A visit to Cornwall in early summer, before the crowds descend during the school holidays, is a rewarding experience and there is an abundance of gardens to choose from. Thanks to the benign climate a wide range of plants can be grown here, from the great Asiatic shrubs to tender exotics.

Among the outstanding visits is a specially arranged guided tour of the garden at Tregrehan with owner Tom Hudson, who will give us his personal insight into the pleasures and pitfalls of gardening here in the Duchy of Cornwall. Other highlights include the garden at Marsh Villa, the result of years of hard labour by the enthusiastic owner; the Tremenheere Scuplture Garden near Penzance, which has established itself as a major attraction over the last decade, and Bonython, a courtyard garden with colour-themed shrubs and perennials. We also offer the opportunity to visit one of the wonders of the garden world, the unique Abbey Gardens on the island of Tresco, a sub-tropical paradise which has been dubbed ‘Eden with the lid off’. Our tour is topped and tailed with visits to two distinguished gardens, Gertrude Jekyll’s masterpiece of Hestercombe, and the impeccable RHS Garden Rosemoor, where the multitudes of roses will be at their best.