Inspirational English Garden Festivals for Green-Fingered Clients | Travel Research Online

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of the annual Royal Horticultural Society’s spring and early summer flower shows, the one they stage at Hampton Court Palace has now been scheduled to take place between 10^th-15^th September. It replaces the RHS Wisley Flower Show. Offer it to garden-loving clients who have missed the Chelsea Flower Show, and let’s add two more floral spectaculars that are taking place at the same time at fairy-tale Leeds Castle and magnificent Salisbury Cathedral.

Then, brighten your day and fire your imagination with some sensational colour-filled videos of English gardens AS THEY LOOK NOW and will be again in April 2021.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show This rescheduling of the world’s largest garden festival is great news to share with all green-fingered clients. In September, it will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a burst of colour, gardening inspiration and beautiful blooms against the backdrop of one of the UK’s most iconic palaces. Let’s put together something for 2-4 of your garden-loving customers.

The Loveliest Castle in the World Leeds Castle in Kent will be celebrating their own Festival of Flowers (12th-16th September). Set on its own island and the former home to the mediaeval and Tudor Kings and Queens of England, with the theme of ‘Memories’, the rooms of this beautiful castle will be decorated by an impressive line-up of international award-winning floral designers.

The Confluence Flower Festival Salisbury Cathedral Scheduled for 15th-20th September, see and smell over 30,000 stems of blooms and foliage in impressive floral displays, set amidst stunning medieval architecture, as a feast for all the senses! The arrangements will reference the Cathedral’s site at the meeting point of five rivers using traditional materials built with lead, wood, stone and glass.

Take A Stroll Around Romantic Hever Castle A former winner of the prestigious Historic Houses/Christies Garden of the Year Award, in April, the tulip display is fabulous. With the walls covered in camellias and the rhododendrons, azalea and wisteria in full bloom it is a remarkable sight to see. Now buckle up, enjoy the flight and discover the intricate details of this historic garden.

Arundel Castle Tulip Festival Magnificently set high on a hill, it dates back to the 11th century. Both an ancient fortification and the treasure-filled home of the Dukes of Norfolk and the Earls of Arun, its display of an estimated 130,000 tulips and over 180 different varieties of the flower, plays a major role in an April 2021 tulip-filled tour.

Discover Dutch Masters Dunsborough Park is a privately owned country estate just 20-minutes from the cathedral city of Guildford. The 6-acre garden was redesigned in the mid-1990s and billed as the ultimate tulip destination, the tour in this video is led by the Baroness herself who, with her husband are currently in lock down in Holland!

The Magnificence of Waddesdon Manor   Their Victorian gardens are considered to be among the finest in Britain, renowned for the colourful parterre, seasonal displays, statuary and fountains. A visit here gets a Cotswolds-bound tour off to a great start and it makes a grand finale when returning to London. Don’t miss the rococo-style Aviary which houses a splendid collection of exotic birds.

Flying over Wisley    Check out this aerial view of the RHS flagship garden at Wisley and you’ll see why it has to be included in any tour where gardens are a major feature. You’ll also see why you should programme at least 5-6 hours for a visit that includes one of their special tours, lunch and an irresistible Afternoon Tea!

A Garden of Surprises A visit to the inspirational Arts and Crafts garden at Hidcote Manor has to be included in any Stratford or Cotswolds-based itinerary. As there’s a lot to see in each of the outdoor garden rooms, you should allow at least 3-hours for a visit and finish it with a leisurely English Afternoon Tea in Winthrop’s Café.

An Urban Oasis in South London Returning to London from a south of England tour, there are several National Garden Scheme properties that can add a memorable final flourish to 5-6 days in the English countryside. This one perfectly concludes a Tulip Festival tour next April as the garden was created by a former Chairman of the Society of Garden Designers.

Paull Tickner, owner of U.K-based Custom GB, is known for his expertise in creating and operating imaginative, value-added tours of Great Britain and Ireland. Visit his website at www.customgb.co.uk or email him at ptickner@customgb.co.uk.