April's garden highlights

25 March 2026

April is an exciting month at Furzey Gardens as the colours on display become more varied and particularly vibrant.

As you enter the gardens, the view across the top lawn hints at the delights which await you on your stroll. The elegant and graceful flowers of magnolia, slowly give way to the more bold and vibrant colours of rhododendron and azalea with the earliest varieties just beginning to flower, preparing us for dazzling displays still to come later in the month.

Great White Cherry blossom

At the beginning of the month, blossom takes centre stage. The delicate blooms of our prunus collection brighten the dullest of days. One particular specimen to note is the Great White Cherry, Prunus Tai-haku which has an interesting history, having been thought to be extinct but found in the most unlikely of places, a garden in Sussex in 1932. 

Throughout the month, more and more blooms will burst giving way to a riot of spring colour. Rhododendron Racemosum offers rose pink flowers, whilst Azalea luteum shows beautiful bright yellow flowers which are highly scented and attractive to bees. Look out too for Rhododendron irrorata, a delightful pale pink flower with crimson spots, Azalea hinomayo with pink funnel shaped flowers and purple azalea. By the end of the month our entire rhododendron and azalea collection should be in bloom, a sight that you will not want to miss. 

Deep pink azalea beginning to flower by Typhoon Tower

When you visit this month, make sure to pick up our Spring plants of interest leaflet from our welcome team. This is full of our spring highlights including the unusual sight of the Judas tree, sercis siliquastrum. The flowers of the Judas tree grow straight out of the trunk and branches of the tree. 

Also on our list of highlights is one of our original specimens, Osmanthus delavayi- an evergreen shrub with scented white jasmine like flowers.

Down in our arboretum Cherry Tree Grove, which was planted in 2024 will be flowering at the beginning of the month. The delicate pink flowers add a beautiful contrast to the landscape in that area of the garden. 

Bright pink flowers of Judas tree, Cercis siliquastrum.

If you are looking for a family trip out, our Furzey Fairy Easter Egg Hunt will keep the family entertained. The Easter Bunny has been delivering Easter baskets to the Furzey Fairies, can you sopt all 12 to claim your Easter treat. Trail runs from 28 March – 12 April. Trail costs £2, plus garden entrance donation applies.

The gardens and tea rooms are open seven days a week, 10am – 4pm. During our peak season and throughout the summer we will no longer allow dogs in the gardens, only assistance dogs on a lead.