PROPOSED TOUR OF BEAUTIFUL SUMMER GARDENS OF THE SOUTHEAST OF ENGLAND, OUR OLD FAVOURITES & SOME NEW! Tuesday June 11th - Wednesday June 19 th, 2019 DAY 1 Tuesday June 11th Leave DFW on Suggested flight AA78 at 7.10pm Day 2 Wednesday June 12th Andria will be waiting at Heathrow Airport at 10.30am to meet you. We will drive to Polesden Lacey for lunch and enjoy time to review the gardens and the house at your own time. This is the enviable home of Mrs Greville the favoured society hostess of Edward seventh. London Society vied for a place at her fabulous week-end parties. The beautifully designed gardens are set in a lush, stunning landscape. From here we will drive on a couple of hours To Sandwich. A warm welcome awaits you at the Salutation Hotel. Enjoy relaxing in garden and early dinner at this beautiful Hotel.
Day 3 Thursday June 13th The Salutation Hotel is situated in the Cinque Port town of Sandwich. Ensconced within acres of award-winning gardens. The medieval town of Sandwich, over-brimming with history, is just beyond the hotels old flint walls. Salutation is at once a country retreat and a gateway to the vibrant and storied towns of the Kentish coast. Edwin Lutyens private-house masterpiece has been completely re-invigorated through successive restorations. This morning there will be a guided walk of Sandwich before we set off for Goodnestone Park Gardens. The Park is a nearby garden much loved by Jane Austen. Her brother married into the family. Here is another inspiring garden where we may collect some fresh ideas as we tour with the Head Gardener. For those who would like, Steve the Head Gardener of our hotel will take us on an evening tour of the gardens before dinner. Day 4 Friday June 14th Walmer Castle was the favourite residence of the Queen Mum. As you may know the Queen Mother was an enthusiastic gardener and passed on her love of gardens to Prince Charles. Roses have always been popular at Walmer, and of particular importance are the 'Queen Mother' patio roses that make a bright show each summer in the Queen Mother's Garden. In the meadow, wild flowers including pyramid orchids, common spotted orchids and blue scabiosa can be seen nestled in the long grass. The trees surrounding the Paddock provide a striking dark green backdrop to the rest of the garden. The moat, shaded by the high walls of the castle, abounds with colourful shrubs at this time of year, including hydrangeas, Choisya ternata, and the majestic Magnolia grandiflora. I cannot wait to show this outstanding house and garden to you Day 5 Saturday June 15th You will be sad to leave the Salutation this morning, but we are going to devote a fabulous day to exploring Canterbury and its Cathedral. We will attend Sung
Evensong at Cathedral 3.15pm the only way to truly appreciate this venerable building. Drive on to Tunbridge Wells for a welcome from our friends at the Hotel Du Vin. We will stay here for the next 4 nights. Dine at the Hotel du Vin 7.00pm. Day 6 Sunday June 16th Please pay attention to dress on this day as we will visit Glyndebourne in the afternoon. Dress as for a smart cocktail party. Charleston Farm house the famous retreat of Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury group is this morning s venue. We will have time to enjoy a guided tour of the house and to learn about the artists, writers and intellectuals who lived here. Inspired by Italian fresco painting and the Post-Impressionists, the artists decorated the walls, doors and furniture at Charleston. The walled garden was redesigned in a style reminiscent of southern Europe with mosaics,
box hedges, gravel pathways and ponds but with a touch of Bloomsbury humour in placing the statuary. Close by is the parish church of Berwick. The Bloomsbury artists decorated the church with beautiful murals. Please let me know if you would like to attend the 11.00am communion service. Lunch at the Farmhouse. Arrive at Glyndebourne at 2.00pm. Time to explore the gardens and perhaps enjoy tea or a glass of champagne in your own time before entering the Opera House for the performance of Massenets Cendrillion (Cinderella) at 4.00pm. Dinner at 6.00pm during the 90-minute interval. Performance ends at 8.00pm. I hope that we will be back at the hotel for 9.15pm. Day 7 Monday June 17th This will be a very special day as we return to Great Dixter for our workshop on Seasonal Planting in the Perennial border. Fergus Garrett will be leading this work shop. The magnificent Long Border will be used as an example of how to plan and put into practice a long season border using structural plants, underplanting and interplanting of bulbs, use of self-sowers, pockets of bedding, masking with climbers, and good maintenance. This day will include slides and talks in the Great Hall, and discussion sessions on the border. Fergus asks you to come with your own particular questions and he will discuss them. Our friend Fergus is the foremost creative gardener in England and a great teacher. Places on this workshop with Fergus are like gold. Such a treat to be able to explore these gardens again. We should be home in Tunbridge Wells before 5.00pm.
6.00pm Taxi to take us for garden viewing and dinner at private home. 10.00pm return. Please let Andria know if you do not wish to participate. Day 8 Tuesday June 18th I know that you will enjoy revisiting the beautiful gardens at Batemans, Pashley Manor and Sissinghurst. These are distinctive gardens that reflect the character of their owners. June is the time to admire the White Garden and the frothing white wisteria at Sissinghurst. These gardens are the lifework of Vita Sackville West and her husband Harold Nicholson. It was Harold who planned the hardscape of the garden, but it was Vita who devised the inspired planting schemes and carried out the work. Pashley Manor reflects the love and creativity of its owners while Batemans reflects the taste of the author Rudyard Kipling. This will be our last night at the Hotel du Vin. Dine at the hotel. Day 9 Wednesday June 19th 9.00am we will leave the Hotel du Vin for the 2-hour drive to Heathrow Airport. I would suggest taking AA flight 79 at 14.25 to Dallas.
It is always easier to spend a day to acclimatize to a new country and to relax after the flight. If you have the time to spend an extra night or two, I would strongly recommend it. The Salutation Hotel is a great place to relax and enjoy the sea air. This can be arranged Good footwear is needed for the garden paths that we will tread. We strongly advise that you purchase travel insuran