2023

Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, Horsham

Tuesday 16th May 2023

“The finest woodland gardens in England.” Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens reopened in 2019, after a ten year restoration. Stunning surroundings, with magnificent spring planting, wonderful woodlands and lakes – certainly a beautiful sight to behold. Enjoy a walk, wallabies and refreshments on our annual all-day coach excursion. Ticket price TBC.

Local Outing to Knoll Gardens, Wimborne

Wednesday 21st June (pm)

Award winning designer, Neil Lucas, will guide us through the wonderful naturalistic gardens, blending graceful grasses with striking perennials and mature trees and shrubs. £11.00 per head, 25 max.

Local Outing to Sandhill Farm, Sherfield English

Tuesday 10th October (am)

Following a very interesting talk from Andy McIndoe back in March 2022, we have the opportunity to visit the McIndoe’s 2.5 acre garden, Sandhill Farm. Andy will give an hour’s tour, as we explore a wide variety of colourful autumn trees, shrubs and perennials. £10.00 per head, including morning refreshments.

Trips You’ve Missed…

2022

Coach outing to Arundel Castle Gardens

Tuesday 28th June 2022

Cost: tba, ticket includes entry to the gardens and grounds, castle keep and staterooms, contact David Mussell.

The Walled Gardens at Arundel Castle are a celebration of innovative design and horticulture. One of England’s finest stately homes, Arundel Castle is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Norfolk and has commanded the striking landscape of the Sussex Downs for almost a thousand years. The extensive Gardens include The Collector Earl’s Garden, the Cut Flower Garden, the Organic Kitchen Garden, the White Garden, the Rose Garden and the English Herbaceous Borders. The unique Stumpery is home to the upturned roots of ancient trees and the original Victorian Vine House still boasts crops such as grapes, peaches and chillies.

2019

Coach outing to The Savill Garden and Windsor Great Park

Tuesday 30th April 2019

Cost: £25, including entry to the garden, contact David Mussell.

In the 1930s, master landscape gardener Sir Eric Savill created one of England’s greatest woodland gardens on a little used area of Windsor Great Park. Planted to celebrate horticultural excellence, The Savill Garden is now 35 acres of interconnected gardens include the Hidden Gardens, Spring Wood, the Summer Gardens, the New Zealand Garden, Summer Wood, The Glades, Autumn Wood and the Winter Beds. It is designed for year-round appeal with colourful displays, rare plants and interesting features such as herbaceous borders, sculpture and the Temperate House. A curving, raised walkway floats above the rose garden for true appreciation of the intense aromas created by 3,500 planted roses. Annual garden highlights include spring’s Azaleas and Rhododendrons, summer’s roses, autumn’s maples and winter’s stems, fruits and evergreens.

2018…

Coach (and Ferry) outing to Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight

Tuesday 26th June 2018

Cost: £25, including entry to the gardens, contact David Mussell.
YOU’VE MISSED IT! SEE PHOTOS AND A FULL REPORT HERE…

Ventnor Botanic Garden lies in the remarkable microclimate at the heart of the famous ‘Undercliff.’ This unique garden is protected from the cold northerly winds by chalk downs. Indeed, it holds the warmth from its southerly aspect so well that, combined with the moderating influence of the sea, frost is rarely known. When frost does occur it is usually of short duration and not great severity.

With an average rainfall of 28 inches its climate is more akin to the Mediterranean. This enables a wide variety of plants considered too tender for much of mainland Britain to be grown.

The Garden is unrivalled for its collections of subtropical plants grown unprotected out of doors.
https://www.botanic.co.uk/

2017…

Coach Outing to Bowood House and Gardens,
and The Courts Garden

Thursday 7th September 2017

Cost: £25, including entry to both gardens and Bowood House, contact David Mussell.

Bowood House and Gardens

Your ticket will include a visit to Bowood House, the stunning Georgian House set in a “Capability Brown” landscape.

Awarded the HHA/Christies “Garden of the Year” as recently as 2014, the formal terraces and gardens near the House provide abundant colour throughout the season. The 100 acres of “pleasure grounds” include an arboretum, cascade, doric temple, the Hermit’s Cave and a lake.The gently sloping lawns provide distant views of the chalk downloads of Wiltshire.

The House, with Robert Adam interiors, has lots to see including an orangery, stables, chapel, a laboratory where oxygen was discovered, library, sculpture gallery and an exhibition room.

Refreshments are available in the Treehouse Cafe and Stables Restaurant.

The Courts Garden

A short distance away and, in direct contrast to the grandeur of Bowood, The Courts Garden is a little gem.

A delightful and unusual English country garden. Just 7 acres of interconnecting rooms, with lopsided topiary, bulging yew, eccentric box shapes, a formal canal, pool and lawns all setting off the flowers perfectly.

Based originally on a Hidcote inspired model, the gardens now reflect the work of more recent gardeners, surprising at every turn.

The small arboretum is home to trees from all over the world, and a pretty spot to enjoy a picnic, should you be looking for an alternative to the lovely tearooms.

2016…

Forde Abbey and Knoll Gardens

14th September 2016

We visited two wonderful gardens in a single day at the amazing all-in price of only £25.

Forde Abbey has 30 acres of beautiful gardens, together with a kitchen garden, water features, bog garden, rock garden and arboretum. With a nursery and a restaurant for light lunches etc. and entry to Forde Abbey (NT) itself, this promises to be a great start to the day.

The Abbey from the Kitchen Garden (www.photographers-resource.co.uk)

Knoll Gardens is probably the best “grasses” garden in England; home of Neil Lucas who has won a string of gold medals at Chelsea, and  who is generally recognised as the country’s leading ornamental grass expert. Its 4 acres is packed full of thousands of flowing grasses and perennial flower borders, renowned for their naturalistic style. Mediterranean, gravel and prairie gardening styles are evident together with stunning trees including Eucalyptus and Willow Oaks. A stunning horticultural experience to end the day, and at a time of year when the grasses are at their very best.

Knoll Gardens and Nursery (www.gardenvisit.com)