watching, as it hosts a snowdrop sale each January, but read our full guide to seeing snowdrops in London for further insight.
Daffodils (February-April): Toot toot! The yellow trumpets, widely associated with Easter, are scattered across parks, fields and grass verges throughout the country, including here in London, providing a welcome splash of colour ahead of the main spring blooms. To see them in large numbers, seek out specific spots in the Royal Parks, or the aptly-named Daffodil Crescent — full details in our guide to seeing daffodils in London.
Tulips (March-May): We've a huge soft spot for tulips, the magnificent flowers which come in so many shades and shapes. Seek them out in more formal flower beds than other plants. The Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival (more on which below) is a London tulip hotspot along with certain parks — our guide to seeing tulips in London has all the info.
Magnolia (March-June): The petals of magnolias tend to be more delicate and less resilient than the similar cherry blossom, meaning that they don't stay around for as long. There's no specific place to head for a gathering of magnolia trees — it's more a case of (respectfully) admiring them from outside people's gardens, in areas such as Kensington, Holland Park and Chelsea.
Bluebells (April-May): Woodland areas and cemeteries are your best chance to see bluebells. The delicate purple-tinged wildflowers often exist in huge numbers as they spread easily — though note that native English bluebells are a protected species, so picking them is strictly prohibited. Our guide to bluebell season in the capital has some of the best places to see them.
Cherry blossom (April-May): Spots in Greenwich Park, Holland Park and Kew Gardens have become known for the candy floss-esque cherry blossom trees, as well as the Blossom Garden in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, planted in 2021 in memory of victims of the Covid pandemic. Our London cherry blossom guide covers some lesser-known spots, too.
Wisteria (April-May): Wisteria hysteria hits London each spring, as the purple tendrils unfurl, coating corners of the city in a lavender haze. Find your nearest Wisteria spot, and get snapping for the 'gram.
Rhododendrons and azaleas (April-May): The Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park is the top place to head for rhododendrons and azaleas around the water. Kew Gardens also has its own Rhododendron Dell, and Cannizaro Park in Wimbledon is another hotspot.
Roses (May-July): Though more often thought of as a country garden flower, roses have roots in London too, including at dedicated rose gardens in Regent's Park and Hyde Park. Our guide to rose gardens in London has all the info you need.
Lavender (June-August): Due to the space and conditions needed to grow lavender, London itself isn't replete with the purple-hued fields — though you will find a small lavender plantation in Vauxhall Park, just a few minutes' walk from the station. Alternatively, head for the Instagram-famous Mayfield Lavender on the London-Surrey border, or make a day of it and visit one of these lavender farms in the counties surrounding London.
Sunflowers (July-September): You may see the occasional row of sunflowers in a planted flower bed in central London, but for whole fields of them, head for these sunflower fields near London.
Where to see flowers in bloom in London
Not fussy about which flowers you see? If you're in central London in spring or summer, there are plenty of places you can wander for free and see beautifully tended flowerbeds. Find some of our favourite spots on the interactive map above. Pack a book, or head there on your lunch break.
Flower festivals and floral events in London
Orchids at Kew (February-March)
The London botanical calendar gets underway with the annual Orchids festival at Kew Gardens. Each year, a different country which has native orchid species is chosen and celebrated. Kew horticulturists create incredible sculptures themed on that country from the flowers (2026's theme is China, resulting in floral dragons, pandas and monkeys), with themed events and evening openings too. Ideal for the time of year, the Orchid festival is tucked away in the warm, sometimes steamy, Princess of Wales Conservatory — a welcome blast of both colour and heat on a chilly February day.
Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival (April)
Tulips spill out of the Tudor wine fountain, and sit in 'floating' bowls among the Great Fountain during the Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival. The grounds of Henry VIII's former stomping ground are a riot of colour with tens of thousands of the flowering bulbs.
Chelsea Flower Show (May)
The highlight of London's horticultural calendar is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which takes over the gardens of the Royal Hospital Chelsea for almost a week each May. It's not cheap to get in, but you usually get a fair bit of celeb-spotting (and occasional royal-spotting) for your money, along with a chance to view show gardens created by the country's foremost green-fingered whizzes. If you have a garden of your own and inspiration strikes, there are plenty of opportunities to buy everything you need to give it a makeover.
Top tip: on the Sunday, the final day of the show, many of the plants are sold off at reduced prices, so that's your best shot at bagging a bargain. And if you happen to be riding the District line through Sloane Square on the Sunday afternoon, it's not uncommon to see people squeezing miniature palm trees and other new purchases onto the carriages to get them home.
Chelsea in Bloom (May)
While the Royal Hospital Chelsea hosts the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the nearby streets come alive with FREE flower festival Chelsea in Bloom. Each year, the festival has a different theme (for 2026, it's 'Out Of This World'), with shops, restaurants and bars in the area installing huge floral sculptures on that theme. The action centres around Sloane Square, with special events and activities.
Belgravia in Bloom (May)
Similarly, the adjacent neighbourhood hosts Belgravia in Bloom over the same week. Again it's free, with a different theme each year (and a different theme from Chelsea — the 2026 theme is 'Fairy Tales in Belgravia') with local shops and businesses erecting colourful displays for visitors to view. With some sturdy shoes, you can tick off both Chelsea in Bloom and Belgravia in Bloom on the same day.
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival (July - not 2026)
Similar to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, but in — dare we say — even fancier surroundings, the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival usually comes to London in July, though it's taking a leaf out of Glasto's book and skipping 2026. It's a chance to hear from experts, view show displays, and pick up whatever you need to pimp up your own garden.
Keep an eye on the RHS website for other, smaller events in London, and other RHS gardens around the country.
Strawberry Hill House Tulip Festival (September)
Magnificent Gothic castle Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham usually holds a flower festival in September, decorating each of the historic rooms with floral displays on a certain theme. The focus is on sustainability, with no foam or single-use plastic in the displays. Keep an eye on the website for details of this year's event.
London's flower markets
Columbia Road Flower Market
"Jasmine a tenner. Like your mother-in-law, it'll never die" is one of the more memorable sales pitches we've heard bellowed by the stallholders at Columbia Road Flower Market. Taking place each Sunday from 8am, it's a proper East End market, stallholders pitching up early doors and unloading vans full of loose flowers, bouquets, wreaths, houseplants... and the occasional palm tree or larger piece of greenery.
Covent Garden Flower Market
Previously located at its namesake, New Covent Garden Market can now be found in Nine Elms, and is primarily a wholesale market, though it is open to the public. First thing to know: you'll have to be up early, as it's only open 4am-10am. Second important thing: it's cold in there, kept chilled to keep the flowers fresh. If you're looking for large amounts of flowers for a special occasion — a wedding perhaps — it's worth a trip. If you're just after your average ready-made bouquet, it's probably not for you.
Deptford Flower Market
Usually taking place on the first Saturday of the month (though check forthcoming dates on the website), Deptford Flower Market has an ever-changing array of stallholders selling bouquets of flowers along with other items such as books, gifts, food and drink. The centrepiece is the original 1960s milk float (pictured above) from which flowers are sold.
Alternatively, browse our pick of London's best florists.
