The RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Classic English Gardens

This morning, following breakfast, we visit the garden at Stourhead (NT). Temples, urns, a grotto and a wealth of trees all contribute to the special atmosphere of this celebrated landscape garden.  It is, above all, a garden to walk in, following the serpentine path that borders the lake and exploring every detour that presents itself.

In the afternoon we transfer to the historic city of Bath for some free time. A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Bath has many of the finest architectural sights in Europe such as the Royal Crescent, the Circus and Pulteney Bridge. It houses a variety of museums and attractions including the Roman Baths, Jane Austen Centre and Thermae Bath Spa. You may wish to take the opportunity to do some shopping, visit a museum or experience the properties of the Thermae Bath Spa, where you can relax in two spectacular baths, fed by the natural thermal waters and refresh yourself in a series of aromatic steam rooms (not included).

We return to our hotel.

After breakfast we visit the Bishop’s Palace, a stunning mediaeval palace which has been home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for 800 years, having been founded in the early thirteenth century when Bishop Jocelin Trotman, the first Bishop to hold the title Bishop of Bath and Wells, received a crown licence to build a residence and deer park on land to the south of the Cathedral of St Andrew. Here we will enjoy a special ‘Horticulture at the Palace’ tour on arrival. There are 14 acres of gardens to explore, including the beautiful well pools from which the city takes its name. We will also have some free time in Wells to experience the city’s architecture, view its breathtaking cathedral and have free time for lunch.

In the afternoon we visit Hestercombe, one of Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Edwin Lutyens’ greatest masterpieces. The garden is home to a round pool in a round walled garden filled with wintersweet and roses, a Dutch garden of lamb's ears, lavender and the most beautiful orangery of the 20th century. Everywhere there are details of design and planting from which any gardener can learn.

After breakfast we will check out of the hotel and make our way to the gardens of lford Manor, near Bradford on Avon.  This romantic award-winning Italian garden designed by Harold Peto contains a formal garden on old terraces embellished with his collection of classical statuary and architectural fragments, which we will discover on our guided tour.  Steep flights of steps link the terraces with pools, fountains, loggias, colonnades, urns and figures.

Later, we depart for a visit to the gardens of Wilton House, an impressive Palladian mansion near Salisbury. The 17^th century garden by Isaac de Caus was removed in 1737 by the 'Architect Earl' of Pembroke to create a serpentine park with the first Palladian bridge. Sir William Chambers later designed a casino and eye-catcher in the park and Richard Westmacott designed an 'Italian garden' with a terrace and a parterre in the 1820s. Today the water features and rose gardens create a tranquil haven beside the River Nadder.

We continue to our second hotel.

This morning after breakfast, we have a treat in store as we depart for an extended visit to RHS Garden Wisley. Here the highest standards of practical horticulture are deployed in the setting of a splendid old site rich in fine trees against a backdrop of other plants, all impeccably labelled. We begin with a guided tour in the company of a knowledgeable volunteer guide who will bring the garden and its fascinating history to life. Thereafter we have plenty of time to make the most of this extensive site which is packed with interest. Among the highlights are a wonderful rock garden, created from stone that was specially quarried nearby; the lush jungle of the spectacular Glasshouse, home to the RHS’s world-class tender plant collection; the scent-filled Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden and the Pinetum, home to a magnificent collection of century-old trees. There will be an opportunity for lunch (not included) at the new Hilltop building where there is a self-service restaurant and a marvellous flower-filled patio in which to enjoy an al fresco meal. This building also houses laboratories where RHS staff are working to help future-proof our planet. Mid-afternoon we will return to our hotel with the remainder of the day free to relax.

After breakfast this morning we depart for our full-day visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which holds a rare position as a great British tradition and an exciting source of inspiration and advice. One of the highlights of the show is the collection of over 20 full-sized show gardens. Inside the Great Marquee visitors have their senses ravished by the hundreds of floral displays, many of them incorporating new, rare and unusual plants. Other popular features here include flower arranging, floristry and garden design marquees, courtyard gardens, window boxes and hanging baskets.

After breakfast we check out of the hotel and travel to the manicured gardens of Sissinghurst, where we are privileged to enjoy the peace and quiet of an ‘early-bird’ visit before the garden opens to the public. This famous garden was created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson from 1930 onwards and became the most admired English Garden of its time.  Few great gardens live up to their reputations so effortlessly as this.  Sissinghurst is a large connoisseurs’ garden consisting of a series of small romantic areas enclosed by the surviving parts of an Elizabethan mansion.  It never disappoints its visitors, it has the power of enchantment, but it is also an unending source of inspiration for all gardeners.  Sissinghurst is surely as close to gardening perfection as you can get, and it continues to be one of the most copies flower gardens in the world. 

Later we head for Great Dixter.  The distinguished garden writer Christopher Lloyd (who died in January 2006 at the aged of 84) was the genius behind Great Dixter, with its timbered 15^th century house.  Restored by Sir Edwin Lutyens who also planned the garden, Mr Lloyd has firmly put his lively stamp on it.  A recent experiment involved installing a summer tropical garden rich in bold shapes and brilliant colours. No gardener could come to Great Dixter without making discoveries and rekindling a zest for gardening.

Following this, our final visit, we return to our drop-off points in London, where the group will disperse or make onward connections.