The highlights include:

~ An exhibition inspired by the children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter will tour the UK. Beatrix Potter’s Garden includes a display of Benjamin Bunny artefacts, some of Potter’s original artwork and a ‘virtual walk’ through the English Lake District.

Its unifying theme is her love of the natural world and the characters she developed from garden wildlife such as rabbits and mice. Dates include the Reading Museum in Berkshire (February 21 – May 30) and Portsmouth City Museum on the South Coast (June 20 – September 26).
Website: www.peterrabbit.com

~ Longleat, the Wiltshire home of the Marquess of Bath -- well known for its Elizabethan stately home and gardens, which include the world’s longest hedge maze -- is building a Mystical Garden Experience. The attraction includes living sculptures and water features.
Website: www.longleat.co.uk

~ Gerry Kelsey, head gardener of 11th century Arundel Castle in Sussex will lead eight conducted tours of the castle’s superbly restored Victorian garden (selected Friday mornings, May to September). Both Gerry and the Duchess of Norfolk, whose ancestral home it is, have tackled the restoration over the last ten years, combining the best of Victorian design with a shared love of unusual planting schemes. The tours cost £7 including refreshments.
Website: www.arundelcastle.org