Private and Iconic Gardens of the Cotswolds & Chelsea Flower Show

• Visit exclusive and iconic private gardens, learn from experts, be inspired by the trendsetters at the world's most prestigious gardening event worldwide!
• For garden lovers, hands-on gardeners and garden design-buffs alike, this trip takes you to visit iconic and exclusive private gardens in England's picturesque Cotswolds. 
• Four days of garden visits where you'll meet the owners and/head gardeners.  You'll have time to ask questions, to learn, to soak in the spirit of place.
• We end in London, with a day at the iconic Chelsea Flower Show.
• All in a small manageable group of like-minded travellers. 

Imagine stepping into some of the most beautiful private gardens in the Cotswolds not normally open to the public.  

Visiting these hidden gems is a unique and intimate experience. 

• You'll meet the owners or head gardener who'll explain the hows and whys and share the specific challenges of the garden. 
• You'll  witness gardening excellence up close, adding a personal and memorable touch to your tour.

My carefully curated itinerary is designed to showcase the best of both worlds.

From the picturesque charm of the Cotswolds' iconic gardens to the cutting-edge floral displays at the Chelsea Flower Show, this tour provides a thoughtfully planned journey that highlights diverse and stunning garden experiences.

Each garden  has been personally chosen by me to offer you a rich and immersive experience.

There's nothing quite like sharing aha-moments with like-minded travelers. 

Imagine discussing your new discoveries with people who share your passion and understand exactly what you mean.

 Whether you're traveling with friends, or making new acquaintances, the shared experiences and moments of awe will create lasting memories and bonds to last far beyond the tour itself.

We meet at the Sofitel Airport Hotel at Heathrow, a convenient place to stay and get over jet lag if you fly in the day before.  On our way to the Cotswolds, we visit Rousham, designed by William Kent in the 18^th Century and pretty much untouched since then as it is still in the same family.  Considered one of the most important gardens in England, we enjoy a private tour of the gardens. 

Our second garden today is the iconic Kiftsgate Court in Chipping Camden, designed and tended by three generations of women.  We enjoy lunch at the tearoom before exploring the garden on our own. We check in to our hotel for two nights.  Having settled in, we gather for welcome drinks and dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Accommodation:  The Manor House Hotel, Moreton-in-Marsh

Included:  lunch, welcome drinks and dinner

Our first garden today is close to our accommodation.  Known as “the hidden garden of the Cotswolds”, this private garden was designed by the owners over the last 40 years.  It is particularly noted for its wide variety of plants including the national collection of Walnuts (Juglans) and Pterocarya.  We are welcomed by the owners who will give us a tour before lunch in the barn. 

Our second garden of the day is described by Gardens Illustrated as "A triumphant English garden on a grand scale, with majestic topiary and exuberant planting".  We visit with the head gardener. 

This evening is at leisure.  We'll be back at the hotel in time for you to enjoy the town.  You can dine at the hotel or choose a local eatery (list will be provided).

Accommodation:  The Manor House Hotel, Moreton-in-Marsh
Included:  lunch

This morning we say goodbye to our hotel in the North Cotwolds.  Before heading south, we visit another iconic garden in the area, Hidcote Manor. Created by American designer and horticulturalist Lawrence Johnston (1918-2011), the gardens at Hidcote established the fashion for garden rooms, here embellished by borders packed with unusual plants. "This place is a jungle of beauty," wrote Vita Sackville-West and it is still true today.  In the afternoon we visit a private garden designed by a hematologist turned landscape designer. Blending science and garden design, this is an experimental garden, featuring traditional Cotswolds elements such as yew topiary and dry stone walls but also contemporary areas such as the Cosmic Evolution garden, Fibonacci's walk, and Pico Mound  in the new perennial style. Dinner this evening is at our hotel.

Accommodation:  The Hare and Hounds Hotel, Tetbury
Included:  lunch and dinner

 Today we visit two private gardens open by appointment only.  The first was created by the owners over the past thirty years around a typical Cotwolds manor.  While firmly anchored in tradition, this garden is full of quirky surprises, not least through the interplay of art and perspective.  Our second garden has mature hedging and clouds of roses and clematis spilling over ancient stone walls.  What could be a sleepy overgrown garden is not that at all:  it is vibrant with fresh, imaginative borders, all under the benevolent shade or mature specimen trees.  In both places we are welcomed by the owners who show us around.  Dinner this evening is at the hotel.

Accommodation:  The Hare and Hounds Hotel, Tetbury
Included:  lunch and dinner

Today we leave the Cotwolds and cross through Wiltshire on our way to London.  We stop by two private gardens.  The first is the recent creation of a plantswoman, passionate about both plants and conservation.  Articulated around a series of rooms, the place is at once formal and relaxed, a wonderful place to be in sync with nature and recharge.  The second is a more formal affair.  Set around an imposing Queen Anne brick house, the garden is an elegant blend between a traditional english formal garden with borders, tall shade trees, an orchard and a walled garden and a sculpture park showcasing remarkable contemporary sculptures.  We reach London in the early evening.  We gather for a light dinner.

Accommodation:  The Montague on the Gardens, London

Included:  Lunch and Dinner

We depart early morning to reach Chelsea at 8:00am when the doors to the Chelsea Flower Show first open.  This way we can enjoy the horticultural displays in the Great Pavilion before the crowds.  You are free to enjoy the fair at your own pace, admiring the show gardens, large and small, gaining inspiration and design ideas from the renowned designers who contributed to this year's show.  After a full day at the fair, we go back to our hotel.  We bid each other farewell with a traditional English high tea at one of London's iconic addresses.

Accommodation:  The Montague on the Gardens, London

Included:  high tea