Cornwall and the Cotswolds - A spring garden tour.
Cornwall and the Cotswolds - A Spring Garden Tour
with the RHS Malvern Spring Gardening Show
Friday 11th May – Monday 21st May 2012
Visiting the finest gardens of Southwest England including The Lost gardens of Heligan, the Eden Project, Tressilick, Trebah, St Michael's Mount and the spectacular garden on the Isles of Scilly - Tresco Abbey.
4 star accommodation and private driver guidance.
A quality tour with guidance from head gardeners.
| Day |
Description |
|
11th May Fri |
Arrive in London. Visit The Savill Garden and then travel to Winchcombe in the Cotswolds.
The Savill Garden, situated in Windsor Great Park, is one of Britain’s greatest ornamental gardens. Enjoyed by horticulturalists and enthusiasts alike, it never fails to charm visitors who come to explore its 35 acres of contemporary and classically designed gardens and exotic woodland. |
| 12th May Sat |
Visit the RHS Malvern Spring Gardening Show.
This popular show is the perfect curtainraiser to the gardening year. Admire exhibits by nurseries from all over the UK and abroad. Marvel at the Floral displays in the main marquee. |
| 13th May Sun |
Visit Hestercombe and Trewithin on the way to Cornwall.
With over fifty acres of lakes, temples, cascades, woodland walks, formal terraces, vivid colours and views that take your breathe away it is no wonder that Hestercombe with its unique combination of three period gardens designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll is so popular.
It would be hard to find anywhere more beautiful or more intriguing than Trewithen's deservedly famous garden. Raised viewing platforms take visitors closer to the blooms, many of which are high in the trees, providing a rare opportunity to see over the floral canopy. |
| 14th May Mon |
Visit Trebah & St Michael's Mount Garden.
Trebah is a sub-tropical paradise with a stunning coastal backdrop. The result of 160 years of inspired and dedicated creation.
In the garden on St Michael's Mount you will find, clinging to granite slopes, terraced beds awash with colour and thriving in the shelter of heat-retentive granite cliffs (so steep that the gardeners have to abseil to tend to parts of them), you will discover tender exotics from the likes of Mexico, the Canary Islands and South Africa. |
| 15th May Tue |
Visit Tresco Abbey Garden on the Isles of Scilly.
We will take the helicopter to the amazing garden of Tresco Abbey, located off the coast of Lands End.
The diversity of plant life to be found within the Abbey Garden is extraordinary. All in all, the tropical garden is home to species from 80 countries, ranging from Brazil to New Zealand and Burma to South Africa. The unique micro climate which is found here makes it in our opinion one of the best gardens in the world. |
| 16th May Wed |
Visit Trelissick and The Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Planted in 1937, Trelissick is young compared to many similar gardens. It is well known for it collections of camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons.
The restoration of the Lost Gardens of Heligan is now a well known story. Neglected since 1914, it is a superb example of horticultural archaeology. |
| 17th May Thur |
Visit the Eden Project then drive across Dartmoor National Park.
The Eden Project is located in what was once a china clay pit. The rich global gardens, housed in huge biomes show visitors where food, fuel, materials and medicines come from, helping them understand man's dependency on the natural world. The outdoor area is spectacularly landscaped.
After visiting The eden Project we will drive across Dartmoor National Park where ponies can be seen at every turn and we will pass through tiny villages with their own unique character and traditions. |
| 18th May Fri |
Dartington Hall and Coleton Fishacre.
Spend the morning exploring the garden at Dartington Hall where we will be staying. The gardens lie within a curve of the river Dart. This gentle hilltop on the rich soils of the Devonshire South Hams has been a home for countless generations, all of whom have contributed to today’s landscape.
The garden that exists today has been created to adorn the landscape rather than compete with it for attention.
At Coleton Fishacre we travel back in time to the Jazz Age as we visit the holiday home of the D'Oyly Carte family. You can lose yourself in the magical garden with its views out to sea. Walk along paths leading through glades past tranquil ponds. |
| 19th May Sat |
Visit Stourhead then Iford Manor or Bath Stourhead Garden was created by Henry Hoare II in the 1740s. The River Stour was dammed to form a great lake. Around the lake Hoare laid out a landscape garden to entrance his guests with stunning views and pacify them with serene walking pleasure. As the garden developed, he added classical features, such as the Temple of Flora, the Pantheon, the Temple of Apollo and Gothic ruins to enhance the series of splendid and unexpected vistas.
You may choose how you wish to spend your afternoon. Visit the Italianate garden at Iford Manor , famous for its tranquil beauty and designed by the architect and landscape gardener Harold Ainsworth Peto who lived there from 1899 to 1933. A unique and romantic hillside garden, it is characterised by steps, terraces, sculpture and magnificent rural views. Alternatively, nourished by natural hot springs, Bath offers a unique experience with stunning architecture, great shopping and iconic attractions. |
| 20th May Sun |
Tour the Cotswold villages visiting Hidcote Manor and Kiftsgate Court Gardens
There are hundreds of ancient and beautiful Cotswold villages dotted throughout this most unique and beautiful area of England. The natural limestone gives a unique character to the quaint cottages you will see.
You'll never forget the exquisite garden rooms of Hidcote, each with its own unique character. Discover rare shrubs and trees, herbaceous borders and unusual plants from around the world. Nestled in the Cotswolds with sweeping views across the Vale of Evesham, a visit to Hidcote is inspirational at any time of year.
Kiftsgate Court Gardens is a series of interconnecting gardens each with its distinct character and secrets. |
|
21st May Mon |
Depart or extend your stay. We begin our Cotswold Gardens and Chelsea Flower Show Tour.
|
Price based on two people sharing a twin bedded room £1,215
Please contact us if you require details of the single supplement charge