A TROPICAL garden in Cornwall has been named a top attraction in the UK.
The history of the gardens spans at least 700 years although only opened to the public in the 1980s.
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Trebah Garden in Cornwall has scooped up an award at the Cornwall Tourism AwardsCredit: AlamyIt has dedicated floral gardens, a koi pond, holiday lodge and even a secret beachCredit: Alamy
South of Falmouth is Trebah Gardenwhich has won the Large Visitor Attraction category at the 24thCornwall Tourism Awards.
While Trebah Garden opened to the public in 1987, the earliest records of it dates back to the the early 1300s.
Trebah Garden itself was established by Charles Fox back in 1831 – that’s when he bought the estate and began creating the garden.
Now, the gardens are popular with Brits seeking a day out and inside the garden you’ll find the likes of ‘Bamboozle’ – a maze of paths made from 50 species of black, brown, yellow and green bamboo.
There’s also the water garden which is built over a natural spring and is surrounded by lush plants and flowers like brightly coloured lilies.
Alice’s Seat is an open-fronted summer house which was built for Alice Hext who owned Trebah Garden with her husband Charles from 1907 to 1939.
Other pretty spaces include the Hydrangea and Rhododendron Valley, Mallard Pond, the Chilean Coomb and the Koi Pool which is home to around 10 koi carp.
One beautiful spot that you can’t see at the entrance is Polgwidden Cove – the hidden beach.
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The sheltered pebbled cove is at the bottom of the garden and is a great place to relax in the summertime, or take a brisk walk in winter.
On the shore is the Boathouse beach café which serves hot and cold drinks, snacks and Roskilly’s ice cream, although it’s only open from spring to autumn.
There are lots of flower gardens to explore and koi carp to spot in the lakeCredit: Alamy
Visitors can take their own picnic too, and take a dip in the sea.
One wrote on Tripadvisor: “Gorgeous views, greenery, a small amphitheatre and blooms on our way down to the beach.
“Small sparkling beach with a cafe which sold the most tasty vegan ice-cream I’ve ever eaten.”
Another called it “the best garden I have EVER visited”.
Trebah Garden is open daily throughout the year and also hosts events, exhibitions, and even festive workshops.
Its next major event is Stories with Santa where, in the lead up to Christmas, families can listen to a festive story, write to Santa, and get a gift.
Otherwise, you can head there to enjoy yoga at Trebah House, go to a Christmas Decoration Casting Workshop and Wooden Wreath Painting.
They also hold musical performances, watercolour painting classes and nature spotting sessions in the gardens.
The secret white pebbled beach is at the very bottom of the gardenCredit: Trebah Gardens
There’s an amphitheatre in the gardens too which holds live events from theatre to music, comedy, even puppetry and dance shows.
As for food, Trebah Kitchen serves up roast dinners, Fish & Chip Fridays and seasonal Christmas lunch and New Year’s Day Brunch.
Admission prices for entry start from £16.50 for adults, £8.25 for children between 5-15. Children under five go free.
Any especially keen holidaymakers can even stay on site in Trebah Lodge, the pretty stone cottage, and guests can wander through the gardens after hours.
The lodge has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and sleeps up to four – you can bring your pet pooch inside too.
The lodge is almost booked out for the whole of 2026 with a few dates remaining in November and December.
A five-night stay in the lodge from December 14-19 in 2026 starts from £855 – which is £171 per night.
Overlooked by tall cliffs to the north – and the English channel to the south, thanks to it’s unique microclimate this garden in the Isle of Wight has an average of 5°C higher all year round. It’s a truly mild climate – with only 29 inches of average rainfall. We visited in January and you could actually feel the warmer air once you got into the gardens.
Outdoor Jungle, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall
In the Outdoor Jungle you can wander along winding paths through bamboo and banana plantations marvelling at the exotic plants.
Bought back from across the world since Victorian times – it also features one of the longest Burmese Rope Bridges in Britain, stretching 100 feet above ancient tree ferns.
Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset
Home to tree frogs, and an unusual rough tree fern, Cyathea australis, exotic plants thrive in Abbotsbury’s sheltered coastal microclimate.
It boasts of brimming with exotic trees and perennials from the Mediterranean, New Zealand, South Africa, the Himalayas, and more. Found on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast – the subtropical gardens boast over 6000 species – and is open seven days a week all year round.
RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire
There’s a touch of the exotic in their Sub-Tropicana Garden.
It’s packed full of plants with a tropical nature – like hardy palms, soft tree ferns, and several bamboos providing a permanent framework – plus a heated glasshouse home to the most tender plants.
Yewbarrow House, Grange over Sands, Cumbria
Its warm microclimate and valley-location allows exotic and rare species to flourish here. Plus, there’s a Japanese-style infinity pool, orangery, restored Victorian kitchen garden, and views over Morecambe Bay.
Overbecks Garden, Salcombe, Devon
A subtropicalNational Trust garden, it’s bursting with colour and filled with exotic and rare plants. Not to mention, it has beautiful views over Salcombe estuary.
GARDEN centres are one of the quaintest places to visit on a weekend, and the oldest one in the UK dates back 70 years.
But it isn’t all about plants and afternoon tea – as it even holds festivals and epic Christmas events.
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Stewarts has three garden centres around the UKCredit: InstagramThere will be huge Christmas displays and a new Winter WonderlandCredit: Instagram
Stewarts has three garden centres around the UK; Stewarts Christchurch, Stewarts Abbey in Fareham and Stewarts Broomhill in Wimborne which is its oldest.
The business‘s founder, Edward Stewart, was inspired to create the garden centre model after seeing them in America and is credited with bringing the concept to the UK.
The beginning of the business was in 1742 when the family began its plant nursery in Dundee.
