Spring is on its way in London and our beautiful parks and gardens come alive with a vibrant array of colours, scents, activities and events that celebrate the joy and the benefit of spending time outdoors.
For a city where the living spaces are small and come at a premium, London is generous with its green spaces boasting over 3000 of parks, gardens, and green spaces. With 2.8 hectares of green space per 1000 residents and 21 percent of London’s landscape being trees, this makes our capital the largest urban forest in the world.
Whether you are interested in the horticulture or just love exploring and learning about nature, London is a great place to be as there is a green space for everyone to enjoy in our diverse city. Here are some of our favourites.
Visit London’s historic gardens
London is home to over 70 public gardens, including the famous Kew Botanic Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage site where visitors can spend a whole day learning, exploring and just enjoying nature. In good weather, the award winning play ground is one of the best we have tried (needs booking), the greenhouses hosts plant collections from all over the world we love to photograph and draw. This year, this prestigious garden is hosting Henry Moore’s biggest ever outdoor exhibition from 9 May.
Chelsea Physic Garden is the oldest botanical garden in London. Founded in 1673 to help with the study of medicinal plants and their uses it is now one of the most important centre of botany and plant exchanges in the world. The garden is small and more like a hidden gem compared to Kew but it is located in Chelsea, one of the nicest London boroughs and the host of the world prestigious Chelsea Flower Show that takes place each May. Come this elegant part of London to see the spectacular cherry blossom and Wisteria displays in May or to marvel at the floral creativity during the Chelsea in Bloom festival.
London is also home to many Palaces and historic houses that open their gardens for the public to enjoy. From famous gardens of royal residences like Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court Palace that are open to visitors at certain times of the year, there are many free gardens like the Fulham Palace (the home of oldest wisteria in the UK), Chiswich House and Gardens (with a kitchen garden that is home of many family friendly activities throughout the year), or the award winning Jurassic Garden at the Natural History museum.
Discover London’s amazing parks
London’s green spaces attract millions of visitors each year with Hyde Park alone counting an average of around 8 million visitors each year, making it one of the most visited parks in the world. Our favourite London park is St James Park located in the heart of London, between Buckingham Palace and the UK Prime Minister’s residence at Number 10 Downing Street. This park is very popular with tourists and it is known for its celebrity pelicans that have been living here since 1664, beautiful landscape and curious squirrels.
During early spring, the parks are filled with the delicate scent of daffodils then, as the days get longer and the sun warms up the grounds our amazing parks fill will colour. As for the largest park in London, Richmond Park gets top spot with its 2,500 acres. This great park is also a UNESCO-listed site and is also home to over 600 wild deer and a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Isabella Plantation is on everyone’s agenda during the azaleas flowering in April and May.
An annual opportunity to access London’s hidden gardens
Every year in June, London reveals its hidden, greener side. For one weekend only, on 6 and 7 June 120 gardens across the capital open their gates, inviting visitors to explore spaces that are
usually closed to the public. From tucked-away courtyards to expansive private gardens, London Open Gardens 2026 offers a rare opportunity to experience the city through its most unexpected, hidden nooks and corners.
Over the weekend, people of all ages can explore and enjoy some of the hidden gems that make our city special. We love to explore the least known areas in various neighbourhoods, meet the amazing residents and the people that make this event such a success. But most of all we enjoy hearing about the garden’s histories, the tales and gossip about the residents that lived there many years ago, and in some places, there is tea and cake, and playgrounds to keep the little ones interested too. This event raises important funds that help protect London’s precious green spaces. A £26.15 ticket gives access to all gardens and the under 12s go free. Book your ticket here.
With its mild climate and diverse landscape, London has many green places to enjoy whatever the weather. And our parks, gardens, allotments, nature reserves and green places are getting more accessible with each season giving us all an opportunity to play, learn and enjoy nature.
For the latest reviews, updates and recommendations follow @younglondonist on Instagram. For more ideas of things to do with the kids in London, visit our events and activities area which provides details of free events and special offers in London’s finest venues.