Six of the best: SPRING SPECTACLES

With a nod to hanami, Japan's annual cherry blossom celebration, Rhiannon Batten discovers the best UK spots to enjoy blossoming spring blooms

- Rhiannon Batten

Ulting Wick

An 11-acre Essex garden grafted into being over 25 years by owners Philippa and Bryan Burrough, Ulting Wick features impressive displays of dahlias, a wildflower meadow and more, but it's best known for its tulips. Thousands of bulbs are planted each November and December against a backdrop of listed black barns - most of them in colourful box parterre beds, but others in clusters of pink or white elsewhere. Yet more can be found billowing in naturalistic drifts alongside the garden's stream and pond. The garden is open in aid of the National Garden Scheme on a handful of dates through the year, but April visits understandably get snapped up quickly. ultingwickgarden.co.uk

Caerhays

From blackthorn to apple blossom, bluebells to azaleas, each month in spring has its botanical showstoppers, and each corner of the country a standout bloom. In Cornwall, all eyes are on magnolias. Six champion specimens are scrutinised across six different Great Gardens and the date they come into bloom recorded. Once all six have a full flush of at least 50 flowers (followers can keep abreast via The Nare hotel's online Bloomometer), spring is officially said to have arrived in England. While all the gardens are spectacular, Caerhays' magnolia collection features a remarkable 16 champion magnolia trees of different varieties. greatgardensofcornwall.co.uk