Have you ever wondered what it’s like to explore England’s most famous gardens with an expert by your side, uncovering the secrets and stories behind every bloom?

With expert guides, exclusive access, and the camaraderie of fellow travellers, our tours are carefully curated to immerse you in the rich tapestry of some of England’s most iconic gardens. Let’s explore our top 4 benefits of guided garden tours that make an unforgettable experience.

1. Expert Tour Leaders

Guided tours are about more than the sights and sounds; they provide a deeper understanding of the gardens visited through the insights of expert guides. Our tour leaders are passionate horticulturists with a wealth of knowledge about the plants, ecosystems, and the historical and cultural significance of the gardens. Throughout each tour, they bring the gardens to life with stories and insights that transform your overall experience.

2. Exclusive Access

Guided tours often include access to areas of the garden that might be restricted or not well-known to the general public. This can, in turn, give you a more exclusive experience. When you choose to tour England’s gardens with Ross Tours, we provide a few exclusive benefits. 

Firstly, we have personal connections with many of the garden owners whose gardens we visit. This means we often have the chance to talk with those who dedicate their lives to maintaining these gorgeous spaces, and you can learn from their experience first-hand. This is a chance not many others will get, and our travellers often note this as a highlight of their tour.

Secondly, we are a member of the Royal Horticultural Society. This allows us access to the Opening Day at the Chelsea Flower Show, the highlight of this trip. On Opening Day, crowds are the smallest and the show gardens and flower displays look their best.

Want to learn more about the Chelsea Flower Show? Read our recent blog, which is full of tips and tricks on how to make the most of your visit!

3. Like-minded Travellers

Guided garden tours are also a social experience that bring together garden enthusiasts of all levels. At Ross Tours, we foster a sense of community with small group sizes, allowing you to share your love for gardens, exchange ideas, and learn from others. A highlight of our trips are the farewell dinners, which are the perfect time to reminisce and wrap up your travels in style.

Just because we run smaller tours with only up to 25 people, doesn’t mean we are less experienced! We’ve been taking our travellers to the most beautiful places in the world for over 40 years, and with over 1,000 tours completed and more than 25,000 happy travellers, we’re a world-leading garden tour company.

4. Fully Organised Trips

Joining a guided tour with Ross Tours means that you can relax and take in the sights while we organise everything from the itinerary to accommodation, admissions, coaches and most meals. There are occasional times when meals aren’t included, and some afternoons are kept free, which allows you to choose where to go or what you’d like to eat. Our travellers enjoy these times, and often choose to spend them with fellow travellers. Free afternoons are especially enjoyable, and provide some time for smaller excursions, shopping for souvenirs and exploring the small towns we stop in.

5. Seasonal Highlights

England’s gardens are ever-changing canvases, with each season offering a unique palette of colours, scents, and textures. We time our tours, so that you can enjoy these stunning landscapes at their seasonal best.

Our guided tours are planned to align with late spring, ensuring that you experience the gardens when they are most vibrant and full of life. During this time, the flowers, trees and wildlife are all at their peak, making for a truly unforgettable experience.

England’s Best Gardens

Now that you know some of the benefits of taking a guided garden tour, let’s talk about what you can expect to see! If you’d like a more thorough explanation of the locations we visit, explore the tour page or read our blog on the topic. If you still have questions, please give our office a call on 1300 233 200.

England boasts some of the world’s most beautiful gardens, each with its own story to tell. From the historic Great Dixter to the romantic Sissinghurst Castle Garden, the contemporary Malverleys, and the famous Chartwell, these gardens reflect a blend of history, culture, innovation, and passion, lovingly maintained by generations of gardeners.

Great Dixter

Great Dixter, the home of the late gardener Christopher Lloyd, is a horticultural treasure renowned for its bold Arts and Crafts-style planting. The garden is a vibrant tapestry of colours and textures, with a stunning array of plants, including Mexican fleabane, jonquils, coastal daisy bush and self-seeding verbascums. 

The Long Border, absolutely brimming with trees, grasses, wildflowers and shrubs, is a highlight, showcasing Lloyd’s love for unexpected but brilliant combinations of plants. For those who join Ross Tours, we meet with Fergus Garrett, the head gardener, who continues Lloyd’s innovative approach, ensuring the garden remains a living masterpiece.

Sissinghurst Castle

Sissinghurst Castle’s gardens are a quintessential example of English gardening at its finest. Purchased in 1930 by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, they transformed the property from “squalor and slovenly disorder” to one of the National Trust’s most visited sites.

The White Garden, famous for its monochromatic beauty, features delphinium, roses, and silver-leaved shrubs that create a serene palette. The newly completed Delos is an homage to Vita and Harold’s visits to the island. With Mediterranean planting and landscaping, you’ll feel transported far away from England! Wildlife thrives here too, with bees buzzing in the herb garden and birds enjoying the cobnuts in the Nuttery.

Malverleys

Malverleys is a private garden that offers a stunning celebration of seasonal blooms, capturing the essence of the English countryside with a modern twist. This garden is thoughtfully designed with a focus on ensuring that every season brings its own unique display of colour and texture. From the delicate pastels of spring tulips and alliums to the vibrant roses and lush shrubbery of summer, the garden’s borders are always alive with something beautiful to see. 

A highlight of Malverleys is its remarkable kitchen garden, where the concept of garden-to-table dining comes to life. Rows of leafy greens, vibrant vegetables, and carefully tended fruit cages create a thriving space that’s as productive as it is beautiful. The bounty of this garden is harvested daily and transformed into fresh, seasonal dishes at the onsite restaurant.

Beyond the kitchen garden, Malverleys is a treasure trove of horticultural delights, with each garden ‘room’ offering a different experience. The rainforest-like Stumpery, with its lush, dark ferns and moss, contrasts beautifully with the calm and bright Pond Garden, where still waters reflect the surrounding greenery. These distinct spaces within the garden allow visitors to explore a variety of landscapes, each meticulously crafted to evoke a particular mood or theme.

Chartwell

Chartwell, once the beloved home of Winston Churchill, features gardens full of roses, small ponds and personal touches. The Walled Garden is a highlight, where climbing roses and clematis adorn the old brick walls, and the heads of a wide variety of cut-flowers bob gently. Churchill’s personal touch is evident in the kitchen garden, having built much of the wall with his own two hands! 

The estate is also home to black swans, chickens, butterflies and bees, all of which help to keep the garden pollinated and free of pests. Chartwell’s gardens offer a blend of history, horticulture, and the simple pleasures of country life.

Come With Us!

Our guided tours to England are an excellent way for any avid gardeners to deepen their understanding and appreciation of horticulture. So why wait? Dive into the captivating world of England’s famous gardens and enjoy a horticultural journey like no other. Book today, or contact us for more information about any of our tours.