Knowing how much we all love to visit and be inspired by other people’s gardens, we are really thrilled to be able to tell you about our summer trip this year – the Garden House is back on the road, with a plant and garden-filled trip to Suffolk and Essex.
Over three days we will enjoy a dry garden, exotics, a plant fair, vegetable and kitchen garden, a specialist pelargonium nursery, arboretum, and an exceptional private garden!
Day 1: Travel by comfortable coach from Brighton to Helmingham Hall Gardens in Suffolk, an amazing garden where the Tollemache family have lived for over 500 years. The influence of the well-known garden designer Xa Tollemache, is clearly visible – the parterre was redesigned in 1987 and the new rose garden to east of the coach house was created in 1982, together with the knot and herb garden. We are booked to visit their Plant & Artisan Fair, with its over eighty exhibitors including specialist nurseries, local artisan makers, and suppliers of garden accessories.
We will be staying in historic Bury St Edmunds, and our first evening will be spent in the town enjoying drinks and dinner together.
Day 2: We will visit and enjoy lunch in the private garden of Holm House, recently featured in The English Garden magazine. Though Queen Anne in style, Holm House is actually a recent build with spectacular gardens, a beautiful two-acre lake and wildflower garden, an array of mature trees plus an ornamental kitchen garden with a truly enviable greenhouse.
In the afternoon, our next stop is the renowned nursery Woottens of Wenhasten, which specialises in Pelargoniums, Auriculas and Irises. What could be better than spending time among the Pelargoniums with expert advice on hand?!
Our final destination of the day is Henstead Exotic Garden and Nursery – Suffolk’s secret garden! Here we will be shown around by the Head Gardener, plus enjoy well-deserved tea and cake…
On our return to Bury St Edmunds there will be an opportunity to visit the great Cathedral for a short tour and an organ recital. The evening can be be spent in Bury at your leisure.
Day 3: After breakfast we will head to East Bergholt to explore the Place For Plants – a fine garden and arboretum, with a nursery specialising in trees and shrubs. We then head over to the inspiring and renowned Beth Chatto Gardens where we will have time to enjoy walking in the gardens, have lunch and visit their nursery.
We plan to be back in Brighton by early evening.
Cost: £675 for single occupancy, and £590 for two sharing. The cost includes all travel, accommodation with breakfast, garden entrance fees and refreshments, organ recital and cathedral tour, dinner and welcome drink on the first evening, plus lunch on the second day – and all the usual Garden House touches along the way!
We would love you to join us for this special trip. Places are limited, so please register your interest by contacting us as soon as possible.
Dates: Sunday 29 to Tuesday 31 May 2022