The Malvern Show and the Gardens at the Heart of England

We depart from our local pick up points and make our way north and having made a lunch stop in Moreton In Marsh we arrive in the lovely North Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Hill. Bourton House Garden is a hidden treasure. It is a relatively ‘new’ garden; having been created over a twenty year time frame in the 80’s and 90’s but is now recognised as one of the finest gardens in the UK. Beautiful all year round, it is absolutely glorious in the summer and autumn months, when the deep herbaceous borders amaze visitors with their colour and the wide variety of unusual plants. We spend the afternoon at Bourton before continuing on to our hotel

After breakfast we make our way to Malvern for the 2019 RHS Malvern Spring Festival. So much to see today including the inspirational Show Gardens. The Show Gardens don’t just give you an opportunity to observe stunning gardens. Many of the garden designers will be on hand to answer your questions and offer tips to help you transform your own garden, whatever you have planned for it. There is also the  beautiful Floral Marquee bursting with blooms. From RHS Gold Medal winning show gardens to top quality specialist plant and floral exhibitors in the beautiful Floral Marquee, there is no better place for gardeners of all abilities to discover summer inspiration and enjoy a great day out. Of course there will be lots of trade stands and opportunities to make purchases.

Today we venture in to The Cotswolds to visit one of the great gardens, Hidcote NT. Created by the talented American horticulturist, Major Lawrence Johnston its colourful and intricately designed outdoor ‘rooms’ are always full of surprises. It’s a must-see garden. Explore the maze of narrow paved pathways and discover secret gardens, magnificent vistas and plants that burst with colour. Many of the plants found growing in the garden were collected from Johnston’s many plant hunting trips to far-away places. It’s the perfect place if you’re in need of gardening inspiration. After lunch we make our way to Stratford Upon Avon where we enjoy a short river cruise on which you pass through Stratford’s two historic bridges, Clopton and Tramway, wend your way past the Royal Shakespeare Theatres down to Holy Trinity church where William Shakespeare is buried and then return upstream into the pretty Warwickshire countryside. On your cruise up-stream you pass some very lovely riverside gardens and it’s very possible that you’ll spot the resident herons, buzzards and if you’re very lucky catch sight of kingfishers on the wing.

This morning we make our way to Solihull to visit Broadacre Garden. Broadacre is a landscaped natural garden.  It is built around an old marl pit, now transformed into to pools and ringed by trees and lawns surrounded by flower meadows and wooded areas managed for conservation. The garden is a joy to walk around both for the views and for the flowers specifically planted to help the bees.  Broadacre is a haven for birds, insects, mammals -in fact all the flora and fauna you would hope to find in an undisturbed area of the midlands.

A very unique visit this afternoon as we make our way to Warwick to see the sixteen hedged Victorian gardens at Hill Close which overlook Warwick racecourse. The leisure gardens were created by tradespeople in Warwick in the 1800s in order to enable them and their families to escape from the congestion and pollution of the town. The gardens retain their secret nature with access through wooden doors off lanes with high hedges and each garden has its own individual character. There are herbaceous borders, over 80 heritage pear and apple trees, 19thc daffodils, many varieties of asters and chrysanthemums and heritage vegetables. Special features are the croquet lawn, auricula theatres, plant heritage collection, display of antique garden equipment, large glasshouse for tender plants and the contemporary await. sustainable visitor centre. This type of garden arrangement is one of only four remaining in the country and the only one open to the public.

This morning we depart our hotel and make our way to Oxford where we visit the oldest botanic garden in the country. Oxford Botanic Garden is the UK’s oldest botanic garden, founded in 1621. Situated in the heart of Oxford, this historic garden is an oasis of green in the city centre. Indeed it is one of the most compact yet diverse collections of plants in the world. Take a stroll among the family beds in the formal walled garden; see exotic, tropical and carnivorous plants in the glasshouses; enjoy the lush herbaceous borders of the informal lower garden. Time for lunch before we commence our journey back to Sussex where we hope to arrive in the East Grinstead area by approximately 17.30/45

Visits may operate in a different order to that shown.