It wasn’t until later on in 1859 that the family business moved down to Dorset.
Stewarts Broomhill, which is the oldest of the three sites, first opened in 1955.
It’s not just your basic plants; it sells outdoor garden furniture, homeware, gifts, gardening tools, grow your own materials, and the likes of bird baths and insect houses.
They hold seasonal events too, like the upcoming Santa’s Winter Wonderland, starting on Saturday, November 22.
Families can wander through the wintry scene, check out the elves’ workshops, and Rudolph’s stable.
For the very first time, after meeting Santa, kids can explore the secret toy store and pick out a gift.
There are photo opportunities too from taking a ride in a Christmas campervan, to becoming a gingerbread man, and and elf.
The chain holds events throughout the year about how to care for plantsCredit: Instagram
Tickets to meet Santa and his elves at the Broomhill Garden Centre are £19.50 for children between 7 months and 12 years old.
Tickets for babies (0-6 months old) and adults are £3.50 each.
Each garden centre is also offering Winter Wonderland tickets for SEN sessions which will have a calmer atmosphere.
On Tripadvisor, one parent wrote: “It’s always a pleasure to visit at any time of year but at Christmas the most amazing spectacular is on hand when Santa Claus arrives exciting the youngsters of our family.”
Another added: “We went to visit Father Christmas today. It was excellent for the whole family. The Grotto was beautiful, snow was brilliant and the lights were bright and pretty. My little girl loved it.”
Stewarts will open its Winter Wonderland in late NovemberCredit: instagram/@stewartsgardencentres
At certain garden centres, events are held throughout the year too.
Stewarts Broomhill Garden Centre has held events like the Primrose Festival Nursery Open Day – which demonstrates how to grow Primroses – and you got a cream tea included.
Meanwhile, the Stewarts garden centre in Christchurch, Dorset, held its own Grill Fest over the summer holiday.
Over a weekend it held barbecue demonstrations – with plenty to eat of course, live music and expert tips on how to do alfresco cooking.
There are other expert talks on how to grow trees, rewild your garden, wildlife gardening and planting bulbs properly.
Here’s one garden centre which is one of the fanciest in England…
Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey spent her childhood at one of the biggest and fanciest garden centres in the UK…
It might not sound like the most thrilling destination for kids, but I spent my childhood exploring one of the UK’s fanciest garden centres.
Growing up in the Cotswolds, it meant my local one was the Burford Garden Centre.
It’s been open since 1975 and is still family-owned and run.
Across the 21,000sqm estate is more than just a garden centre (although that is also extremely extensive, selling everything from flowers to trees that cost as much as £7k).
There is also an on-site bookshop, as well as shops selling clothing, food and interiors, and even artwork. Expect some of the fancier brands, such as Barbour and Le Creuset on the shelves.
There are “Bulb Markets” to stock up on flowers in the spring time.
The onsite cafe and bakery is a must visit too.
The Glasshouse Cafe feels more like a chic European eatery, with wicker shades and palm trees.
Make sure to grab a giant scone – so delicious we even ordered a batch for my sister’s wedding. It even has events including stitching classes, rare book courses and fish mornings.
But my favourite time to visit is Christmas, as the exhibits are spectacular.
We checked in to this stylish new hotel in west London and discovered stunning interiors, a tranquil garden and innovative drinks at the bar
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We found a hidden gem in central London(Image: James Mcdonald)
A few minutes’ walk away from bustling Earls Court Road, past quiet cobbled mews, is Templeton Garden, chic European hotel group Miiro’s latest opening, and arguably London’s most stylish new hotel.
A former townhouse, its grand white-pillared entrance opens up into what looks like an interiors Pinterest board brought to life, an elegant colour palette of creams, beiges and rusts, with a light and airy lounge area leading onto a beautiful private garden out the back – a rare find in central London – with a terrace for taking lunch or drinks.
Stay between 17 November-24 December and get access to the hotel’s Ribbon Room, a Santa’s grotto stocked with beautiful papers and ribbons to wrap your finds from your Christmas shopping expedition like a pro, accompanied by a hot buttered Brugal cider, from Sprout, the hotel’s bar.
The rooms at Templeton Garden
The complimentary colour palette continues to the 156 bedrooms, which our Junior Suite was elegant and understated with soft plaster-pink walls and lots of fabric textures, and immediately made us want to redecorate ours at home. A pop of colour comes from the dark red tiled shower space in the bathroom, complete with marble bath, vintage-style brass fittings and Le Labo Santal 33 products. Sleeping here under the canopy bed feels special yet still homely – a tricky balance to get right.
The food and drink at Templeton Garden
Evenings at Templeton Garden begin with a drink at Sprout, lined with hand-painted wallpaper and low velvet seats arranged around lamp-lit tables, with a stunning gold oak leaf light fitting overhead.
The most interesting thing about this bar, however, is the drinks list. The Market Stall Menu features innovative cocktail creations using ingredients commonly found in the back of your cupboard, such as a Marmitini, Red Onion Manhattan and Anchovy Gimlet. The Specials Menu, meanwhile, uses seasonal fruit and vegetables, and changes regularly depending on what’s available.
We opted for the Sweet Pea Spritz, made, we were told, by separating the peas from their pods, roasting the pods, blending them both back together to make a cordial, then mixing them with vodka and sparkling wine. Fresh and slightly sweet, it was like nothing we’d ever tried before, and completely delicious.
It was then on to dinner at Pippin’s restaurant, where the focus is again on seasonal ingredients with lots of fresh herbs from the garden. The spring vegetable salad was a colourful plate of crunchy pickled veg and leaves atop a tangy cheddar emulsion, while for mains, the catch of the day was a delicious crispy-skinned stone bass paired with a herby, zingy chimichurri.
How much does it cost to stay at Templeton Garden?
