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- Advice
- Gardens
- England
- Scotland
- France
- Holland
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- Portugal
- USA
- China
- Japan
- India
- Iran
- Advice
- Garden Tours
Gardening is more popular in England than anywhere else and this is reflected in the number of gardens open to visit in England. As an island surrounded by choppy seas and protected by a powerful navy, Britain's territory was physically secure from an earlier date than other European countries. English towns could spread beyond their medieval walls much earlier than in continental Europe. Instead of apartment blocks, the typical English dwelling was a small house with a small garden. The aristocracy always wanted 'a place in the country' for the summer and a town house for the winter. Also, the climate is never very cold and partly because it is never very hot. One usually has to be up and doing something.
A wide range of design styles are well represented in England, although the most famous period in English garden history is the eighteenth century, when the original English landscape gardens were made. England has some wonderful cloister gardens attached to the great cathedrals. The best are simple rectangles of grass. England also has many castles - but no ancient castle gardens. Nor are there many renaissance survivals. There are baroque gardens but not nearly so many as in France and Germany. But from the eighteenth century onwards Britain has excellent examples of most styles of garden design.
This is an excellent tour for visitors to London who would like to visit gardens in Kent and Sussex. The countryside is varied, well-wooded and very favoured from the points of view of garden makers and garden visitors. The tour includes visits to Lullingstone Castle, Great Comp, Nymans, Sussex Prairie Garden, Sissinghurst, Great Dixter and Hever Castle. 
The Cotswolds is home to some of the finest gardens in the UK, and we invite you to explore the beauty and inspiration behind these 20th-century masterpieces. From the iconic Hidcote Manor to the personal garden of King Charles at Highgrove, our exclusive tours offer a rare opportunity to experience some of the most celebrated landscapes in England. Led by our expert local guide, Vivienne McGhee, and joined by the owners and head gardeners of the private estates, you’ll gain unparalleled insights into the history, design, and unique stories behind each garden. This is more than just a garden tour – it’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in the heart of English country gardening at its finest.
The tour includes a full day at the Chelsea Flower Show, which is the most famous horticultural event in the world, a visit to one of the best known Arts and Crafts gardens in England ( Sissinghurst ), a tour of the RHS's flagship garden ( Wisley ) with its new glasshouse, Wilton House, Capability Brown's timeless Stourhead and Harold Peto's Iford Manor.
This tour offers a fantastic opportunity not just to visit some of Cornwall's best loved gardens, but also to meet the people behind them, including Mike Nelhams (Tresco Abbey Gardens), Sir Tim Smit (The Lost Gardens of Heligan) and Charles Williams (Caerhays Castle) and Lord Falmouth (Tregothnan Estate).
Follow in the footsteps of Gertrude Jekyll on this tour across the south of England, visiting many of her commissions including Hestercombe, Upton Grey and also the rare opportunity to visit Munstead Wood, her home for almost 40 years.