Upcoming Tours:

Gardens of England and the Chelsea Flower Show, May 18-28, 2009 more info>>

Charleston and Savannah
March 24-April 1, 2009
more info>>


England
Gardens of England and the Chelsea Flower Show, May 18-28, 2009

Join me for a fabulous 10-day tour of spectacular private and public gardens in East Anglia, the Cotswolds and Somerset. 

To sign up, contact Brad Cilley at Northwest Travel:  brad@nwtravel.com; 425-313-1691. Questions concerning the gardens or tour? Contact me — marty@martywingate.com

Two nights London
Sunday, May 17 — leave for London
May 18 — We’ll gather at Heathrow and be whisked off to our South Kensington hotel, the Rembrandt (www.sarova.com/rembrandt), getting an introductory tour of London on the way in.  Those of you who want to stretch your legs before meeting for drinks and dinner can take a stroll through Kensington gardens and see the Diana Memorial Fountain (designed by Washington native landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson), the Peter Pan statue near the Long Water, and the Italian Gardens.
*Drinks and dinner included.

May 19 — The Chelsea Flower Show — the Royal Horticultural Society’s premier event.  We can take the tube (only one stop!) or walk — it’s just about a mile away.  Stay all day, or take off in the afternoon (with your transit pass) and tour around on your own — you might want to visit the Tate Modern, Westminster Abbey or the Imperial War Museum.
*Dinner on your own.

Two nights East Anglia
May 20 — The Georgian House Hotel (www.georgian-hotel.co.uk) in Norwich will be our base as we explore the gardens.  On our way to Norwich, we’ll visit the Beth Chatto Gardens (www.bethchatto.co.uk); Beth Chatto is well-known for her books as well as for turning a parking lot into a gravel garden.  We’ll see it!
In the afternoon, we’ll visit Saling Hall (www.salinghall.com), the home of Hugh Johnson, author of both garden and wine books (The Principles of Gardening; The World Atlas of Wine).  Read his garden columns, Tradescant’s Diary, at the garden’s Web site.
*Dinner is included.

May 21 — A day of contrasts.  First, we’ll visit Somerleyton (www.somerleyton.co.uk), for a tour with the head gardener.  Somerleyton has a huge yew maze planted in the mid-19th century and a glasshouse designed by Joseph Paxton, who also designed the Victorian marvel the Crystal Palace.  In the afternoon, Judy and John Wilson, members of the hardy plant society, will welcome us to their private garden, Chestnut Farm, in the village of West Beckham.
*Dinner on your own.

Three nights Cotswolds

May 22 — Enjoy a drive through the countryside.  We’ll stop in Cambridge for a tour of this historic town.  Some may want to take advantage of the Cambridge Beer Festival, which will be on.  In the afternoon, we’ll drive the rest of the way to charming Three Ways House Hotel (www.puddingclub.com) in the village of Mickleton. 
*Dinner is included all three nights.

May 23 — The Old Rectory is the garden of Mary Keen, a garden designer and writer for the Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk).  It’s a lovely quiet country place, and in addition to the interesting garden, we can visit the old Saxon church.  In the afternoon, we’ll visit the private garden of Pamela Schwerdt and Sibylle Kreutzeberger, who were longtime head gardeners at Sissinghurst.  They’ve created an amazing garden at their home in the village of Condicote; we’ll hear how, and enjoy a cup of tea with them. 

May 24 — Bourton House (www.bourtonhouse.com) stands on land that has held buildings since the late 16th century.  The gardens include a raised walk from the 17th century.  In the afternoon, it’s Hidcote Manor Garden, just a couple of miles from our hotel; we’ll take a look at recent restorations to Lawrence Johnston’s fabulous arts-and-crafts masterpiece, and see why it’s still one of the most influential gardens in the world. 

Three nights Wells, Somerset
Wells is the smallest city in England, and designated a city only because it has a cathedral.  We’ll stay at the Swan Hotel (www.swanhotelwells.co.uk), near the cathedral, and explore gardens in Wiltshire and Somerset. 

May 25 — On our journey from Mickleton to Wells, we’ll visit Derry Watkins at Special Plants Nursery (www.specialplants.net), a collector’s garden designed by Derry’s architect husband.  In the afternoon, it’s Iford Manor (www.ifordmanor.co.uk).  Iford is the early 20th-century Italianate garden of Harold Peto; we’ll have a tour by current owner Mr. Cartwright Hignett — a real treat — and tea.
*Dinner is included.

