RHS Wisley

This year we kicked off early with a trip to Wisley for the snowdrops and other early spring flowers, plus the exotic butterflies in the glasshouse.   This visit was part of the perks of being an RHS affiliated society.

Exbury Gardens

Sun. 22nd April

£24

Created in the 1920s in the heart of the new Forest, the gardens extend over 200 acres of natural beaty and contain the world-famous Rothschild Collection of rhododendrons/azaliad, camellias and rare trees and shrubs.   If we've got our timing right, we'll be visiting when they're in full flower.

Tyntesfield House

Sun. 20th May

NT members £16 Others £29

The National Trust acquired Tyntesfield (near Bristol) in 2002 and the WHA were early visitors in 2005.   A lot has happened since then!    Discover the glory of this Victorian home lived in by four generations of the Gibbs family, all making their mark and never throwing anything away.  Find out how Tyntesfield became the Trust's largest conservation project.  Enjoy the Gothic architecture of the hapel and the Trust's largest recorded collection of fascinating objects.

Be inspired by flower-filled terraces, the enchanting rose garden and productive kitchen garden.  Experience the great outdoors on the wider estate and let the views take your breath away.  

Hever Castle & Gardens

Sun. 17th June

RHS individual members £16  Others £25

Hever Castle (just in Kent) began as a 13th c. castle and was converted to a country house in 1462 by an ancestor of Anne Boleyn who added a Tudor house within the walls.  In 1903 it was acquired by William Waldorf Astor who undertook extensive repairs and created the spectacular gardens.

The castle covers three floors containing antique furniture, Anne Boleyn's prayer books and a large collection of Tudor paintings.  It has the oldest working original portcullis in England.  The gardens contain topiary and rose and climbing shrub pergolas.  Enjoy the scent of 3,000 roeses in the walled garden, and over 150 yds. of herbaceous border & herb garden.

Hughenden Manor & Chenies Manor Garden

Wed. 11th July

NT members £18 Others £25

Note!   This is a mid-week outing ...

Amid rolling Chilterns countryside lies Hughenden Manor, the hideaway of Benjamin Disraeli, the most unlikely Victorian Prime Minister.  Relax in his elegant garden and imagine dining with Queen Victoria in the atmospheric manor.   Also, there is the Second World War story of Operation Hillside, for which unconventional artists painted maps for bombing missions - including the Dambusters raid.  Outdoors, get tips for growing your own vegetables in the walled garden.

Not far from Hughenden lies the 14th & 15th c. Chenies Manor Garden.  Chenies Manor was the original home of the Earls of Bedford, was visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, and now is the home of the MacLeod Matthews family.   We will be visiting the five acres of gardens (Tudor sunken garden, White garden, Herbaceous garden and Fountain Court) surrounding the manor, especially to view the display of many varieties of dahlia.  

Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens

Sun. 9th Sept.

£25

Enjoy a rich diversity of plants and animals from around the globe in a delightful rural setting near Burford in Oxfordshire.  Exotic gardens play host to the animal collections throughout the picturesque 150 acres extending round a Regency Gothic manor house.  Imagine having rhinos on your front lawn!

Towering Bananas, Bamboo, Tree ferns and Pals form the backbone of the celebrated 'exotic' plantings.  During summer and autumn an extensive range of tender and flowering plants enhance the scene, including Giant Victoria Water lilies in the open air.  Cactus and succulets inhabit the arid beds around the meerkats.  Sloths, tropical birds and fruit bats reside in the richly planted tropical house.  Extensive swathes of grasses form a savannah-like background to rhinos, zebras and giraffes.  Planting reaches its best in September.

Sheffield Park

Sun. 7th October

NT/RHS £16 Others £24

This magnificent informal landscape garden in East Sussex was laid out in the 18th c. by 'Capability@ Brown, and further developed in the early years of the 20th c. by its owner, Arthur G Soames.  The original lakes form the centrepiece.  Autumn brings stunning colours from the many rare trees and shrubs.   Perhaps of interest to artists and photographers?

Visitors may also explore South Park - 107 hectares (265 acres) of historic parkland, with stunning views, which should suit those who enjoy a brisk walk!

Individual members of the RHS or National Trust get free entry.