Great garden getaways

Spring is bursting out all over, with blossom on the wind, new flowers emerging and creatures shaking off hibernation. This season of rebirth is the best time to explore some of the world's greatest flower and garden destinations, enjoying daytime temperatures that make strolling a delight. And that doesn't just give you inspiration for your own plot, it's a natural boost for your wellbeing that's priceless. Explore our pick of verdant destinations, for short trips or longer breaks, to discover nature's greatest spectacle and put a spring in your step...

Tulips were once worth more than their weight in gold, back in 17th-century Holland, when 'tulipomania' swept the nation and single bulbs changed hands for up to £1m in today's money. That bubble has long burst, but the Dutch craze for spring bulbs – the tulip specifically – has never died, so it's the perfect destination for everyone seeking spring flower inspiration. Make Amsterdam your base, to enjoy the annual Tulip Festival (20 March-11 May), with displays at 85 locations around the city, and visit its famous floating flower market.

Keukenhof Gardens, the Netherlands

The most spectacular spring show of all is at Keukenhof gardens, near Lisse, just 30 minutes by shuttle bus from the city, where over seven million flower bulbs are planted fresh every autumn. Open for just six weeks, its peak is mid-April (weather dependent) when rivers of kaleidoscopic flowers flow through the 80-acre site, for an eye-popping display – cameras at the ready! Saturday 12 April sees this year's traditional Flower Parade of decorated floats passing the gates of Keukenhof, so expect crowds.

For an exuberant celebration of flowers, from a population that rivals the Dutch in its passion for plants, head to Madeira. This volcanic Atlantic island has the subtropical climate and soil conditions to support a long season of interest in its many gardens, and it welcomes the world every May to its Flower Festival. This celebration of spring fills the streets with flowers, fashion, culture and a carnival spirit. While the capital Funchal is the focus of events and concerts, you can escape the heat and crowds by heading into the surrounding hills to explore world-renowned gardens, including the flower-filled 'Blandy Gardens' at Palheiro, offering striking views across the city and bay. Ride the cable car from town up to the Madeira Botanical Garden with its mix of native plants, herbs and drought-loving cacti, and the eclectic gardens of Monte Palace. For an adrenaline-powered trip back to town, take the Monte toboggan, an open wicker sledge on runners steered by white-uniformed drivers.

While Madeira's flower festival parades through crowd-lined streets, the Andalucian city of Córdoba celebrates spring in a more intimate way. Its Patio Festival offers a rare glimpse behind closed gates, into private courtyards and shady sanctuaries influenced by Moorish architecture, for just a few weeks in May. It started as a competition among local residents in the 1920s for the best-dressed courtyard and is now fiercely competitive. Pick up a map of participants at any tourist centre or join a guided walking tour.

If you thought the Chelsea Flower Show was inspiring, don't miss two newer festivals across the water that rival it for innovation and design – with the added attraction of great gardens on their doorstep. First to the Loire valley, near Tours, for the International Garden Festival of Chaumont-sur-Loire. Where Chelsea demands just a week of perfection from its participants, Chaumont's festival runs for eight months, from April to November. With the ancient Loire château as backdrop, international designers create real living gardens of domestic size that evolve through the months, for ever-changing seasonal interest.

Villandry

Just a short drive away is one of France's greatest gardens, Villandry, surrounding a breathtaking, restored, Renaissance château. The planting is colour-saturated from April to autumn, starting with thousands of tulips in drifts between its 30km of box hedging – plus an extensive kitchen garden, or potager, run on strict organic principles. Part of the château's appeal is that it's still family-owned and -occupied, so allow time to nosy inside!

Crossing the Irish Sea, Dublin should be on every nature lover's wishlist, as one of the greenest capitals in Europe. At its heart lies the 1,700-acre Phoenix Park, home to wild deer, the Irish President's residence and Bloom, the garden festival with a relaxed vibe but serious design credentials (29 May-2 June). From show gardens to postage-stamp plots, advice stages and foodie suppliers, it's a full day out – but remember you can't bring home plants or seeds, due to import restrictions, post-Brexit.

Less than an hour south of Dublin, you reach Ireland's 'garden county' of Wicklow, for three glorious gardens to rival the best in the world, in contrasting ways. Powerscourt is a grand statement of power and money, with formal gardens and statuary dating to the 18th century. Sheltered in the lee of Great Sugar Loaf mountain, spring bursts into life here early in the ornamental walled, Italianate and colourful Japanese gardens, while its waterfall (Ireland's highest) adds Gothic drama to extensive woodlands.

The Blake family are trend-setters in Irish gardening – led by siblings Jimi and June, who open their gardens just a mile apart. Jimi is the horticultural collector and obsessive, while June is a gifted grower and designer, so the spaces look and feel very different. Head to Jimi's atmospheric Hunting Brook, for a series of eclectic gardens, driven by rare plant discoveries, while June Blake's Garden is a more formally designed space steeped in glorious colour combinations.

Central Park, New York

The epitome of spring is cherry blossom, and Japan has elevated its enjoyment to an art – known as hanami, or flower watching. While peak blooming weeks vary with the weather and latitude (check the flowering forecast), it's generally early April for Tokyo. Head to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, where among its 1,000 cherry trees are a breathtaking ribbon of 400 of the Yoshino variety, bred for the Japanese climate, which flower simultaneously. There's an entry fee to the garden – unlike other public spaces for blossom watching – and pre-booking at weekends and public holidays is required, but it's worth it for the spectacle and scale, across 144 acres, plus fewer crowds. Destination city parks on the blossom trail include Ueno and Sumida (open daily and free), both of which host festivals and open after dusk for illuminated walks.

Japan's cultural influence in the early 20th century led many western designers to adopt its style, notably across North America where conditions allowed similar plants to thrive. Among the greatest creations from that time is the Butchart Gardens, on Canada's Vancouver Island, whose 125-year old Japanese garden lies at the very heart of this ever-changing seasonal expanse, hewn from an old quarry. Rated among the best public gardens in North America, colour is its byword with spring the peak season of interest, from mid-March to late May, in this peaceful, waterfront escape.

But if you prefer your blossom served up with the buzz of a city, the Big Apple has it all. New Yorkers enjoy their own daily hanami at its two world-famous botanic gardens, the New York Botanical, in the Bronx, and Brooklyn Botanic. Created in the 19th century, historic glasshouses and mature plantings are their backbone, ensuring that colour and interest pops in every season. But it's most welcome in spring, after New York's cold winters, when the blossom (don't miss Brooklyn's 'Kanzan' cherry avenue) and blooms of tulips, magnolias, orchids and more announce the new season. Track blossom time from March to May via Brooklyn Botanic's online Cherry Watch, to ensure your visit hits peak petal. Enjoy the show!