Hampton Court Flower Show
and Gardens of Kent and Sussex
July 7-17, 2000
Plenty of flowers and gardens, but a sampling of other sights of this picturesque region of Britain as well, makes this a tour you won’t want to miss! The world famous Hampton Court Flower show, London, over a dozen gardens from the small to the large, membership in the RHS (Royal Horticulture Society), castles, a vineyard, a steam train, shopping, many small lovely villages in this picturesque region of Britain, and plenty of the best pubs and inns of this region, are only a few of the reasons I'd like to offer you the opportunity to go on this exceptional tour.
Being a small, intimate tour limited to only 12, we will be able to go to many smaller gardens with more personal tours, travel the backroads of England off the tourist beaten path, and best of all stay in some of the most famous and highly commended historic inns of the country--highly rated for both food and lodging.
Also on such a small tour, you would have much more interaction with each other and the tour hosts-- Dr. Leonard Perry and Jeff Sainsbury. Dr. Perry is an Extension Professor at the University of Vermont, specializing in herbaceous perennials, who is well-acquainted with British gardens having led previous tours there, visited personally on other occasions, and spent a sabbatical leave there visiting gardens and nurseries. Jeff Sainsbury, owner and operator of Sainsbury Tours, specializes in garden tours for American audiences. Being a British native, and having visited all our planned gardens and inns, he is well-versed in the lore of the region. Similar tours we hosted the last few years have received excellent ratings by all participants.
(Fri) July 7
am leave Burlington 7am to Newark on Continental
pm Newark to Gatwick (yes, a much easier day flight)
night arrive Gatwick; transfer to Warren Lodge, Shepperton
Night Warren Lodge, Shepperton-- a very comfortable 3* former hostelry/hotel on the outskirts of London, handy for our visits. Located on the Thames, so some of the rooms will have river views. (http://www.a1tourism.com/uk/thewarre.html)
(Sat) July 8
am/pm Hampton Court Flower Show, river cruise
Night Warren Lodge, Shepperton
After a day on our feet looking at flowers, sit and relax on a refreshing cruise on the Thames.
(Sun) July 9
am Saville Garden and Windsor Castle
pm Wisley
Night Warren Lodge, Shepperton
We’ll spend the morning seeing this famous Royal Castle west of London and the nearby Saville Garden, featuring woodland garden, formal gardens and herbaceous borders, and several national collections of plants. The afternoon we’ll be at the RHS gardens at Wisley—many types of gardens, and one of the best book and gift shops on gardening I’ve visited. Sunday is for members only, so as an added benefit of THIS tour, you will receive a year’s membership in the RHS, entitling you to member benefits such as their magazine and discounts on gardens and purchases!
(Mon) July 10
am Kensington Roof Gardens; tour of London on bus
pm free time (museums, sites, shops in London), or Kew Gardens (Optional)
eve theater option or perhaps a tour of several famous London pubs
Night Warren Lodge, Shepperton
I’ve always wanted to see these famous roof gardens—an acre and half on the 6th floor of a former department store, featuring over 500 plants, pond with ducks and flamingos, and 3 separate styles of gardens. Then you can get a wonderful overview of London—all the key sites—from one of the double decker tour buses (I took this last summer on a family trip and quite enjoyed it). As I mentioned, with a small tour we have many options, such as this afternoon and evening, which we can sort out as individuals and the group wishes.
(Tues) July 11
am Great Comp
lunch Ringlestone Inn
pm Leeds Castle and Gardens
Night Star and Eagle, Goudhurst—a 14th century inn in a pretty village, very well placed for our visits. We’ll leave London and environs today, first stopping at Great Comp—an essentially large woodland garden with underplantings of many perennials. Lunch will be at a rural 16th century inn, tucked away beside the Pilgrim’s Way on the North Downs. You then have the option to walk off lunch with an easy hike on the lovely North Downs, followed by Leeds Castle. This is one of the key sites to see in Britain, lovely with its moat, and excellent gardens adjacent featuring walled garden with many perennials and wonderful maze.
