HOLIDAY 2019 - SOLD OUT We have a Wait List so please contact us if you wish to register
We would like to announce our 10th annual holiday to Kent - for "The Gardens of the Greats" Sunday 7 July to Wednesday 10 July 2018
This will be our 10th consecutive holiday and a return to Kent, the Garden of England.
‘Early Bird’ visits are booked for Great Dixter on Monday and Sissinghurst Castle on Tuesday when we will have exclusive access to these iconic gardens before they open to the public. This is a wonderful opportunity as these two gardens are hugely popular, especially in high summer. Christopher Lloyd and Vita Sackville-West must be two of the most influential gardeners of the 20th Century.
We stay at the Tunbridge Wells Mercure Hotel, which is situated in Pembury some two miles from Tunbridge Wells. The 4 Star hotel is styled around a feature oast house and we have free use of the indoor heated pool, sauna and steam room. The other visits are all to smaller private gardens, and many have plants for sale. This year there are neither Old Rectories nor Old Vicarages, as visited on previous holidays, but a selection of gardens varying in style and size; all with knowledgeable and enthusiastic owners keen to share their gardens with us. Many have featured in garden magazines.
The gardens are:-
Timbers: 5 acre garden designed with colour as priority. 100 year old Kentish cobnut plat.
Orchard House: potager, gravel garden with tender perennials, productive bee hives and small nursey specializing in herbaceous perennials and grasses.
South Grange, Sussex: HPS members’ garden, wide range of trees, shrubs, perennials and pots. Plants for sale.
Boldshaves: 7 acre garden, wide range of ornamental trees, Diamond Jubilee Garden, rainbow border.
Hole Park: has opened for NGS since 1927. 15 acres planted for all seasons.
Norney Wood, Surrey: Only four miles from Munstead Wood, the garden was inspired by Gertrude Jekyll to sit amongst the woodland, yet with the formality to complement the Edwardian House.
Downderry Lavender: including a tour of the growing fields and a demonstration of lavender distillation.
The Walled Nursery: two acre nursey in walled garden with 13 glasshouses dating from 1800 undergoing restoration. Virtually all plants for sale are grown on site. The Vinery Cafe is our venue for dinner on Day three.
Holiday includes
Three nights’ bed and breakfast at 4 star Mercure Tunbridge Wells Hotel, with leisure facilities
Dinner at hotel on days one and two
Dinner at The Walled Nursery on day three
Lunches on all four days
Refreshments at most gardens not serving lunch
Coach travel by Laguna Travel
Pick up and drop off at Colehill or Ringwood
Entrance to all gardens #
All gratuities
# Sissinghurst Castle is a National Trust property. Non NT members will be required to pay the £14 entrance fee with their final payment to us. NT members must bring their current NT cards to show on the day to avoid the £14 entrance charge.
Bookings will be accepted from 2 January 2019 with a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person and dealt with in order of receipt. Balance to be paid by 31 March 2019.
HPS Dorset Group Members (per person) (non NT member rate): Double/twin rooms £384 (£398) Single rooms £488.00 (£502)
Non-Dorset Group Members (per person): Double/twin rooms £404 (£418) Single rooms £508.00 (£522)
The Booking Form, together with the Terms and Conditions of Booking, may be accessed by clicking on the button below. You then need to print and complete it, then post/deliver it to Elaine Lofthouse, whose details are on the Booking Form, with your cheque for the deposit of £50 per head.
