
Green and pleasant parks are just one part of London’s unending charm, but come early spring, one park turns a vibrant shade of yellow. That would be St James’s Park, one of the city’s eight Royal Parks and the major beneficiary of the one million daffodil bulbs planted across the Royal Parks each year. The daffodils are currently in bloom, so if you’re itching to gaze across a sea of nodding yellow flowers, then you know where to go!
As you’d expect from a park lying within the sightlines of Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park is pretty immaculately kept at the best of times. However, I’d argue that the emergence of the daffodils each spring shows the park in its best possible light, as the flowers carpet the ground in a stunning showcase of seasonal beauty.
The other best part about the daffodils emerging and rearing their heads? Photos of dogs in and amongst the daffodils! Frankly, any kind of London phenomena that results in MORE DOGS on our social feeds gets full approval from me!
Just be sure to keep an eye on your dog among the blooms, as they are toxic if ingested.
Other sights at St James’ Park
The daffodils are by no means the only sight to enjoy right now, as London’s crocuses have also been making an appearance over the past week.
And if you’re at St James’ Park you’ll definitely want to check out the spring flowerbeds, such as the St James’s Park Store yard border where the violas and bellis are just starting to come into bloom. Head down soon and you might be lucky enough to capture them as they open up in full bloom.
Plus, you can work in a visit to St James’s Park pelicans, who’ve been a fixture in the park for almost 400 years.
If you’re planning a picnic with a friend on a sunny day, then a sojourn amongst the daffodils makes for a pretty dreamy afternoon. Catching the daffodils is just the warmup act for the full beauty of London in spring – with tulips, cherry blossoms, and azaleas all coming into bloom soon.
St James’s Park is open from 5am to midnight all year round. The nearest stations are St. James’s Park, Charing Cross Station, Westminster, Green Park, and Victoria.