(Wed) July 12
am Yalding Organic
pm Penshurst Place, Hever Castle
Night Star and Eagle, Goudhurst
This organic garden features more than just organic and ecological techinques. It also has historic period gardens from the medieval times to the present. Penshurst Place features a garden layout much as is was in 1700, with a huge walled Tudor garden, and many other garden features including borders designed by Lanning Roper. Patrick Taylor in his guide to British gardens says, "Hever has everything a proper castle should have—a romantic moat, whimsical topiary, an infuriating maze and an excellent garden…The enormous Italian garden was designed chiefly to show off the collection of classical statuary collected by William Waldorf Aster who bought the estate in 1903."
(Thurs)July 13
am Iden Croft Herbs
Lunch Three Chimneys, Biddenden and look around village
pm Sissinghurst; Merriments
Night Mermaid, Rye—A lovely old inn, former haunt of smugglers, on a cobbled street, with black and white timbered facade. Nice old character bars and upmarket rooms.
Rye is a very picturesque small town with quaint buildings and streets. Iden Croft is a wonderful herb nursery and display garden I first visited on my sabbatic. In addition to growing and selling all sorts of herbs and herb products, it has several large collections such as mint, origanums, lavender and thymes. It also has gardens for the visually challenged. We lunch at Three Chimneys, a classic country inn. Most have heard of Sissinghurst—Vita Sackville-West’s famous garden which is one of the top garden sights in Britain. I’ve visited it several times, and will vouch for this—color theme beds including their famous white garden, and many different perennials and color combinations, all impeccably labeled. Merriments is an extensive nursery of perennials and woodies, with a 4-acre display garden packed with its offerings.
(Fri) July 14
am Free time in Rye for shopping, sights
pm Washfield Nursery; Great Dixter
Night Mermaid, Rye
We’ll have a leisurely morning and break from gardens, to check out shops and sights in this nice town. Many of our newest and best perennials in the U.S., including many new hellebores, come from Elizabeth Strangman at Washfield Nursery. And one of the more noted garden writers currently, Christopher Lloyd, operates a nursery and display garden at Great Dixter.
(Sat) July 15
am visit to an English Vineyard; Michelham Priory
pm Sheffield Park and ride on the Bluebell Railway
Night Griffin, Fletching-- Another old inn with plenty of character, in a pretty village. It has won the Sussex dining pub of the year award for the past three or four years, so the food is good too. At the back-- great views of open countryside. After an early visit to a commercial sussex vineyard, we visit the Michelham—an historic monastic site with lovely plantings, including medieval period gardens. We’ll round off the day with a ride on the Bluebell Steam Railway (http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/) on the way to Sheffield Park. This famous park has beautifully laid out gardens with a lake, wonderful trees, shrubs and herbaceous plantings in a design created in part by both Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton.
(Sun) July 16
am Birch Farm Nursery(Ingwersens); Nymans
pm free time in Brighton
Night Griffin, Fletching
If you know anything about alpine plants, you’ve probably heard the name Ingwersen. One of the most famous alpine collectors and specialists, his family firm continues with over 1,800 alpines—many rare. This nursery is also on ground that was once part of William Robinson’s Gravetye estate. He was one of the foremost Victorian horticulturists and landscape designers, and we should be able to get a glimpse of his surviving property, now part of an exclusive hotel. Herbaceous borders, choice ornamentals, topiary and roses are some of the treats at Nymans. Patrick Taylor says of it "There are few gardens anywhere in England where rare and beautiful plants are grown in such an attractive setting, in which formality and informality are subtly interwoven." Finally in the afternoon you can spend time shopping or just people watching in the coastal resort town of Brighton.
(Mon) July 17
am Cabbages and Kings
pm fly Gatwick to Newark
arrive Burlington 8pm
If you haven’t heard of Cabbages and Kings (http://www.ckings.co.uk/), I hadn’t either until researching this tour. Jeff felt it worth a visit, and with the description from Patrick Taylor I’m pretty excited. "There is no other garden like this and it offers a valuable inspiration for gardeners. Subtitled ‘The Centre for Garden Design’, it is an intimate display garden showing an astonishing range of features most fastidiously laid out. The garden designer Ryl Nowell devised it to show clients and interested gardeners exactly how she solves design problems…Everywhere there are examples of the emphatic, simple planting which good designers use…If visiting the garden is rather like guzzling a rich meal, indigestion is kept at bay by the strength of the design and, glimpsed over the garden walls, the exquisite views of surrounding countryside, with meadow walks accessible to visitors." What a way to end the tour before the flight home!
