A taste of the tropics
You don’t have to miss out on seeing exotic beauties from holiday spots – they are right here in Britain too
MANY have decided to stay in the UK this summer but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy tropical flowers, architectural gems from the Mediterranean, or jungle-style plants with huge leaves. Here is my guide to ten of the most inspirational exotic gardens to visit in Britain.
Tregrehan, Cornwall
Close to the bustling town of St Austell is a 20-acre woodland garden packed with unusual species from around the world. There are schefflera from Vietnam and pseudopanax from New Zealand, while massive clumps of South American bromeliads thrive at the base of trees. Bananas and crinums flank the doorway to a 196ft-long, 19th Century glasshouse protecting plants from the frost. Open every Wednesday, 1-4.30pm. tregrehangarden.co.uk
The Walled Gardens of Cannington, Somerset
Located within the grounds of Bridgwater & Taunton College is a 3.5-acre zoned garden. Among them is a subtropical walk, where yuccas, crinum and pollarded foxglove trees, with their massive leaves, nestle beneath huge Chusan palms. Elsewhere, there’s a 246ft herbaceous border with plants in ‘hot’ shades of red, yellow and orange. Open Tuesday-Sunday. canningtonwalledgardens.co.uk
Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight
Founded in 1970 by Sir Harold Hillier, this 22-acre gem is on the south coast of the island on the former site of the Royal National Hospital for Diseases of the Chest. There’s a sunny rock bank planted with succulents and prickly pear cacti, a dell of tree ferns and a grove of olive trees from Sicily. Look out for wall lizards on the south-facing terraces in the Mediterranean garden. botanic.co.uk
RHS Wisley, Surrey
Planted in 2017, the exotic garden at the RHS’s centre of operations contains a plethora of large-leaved and colourful beauties set in beds around a central fountain. Ginger lilies, dahlias and canna lilies rub shoulders under towering palms, bananas and loquats. There’s plenty more late summer interest in this wonderland, most notably its 420ftlong double mixed borders. rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley
Arundel Castle, West Sussex
A stone’s throw from the Norman castle is a two-acre walled garden that sits in the shadow of a Gothic revival cathedral. Temples, pergolas and water features provide structure in a space with borders filled with vibrant perennials and leafy exotics. Don’t miss the stumpery, where lilies, tree ferns and hollyhocks thrive among 100 tree stumps that have been upturned and pl anted with t heir r oots above ground. arundelcastle.org
Newby Hall, North Yorkshire
A late 17th Century house designed by Sir Christopher Wren watches over a 40-acre landscape that contains a tropical garden, where tender gems such as castor oil plant, leonotis and phytolacca are bedded out in summer among exotic-looking hardy plants, such as phormiums, yuccas and sea hollies. There’s lots more to inspire, including the longest herbaceous borders in the country, which sweep 450ft down to the banks of the River Ure. newbyhallandgardens.com
Mount Stewart, County Down
Originally laid out in the 1920s, Mount Stewart enjoys a favourable microclimate that allows plants from the Southern Hemisphere to thrive. It includes tree ferns from Chile and Cordyline indivisa, a plant endemic to New Zealand. A highlight of this 97-acre garden on the shores of Strangford Lough is the Italian garden with its vibrant displays of crocosmia, canna lilies and red hot pokers. nationaltrust.org.uk/mountstewart
Portmeirion, Gwynedd
Set above a tidal estuary in North Wales, this Italianate village was created by architect Clough Williams-Ellis and used as the setting for cult 1960s TV show The Prisoner. It nestles within a 70-acre subtropical woodland garden that’s criss- crossed with 20 miles of pathways. There are monkey puzzle trees, palms, eucalyptus, tree ferns and rare rhododendrons with huge leaves. portmeirion.wales
Logan Botanic Garden, Dumfries and Galloway
Billed as ‘Scotland’s most exotic garden’, Logan is on the Rhinns of Galloway, a peninsula that protrudes into the Irish Sea. The 24-acre wonderland enjoys a mild climate due to the Gulf Stream, which provides the perfect conditions for exotics to thrive. Its set-piece spectacular is the walled garden, where palms, cordylines and tree ferns provide vertical interest above salvias, crocosmias and dieramas. rbge.org.uk/visit/logan-botanicgarden
Inverewe, Ross-shire
Started by Osgood Mackenzie in 1862, this 50-acre woodland garden on the banks of Loch Ewe boasts an amazing collection of plants that thrive due to the warmth of the Gulf Stream.
Bamboos, palms, eucalyptus and myrtles are among species to discover while exploring miles of twisting pathways. The garden boasts more than 60 types of daisy bush ( olearia), a group of evergreen flowering shrubs from the Antipodes. nts.org.uk
Pre-booking is essential for some gardens, so check online before travelling. To ensure the safety of visitors, many have introduced an online system for pre-booking tickets and a time slot. Those without pre-booked tickets will not be admitted.