The Telegraph - Cornish Gardens

JANUARY 2018

Toby Ashworth, proprietor of The Nare Hotel in Cornwall, always has a cunning plan up his sleeve to entice early spring visitors. His famous ‘Bloomometer’ decrees that once enough magnolias are in flower in six Cornish gardens, spring is officially in session. This date often falls in mid-February, well before most UK gardens wake up.  This year, however, Toby’s promotional genius has been outdone by a plant in his own garden – a specimen of Agave americana has just begun its once-in-20-years flowering process. 

The promise of warmth and exotic plants was enough to lure two of us on a spring break at The Nare and the hotel, agave or not, made an excellent base for our daily forays. Three garden visits are included in your stay, although we found it hard to stop even at five, there are so many to see on the doorstep...