Places to visit
Recommended places to see seasonal plants at their best May is the nicest month to visit gardens, the days are long and the gardens are full of youthful vigour. Inverewe in northwest Scotland is one of the finest gardens in the UK. It nestles on the shores of the beautiful Loch Ewe and is bathed in the Gulf Stream-warmed winds. It’s notable for the collections of rare trees and shrubs, mixed borders and for its collection of somewhat-tender plants growing at a northerly extreme. The gorgeous vegetable garden looks out over the loch and is very well kept. Inverewe, Achnasheen, Poolewe IV22 2LG. Tel 0131 458 0200, nts.org.uk
May is an especially good month to visit the Beth Chatto Gardens and see all the elements from the famous gravel garden to the woodland doing really well. The garden not only boasts
lovely compositions but interesting collections of plants. It has a fine nursery, which is worth a trip alone. Elmstead Market, Colchester, Essex CO7 7DB. Tel 01206 822007, bethchatto.co.uk
Rhododendrons are at their best in May and Bowood House in Wiltshire has a very notable and historic collection in the woodland gardens, which are open from 28 April until early June. It is home to extensive plantings originally conceived in 1854 and the planting continues today with the addition of many rare and exciting species. Bowood House and Gardens, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0LZ. Tel 01249 81210, bowood.org
Should you be planning a trip to Italy this month, then now is the perfect time to visit one of the world’s most romantic gardens, Ninfa, near Rome. It’s the stunning combination of ruins, climbing roses and a chalk stream that make the garden so very special. Roses and wisteria tumble from the ruins and trees into the clear, slinking waters – all beneath a Mediterranean sun. Bellissimo! Giardino di Ninfa, Doganella di Ninfa, Via Provinciale Ninfina 68, 04012 Cisterna di Latina, Latina, Italy. fondazionecaetani.org