Chelsea Flower Show Tour, England 2017

LONDON - Jan. 19, 2017 - PRLog -- Eleven Glorious Days visiting some of the most breathtaking and captivating public and private gardens, gardens you have heard of and gardens that you will discover and delight from as we spend time in London and then travel through England.  Coaching is a lovely way to see England as we are high up and can either watch the beautiful English countryside pass us by or perhaps chance peeks into the locals own front gardens as we drive along or you can sit back and enjoy catching up with new found friends.


We have arranged a tour at Munstead Wood, the former home of Gertrude Jekyll and now a private residence…come see how special this garden is and how she used this garden to create ways of planting which were so innovative in their day.  Sir Edwin Lutyens designed her home too!

RHS Wisley is THE most important place to visit for a garden lover.  Here you will not only be inspired but you will also find the most fantastic garden shop with hundreds of books to drool over.

Chelsea Flower Show 2017 – including full day pass and program

and….just before we leave London you will all have a day of Leisure to do your own thing…theatre, shows, museums, walking, shopping…

RHS Hyde Hall is another very important garden, so different from Wisley and a must visit.


Who has not heard of Beth Chatto, especially her letters on life and gardening to Christopher Lloyd.  Well this wonderful lady who I have met a few times now is in her mid 90's and I think it is time for another visit…her Dry Garden lays before you as you enter these extraordinary gardens, leading you down to the lake to see the huge trees reflections…around every corner is a delight waiting to be discovered.

When I first saw East Rushton Old Vicarage Gardens I was speechless…firstly you would never think a garden would be found in such a secluded place but it is and for that reason exists so perfectly.  Allan Grey and his partner Graham Robeson have truly created gardens of delight…Wander through the different garden rooms and breath in the formal and the whimsy, take your time as there is much to see and besides, we will be enjoying lunch here – what fun will that be!

Geoff Hamilton played a huge part in creating a legacy in organic gardening and Barnsdale Gardens was his great experiment in peat free and chemical free growing.  Here we can see, touch and enjoy Britain's largest collection of individually designed gardens…and I am sure you might just learn a thing or two along the way.

On to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, growing and educating gardeners since 1846.  There are over 8000 plant species here to enjoy including national plant collections, alpines, exotic tropicals and on and on.

I had the very special pleasure of attending a Prom Night music festival at Borde Hill with the family many years ago and have always cherished that memory.  Sitting in the garden in the evening with the music wafting over from the general audience I was in my very own concert hall.  Many of the plants here were thanks to the Great Plant Hunters of the early 1900's.

Now for sheer oriental fantasy, let's visit the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.  Here you will see John Nash's extraordinary pleasure palace that he designed for King George IV.  Even the gardens take us along to discover what was.

I have always loved visiting Scotney Castle, a beautiful hillside garden with so much in bloom in this very romantic garden and to top it off a fairytale moated castle.  From the early 18th century, British landscape gardeners had been creating gardens inspired by pictures, but by 1800 a backlash had set in. Critics considered the grassy vistas designed by Capability Brown too smooth and tidy. Scotney's picturesque garden is a last fling in this backlash style of gardening and thank goodness we have it.

Who does not know of Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson, creators of Sissinghurst Castle Gardens.  I have visited this garden at least 15 times over the years and each and every time discover something new and enchanting.

Another gem I love is Chartwell, the family home of Winston Churchill.  Not only is the inside of the home full of history but the grounds are just simply gorgeous.  Down the short hill leads to his painting studio with walls lined top to bottom with his works…a quiet pond is nearby with a chair that he would sit in to feed his fish and be sure to watch for Jock, the marmalade cat – there is a story here.

We finish up our tour with what I think you will adore, West Green House Gardens.  Marylyn Abbott has created an atmosphere of pure theatre and was even named one of the top 20 living garden makers by Stephen Lacey "pumping fresh air and sparkle into the world of period gardening".  She is a lovely lady and quite likely she will be taking us around her gardens as she always has.  Combining neo classical style with contemporary design, you will love this garden and to finish up our stay here we will enjoy Afternoon Tea as we always do…it just seems the perfect ending.

We end up back at LHR Airport for the last night of the tour so that you can take advantage of early flights or possible post tour arrangements…

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