With this region of Britain chock full of gardens and sights, it was hard selecting the ones above. We tried for diversity in all aspects, and I hope you feel we succeeded and can join us on this tour.
Quotes from some of previous year's England tour participants:
"Jeff was excellent in his arrangements. The two of you set up an excellent itinerary."
"The tour size was perfect."
"The tour was indeed special and memorable! A great selection of different types of gardens and varied itinerary, with never too much of any one thing."
"We both thought the tour was great."
"Too many high points to choose which was best-- a most enjoyable
experience."
The price of $2,975 includes:
-- Burlington-England roundtrip flight on Continental through Newark (during the day-- a much easier flight than the usual overnight flights; I’ve done this for three years now and can attest to the difference!)
-- airport taxes
-- transportation by minibus or small coach throughout
-- 10 nights accommodation in rooms with private bath, based on double occupancy
-- sandwiches on arrival and a farewell dinner on July 16 in Fletching
-- 10 full English breakfasts
-- tickets for the Hampton Court Flower Show
-- entry to all the gardens, as per the itinerary (with private tours or introductions by the owner or head gardener as possible)
--one year membership in the Royal Horticulture Society (RHS), if married couples one membership per couple
--boat ride on the river Thames
--tour of London on open-topped double-decker bus
-- steam train ride on the Bluebell Railway
-- lunch venues arranged, generally at commended pubs
-- services of Jeff Sainsbury as driver and guide throughout
Not included in the tour price:
-- meals other than listed above
-- personal expenditures
To reiterate: this tour is unique, and space is limited so reserve soon. This small group will allow us to stay in wonderful inns you would not have the chance to on larger tours. It will allow us to really experience the flavor of the countryside with a British native. And it will afford discounts, tours and cost savings not possible if you went on your own, and arrangements you would have to make yourself if not on this tour.
BOOKING CONDITIONS:
Deposit:
A $300 non-refundable deposit will hold your place.
Payment:
Final payment is due no later than May 5, 2000, or until filled.
Fitness to travel:
The tour involves a fair amount of walking occasionally over uneven surfaces
and up and down steps. Guests should therefore be able to walk briskly for
30 minutes without aid or requiring a rest, and to occasionally carry
their own bags if needed.
Itinerary changes:
All information in the flyer is, to the best of our knowledge, correct.
However, for reasons beyond our control or for reasons beneficial to the
tour, changes may need to be made to flight times, hotels, gardens, and
schedules. If, due to unforeseen circumstances, it is not possible to visit
a certain garden, another garden will be substituted.
No Smoking:
We operate a no smoking policy on all mini-buses and coaches.
Cancellation by guests:
Should you have to withdraw from the tour, you should notify Leonard Perry
in writing. The scale of cancellation charges is calculated according to
the number of days prior to departure that written notice is received:
More than 60 days Deposit only
29-59 days 40% of total cost
15-28 days 50% of total cost
8-14 days 75% of total cost
1-7 days 100% of total cost
Tour membership and sightseeing:
Guests may skip some garden visits to do their own sightseeing, except
during days when the group transfers to a new hotel. However, there is no
refund for missed or unused visits.
Surcharges:
Surcharges may be imposed if costs increase as a result of government
action, currency fluctuation, or increases in overflying charges or
scheduled air fares. In any event, we will absorb an amount equivalent to
2% of the tour price. If the amount of the surcharge exceeds 10%, the guest
will be entitled to receive a full refund of all monies paid. This right to
cancel must be exercised within 14 days of receiving written notification of
the surcharge.
Limit of Liability:
No responsibility is accepted for loss or expenses due to sickness, weather,
strikes, war, quarantine, negligence, loss of baggage, or other causes, such
losses being the responsibility of the traveler.
I hope you can join me in what promises to be a lifetime memorable tour. Feel free to send me your deposit as soon as possible, or let me know if further questions at:
Dr. Leonard Perry, Dept. of Plant and Soil Science, Hills Bldg, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405, phone 802-656-0479, FAX 802-656-4656, email leonard.perry@uvm.edu.