Early spring has arrived in our gardens in Shropshire, and although the rain has scarcely relented, the season is quietly gathering momentum. Across what many consider among the best gardens in Shropshire, fresh growth is pushing through and colour is returning to the borders. For those seeking hotels with gardens to explore, there is already plenty to enjoy with sturdy shoes or wellies at the ready.

Snowdrops and Cyclamen coum are currently stealing the show. The snowdrops, though generous in flower, need careful management to encourage natural-looking drifts, lifted and divided just after flowering to help them spread. The small pink blooms and marbled foliage of Cyclamen coum thrive here, particularly where the soil is left undisturbed. They flourish beneath the box hedges of the rose walk, among the black grasses by the front door, along the banks of the trial vineyard and under the cherry tree on the Great Lawn.

The developing Westcott Walk is beginning to take shape, with young apple trees newly planted against wire trellising and underplanted with Cyclamen coum. These maiden trees will be allowed to settle in during their first year before espalier training begins. Six Betula utilis ‘Jacquemontii’ have also been repositioned on the northern edge of the trial vineyard in two sculptural groups. In time, their white stems will frame the long views north towards the historic Cheswardine Church, with Westcott Mill in the foreground.

Elsewhere, our growing primrose collection is beginning to flower and will soon lift with a touch of sunshine. They are spreading along the Herb Walkway, beneath the roses and around the car park grass, where they are gently encouraged to naturalise. Daffodils are emerging, and the ever-reliable ‘Tête-à-Tête’ are rising rapidly beneath the dogwoods on the eastern side of the car park.

In the kitchen garden, productivity is already underway. The polytunnel beds are being prepared for ‘Anya’ potatoes, a yellow, waxy variety with excellent flavour. Farmyard manure is being spread across the plots, while tomatoes and sweet peas are progressing well under cover. To the east of the polytunnel, newly cultivated ground will soon be transformed into a soft fruit area for raspberries and loganberries, trained in a system inspired by the vineyard trellising.

Across our award-winning gardens in Shropshire, there is a tangible sense of anticipation — beauty in the borders and flavour on the plate taking shape side by side. For guests staying at one of the region’s most distinctive hotels with gardens, early spring offers a peaceful, inspiring time to explore.

John Cushing
9 February 2026