May 26 — Chiffchaffs, a private garden in Dorset, is the creation of the delightful Mr. and Mrs. Ken Potts; it’s chock-full of fabulous plants set around a lovely cottage.  In the afternoon, owner and gardener Judy Pearce will take us around Lady Farm (www.ladyfarm.com) and explain how she turned a muddy dairy farm into the incredible garden it is today.  Tea at the summer house.
*Dinner on your own.

May 27 — Cothay Manor is a private home and garden in Somerset, full of history and great design.  We’ll have a late-morning tour here, and then go to Hestercombe (hestercombe.com), where we’ll have lunch on our own and enjoy the gardens, the result of one of the best collaborations between architect Edwin Lutyens and landscape gardener Gertrude Jekyll.  We’ll have our farewell dinner tonight.
*Dinner is included. 

May 28 — depart for Heathrow after breakfast or continue your holiday with a 3- or 5-day extension.

 Here’s what’s included:
10 nights accommodations
10 breakfasts, seven dinners
Welcome drinks reception
Teas at four gardens
All ground transportation
2-day London transport pass
All garden admissions
Admission to Chelsea Flower Show and one RHS membership per room
Tour of Cambridge
Baggage handling at each hotel

Price per person for double, sharing:  $3,750 (land only)
Price for single:  $4,670 (land only)
*$165 double ($220 single) discount for tour payment by cash

Airfare at $1,150, round trip, nonstop Seattle-London, can be arranged through Northwest Travel

$500 deposit will secure your space ($700 if also reserving airfare)

Questions?  Contact Marty at marty@martywingate.com

Sign up for the tour:  Brad Cilley at Northwest Travel (brad@nwtravel.com); 425-313-1691

Amazing private garden, Lady Farm

Charleston and Savannah
March 24-April 1, 2009

We will visit historic homes and gardens in these two fabulous Southern cities, plus have a great time eating shrimp and barbecue.

Perfect weather, fabulous gardens and behind-the-scenes talks from local designers made this year's Charleston and Savannah tour a winner. We're doing it again next year, so be sure to sign up before it fills!

Where do you want to go to see gardens? Let me know! marty@martywingate.com

Live oak trees drip with Spanish moss, artistic gates lead to private courtyard gardens and everywhere there are stories. Charleston, S.C. and Savannah, Ga. are known for their charm and for their history in architecture and gardens. In March, we're taking a small group of gardeners to discover the allure of those cities.

Charleston was founded in 1670, and moved to the peninsula where it stands today in 1690. Remnants of its early life and French and Spanish Influences can still be seen, even though much of the city was damaged b fire from British ships during the Revolutionary War, and Union ships during the Civil War.

The Garden Club of Charleston hosts a walking tour of historic homes and gardens, which we'll take in, but also we have other private gardens to see on our own - found for us by a landscape architect contact. We cant pass up the opportunity to experience our country's history, so we'll spend a plantation day at Middleton Place and Drayton Hall, and also go out to Fort Sumter

On our way to Savannah, we have private gardens to visit in Beaufort, a seaside city dating from 1711.

Savannah, established in 1733, was laid out neatly with streets, alleys and squares. Savannah, as an editor-friend from Southern Living magazine told me, has "an earthy, brassy, sweetness - and lots of mystery that charms visitors."

We'll take the walking tour, historic homes and gardens, and see private gardens in the area, found for us by a local designer. Several free nights in both cities will allow us each to pursue our restaurant passions, whether that's Low Country cooking, seafood or barbecue. Just a note to Food Network fans: Paula Deen's restaurant Lady and Sons is in Savannah.)

Dates: March 24-April 1, 2009

Cost: $1960 double occupancy, $845 single supplement

$55 ($84 single) discount for payment in cash/check

Airfare is not included

A $500 deposit holds your place

To book, contact Brad at Northwest Travel or call 425-313-1691. For questions about the gardens or itinerary, contact me: marty@martywingate.com

What's included:

  • 8 nights in historic district hotels (4 nights each Charleston and Savannah, 8 breakfasts and 2 dinners
  • Historic homes and gardens walking tours in Charleston and Savannah Private garden tours in Charleston, Beaufort, Savannah
  • Motor coach transportation between Charleston and Savannah Walking tour of Charleston
  • Civil War walking tour of Savannah
  • Cruise and tour of Fort Sumter (including transportation)