Standing proud in a sprawling 600 acre site, Westonbirt Arboretum is home to one of the worlds finest collections of trees and shrubs, or as we like to think of them, V.I.T’s (very important trees)Many rare and exotic species from every corner of the globe await discovery within ...

Located 25 miles off the Cornish coastline, it features white sandy beaches, azure waters and tropical plants. The club consists of 12 luxury beachfront houses that have been built so you can step out of your house and into a restaurant, a spa

Starting life in the 17th-century as a physic garden from whence apothecaries would harvest medicinal ingredients, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has grown to become one of the world’s finest plant collections and a leading centre for scientific

, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Options for families include a stay at Kamu Lodge in Laos, where guests can plant rice in a paddy field and visit the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre in Borneo.Tel: 020 7483 6555 or visit www

through the maze. The massive sand and water play area and jumping pillow are a big hit with families, as is the barbecue area. Not many people know this but… York Maze is cut out of a giant field of maize plants, similar to corn on the cob, but only

and pointy hiding place, which provides welcome shelter in the case of rain.
Not many people know this, but… BeWilderwood is an eco-friendly affair – with a focus on planting trees, sourcing food locally and recycling waste. Choose to hold your child’s party

love-hate relationship with snails. “They’re always munching my plants,” she says.Like Mrs Large in picture-book classic Five Minutes’ Peace by Jill Murphy (Walker, £5.99), here, Sid’s quest for solitude makes him a figure any harried parent

budding Bear Grylls’ can learn wilderness survival skills from resident roughing-it experts, the Northern Ireland Bushcraft Association.Baby Grow!September 24Bring your green-fingered little ones for an afternoon of planting snowdrops, daffodil

cool, simple and useful objects. There’s a basic white pot on top and a semi-transparent pot beneath with threads down into the water. The plant can just take what it wants. I also have this nice Eva Solo bird house.Yellow with black velvet, silver

about an embarrassing face-plant, I hooked up 
with Jonny. He, too, was buzzing with excitement, having finally conquered how to board. Elsie, it seemed, had also had her share of fun in the snow.With a quick splash in the pool quickly followed by high