BOURNEMOUTH is launching a campaign to attract garden-lovers to the resort this spring.

It is promoting itself as a base for visiting the wide variety of public and privately-owned gardens nearby.

A spring gardens package will offer discounts at participating gardens as well as offers from Bournemouth hotels.

Bournemouth is one of the relatively few local councils to have won top awards at the RHS Tatton Flower Show, Hampton Court Flower Show and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It was awarded a gold medal in the 2014 European Entente Florale, based on achieving a gold medal in the 2013 Britain in Bloom.

Within a few miles of the resort, visitors can find the UK’s first-ever garden centre, the first commercial blueberry plantation, historic plantings, hidden gardens and specialist nurseries of international acclaim.

One of the venues taking part in the Spring Campaign is the nationally acclaimed Knoll Gardens at Stapehill, which is the home of internationally renowned author and RHS council member Neil Lucas, pictured below. He said the Stapehill area had its own microclimate and clean well-drained soil.

“We are able to grow all sorts of plants that you might not expect to see in colder areas,” he said.

“One example is the Crinodendron patagua which would normally only be seen growing in sheltered Cornish gardens but at Knoll Gardens we have our own magnificent specimen of this.”

Another participating Dorset garden is Abbotsbury Subtropical Garden, which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. Alan Titchmarsh has called it: “One of the finest gardens I have ever visited”.

The spring campaign runs from April 7 to June 30, excluding bank holidays and the dates of the Wheels Festival.

The Bournemouth Tourism website lists information on gardens and offers available when booking a featured hotel, along with an events diary and details of tours and talks.

There will also be information on privately owned gardens which open as part of the National Gardens Scheme.