Bluebells in full bloom in Fife gardens – this is where to see them

Bluebells are appearing in woodlands and along the bottoms of hedgerows, turning the ground blue and filling the air with the unmistakable scent of our native Hyacinthoides non-scripta. They are often a sign of old woodland and Scotland has some of the best in the UK, places where the flowers open beneath long-established trees on ground that has never been disturbed.

Bluebells will be in bloom throughout May and gardening network, Discover Scottish Gardens, is urging as many people as possible to get out and explore the magical spaces where these flowers grow.

In Fife, you will find them in abundance in Leven. Over the last 25 years the gardens of the Teasses estate have been spectacularly restored, with sweeping flower beds, a huge productive walled garden with heritage greenhouses and acres of old woodland where bluebells grow in abundance.

The contrast between the carefully tended formal setting and the wilder areas are part of the estate’s appeal. Visit www.teasses.com/

Bluebells can also been seen in west Fife at Kirklands Gardens in Saline. They include herbaceous borders, a bog garden and 20 acres of self-regenerating woodland. The existing woodland garden is filled with bluebells, which grow alongside other spring flowers including fritillaries, trilliums and erythroniums. This year Kirklands is marking 30 years of opening for charity as part of Scotland's Gardens Scheme., Visit www.kirklandsgardens.co.uk

For more information on all the locations in the top ten, visit www.discoverscottishgardens.org