The Gardens of England & the Chelsea Flower Show: Itinerary

Two nights London

Sunday, May 17

leave for London

May 18

We’ll gather at Heathrow and be whisked off to our South Kensington hotel, the Rembrandt (www.sarova.com/rembrandt), getting an introductory tour of London on the way in. Those of you who want to stretch your legs before meeting for drinks and dinner can take a stroll through Kensington gardens and see the Diana Memorial Fountain (designed by Washington native landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson), the Peter Pan statue near the Long Water, and the Italian Gardens.

*Drinks and dinner included.

May 19

The Chelsea Flower Show - the Royal Horticultural Society’s premier event. We can take the tube (only one stop!) or walk it’s just about a mile away. Stay all day, or take off in the afternoon (with your transit pass) and tour around on your own you might want to visit the Tate Modern, Westminster Abbey or the Imperial War Museum.

*Dinner on your own.

Two nights East Anglia

May 20

The Georgian House Hotel (www.georgian-hotel.co.uk) in Norwich will be our base as we explore the gardens. On our way to Norwich, we’ll visit the Beth Chatto Gardens (www.bethchatto.co.uk); Beth Chatto is well-known for her books as well as for turning a parking lot into a gravel garden. We’ll see it!

In the afternoon, we’ll visit Saling Hall (www.salinghall.com), the home of Hugh Johnson, author of both garden and wine books (The Principles of Gardening; The World Atlas of Wine). Read his garden columns, Tradescant’s Diary, at the garden’s Web site.

*Dinner is included.

May 21

A day of contrasts. First, we’ll visit Somerleyton (www.somerleyton.co.uk), for a tour with the head gardener. Somerleyton has a huge yew maze planted in the mid-19th century and a glasshouse designed by Joseph Paxton, who also designed the Victorian marvel the Crystal Palace. In the afternoon, Judy and John Wilson, members of the hardy plant society, will welcome us to their private garden, Chestnut Farm, in the village of West Beckham.

*Dinner on your own.

Three nights Cotswolds

May 22

Enjoy a drive through the countryside. We’ll stop in Cambridge for a tour of this historic town. Some may want to take advantage of the Cambridge Beer Festival, which will be on. In the afternoon, we’ll drive the rest of the way to charming Three Ways House Hotel (www.puddingclub.com) in the village of Mickleton.

*Dinner is included all three nights.

May 23

The Old Rectory is the garden of Mary Keen, a garden designer and writer for the Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk). It’s a lovely quiet country place, and in addition to the interesting garden, we can visit the old Saxon church. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the private garden of Pamela Schwerdt and Sibylle Kreutzeberger, who were longtime head gardeners at Sissinghurst. They’ve created an amazing garden at their home in the village of Condicote; we’ll hear how, and enjoy a cup of tea with them.

May 24

Bourton House (www.bourtonhouse.com) stands on land that has held buildings since the late 16th century. The gardens include a raised walk from the 17th century. In the afternoon, it’s Hidcote Manor Garden, just a couple of miles from our hotel; we’ll take a look at recent restorations to Lawrence Johnston’s fabulous arts-and-crafts masterpiece, and see why it’s still one of the most influential gardens in the world.

Three nights Wells, Somerset

Wells is the smallest city in England, and designated a city only because it has a cathedral. We’ll stay at the Swan Hotel (www.swanhotelwells.co.uk), near the cathedral, and explore gardens in Wiltshire and Somerset.

May 25

On our journey from Mickleton to Wells, we’ll visit Derry Watkins at Special Plants Nursery (www.specialplants.net), a collector’s garden designed by Derry’s architect husband. In the afternoon, it’s Iford Manor (www.ifordmanor.co.uk). Iford is the early 20th-century Italianate garden of Harold Peto; we’ll have a tour by current owner Mr. Cartwright Hignett a real treat and tea.

*Dinner is included.

May 26

Chiffchaffs, a private garden in Dorset, is the creation of the delightful Mr. and Mrs. Ken Potts; it’s chock-full of fabulous plants set around a lovely cottage. In the afternoon, owner and gardener Judy Pearce will take us around Lady Farm (www.ladyfarm.com) and explain how she turned a muddy dairy farm into the incredible garden it is today. Tea at the summer house.

*Dinner on your own.

May 25

Cothay Manor is a private home and garden in Somerset, full of history and great design. We’ll have a late-morning tour here, and then go to Hestercombe (hestercombe.com), where we’ll have lunch on our own and enjoy the gardens, the result of one of the best collaborations between architect Edwin Lutyens and landscape gardener Gertrude Jekyll. We’ll have our farewell dinner tonight.

*Dinner is included.

May 28

depart for Heathrow after breakfast or continue your holiday with a 3- or 5-day extension.

Updated: Tuesday, September 16th, 2008