I'm thinking about a garden trip of a week or so to England in May. Besides Sissinghurst, where do you suggest I go? I'll be travelling with a friend, and we may or may not have a car. <BR><BR> I would think one way to do it would be using London as a base and taking day-trips. Or travelling around to B&Bs. Anyhow--any help and sharing of enthusiasms will be great.<BR><BR> I am sure I'll go back to Sisinghurst, which is the only English garden I've visited so far.

Hi Elizabeth-there is a place that I would love to go,it was the home of Christopher Lloyd and the gardens and house are wonderful.I just can't remember the name of the house~<BR>Penelope Hobhouse writes great books on English Gardens,it will be in one of them, check some out and you can get some great ideas of where you would like to go...I think it would be so great to just go to every one of them!C

Great Dixter is the name of Christopher Lloyd's house and garden. He has written a number of books which show it in great detail and he has a wonderful sense of humor--loves to pair outrageous colors together. Highly recommended.

If you're coming in May, the National Gardens Scheme are running tours of London gardens from 20th to 24th May.<BR>Website is http://www.ngs.org.uk/updates/londontours.htm<BR>The main National Gardens Scheme website is http://www.ngs.org.uk/<BR>Other useful sites are <BR>Britain's gardens<BR>http://www.visitbritain.com/gardens/<BR>and<BR>Essential British Gardens<BR>http://www.gardenarena.co.uk/<BR><BR>

Kew Gardens can be reached from central London without a car. Well worth seeing.<BR><BR>http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/

If you are also interested in flower shows, the Chelsea Flower show takes place in May (you would need to book tickets in advance and it does get very crowded, but is quite an experience!)<BR><BR>See http://www.rhs.org.uk/events/shows.asp<BR>for this and other shows.

I haven't checked this recently but I believe if you enter "Gardens" on www.nationaltrust.org.uk/themes.htm you get an alphabetical list of National Trust properties with good gardens. The English Heritage page on gardens on<BR> www.english-heritage.org.uk/dminterface<BR>/dmehindex.asp?mkey=145 shows selected houses and castles with good gardens, though you have to use the link on most buildings to find what county they're in. <BR><BR>one specific garden: www.gravetyemanor.co.uk

May would be a good month to visit both Exbury Gardens (http://www.exbury.co.uk/) and the Harold Hillier Arboretum (http://www.hillier.hants.gov.uk/) in Hampshire as it is the best time to see the azaleas and rhodedendrons in both places. Also I personally love Stourhead (NT garden/property) in Wiltshire.

I would suggest renting a car and staying at B&B's. You might be interested in Alastair Sawdays' book Special Places to Stay: Garden Bed & Breakfasts. Some of these B&B's have delightful gardens and the owners are usually very enthusiastic gardeners with loads of information on other gardens to visit. We stayed at one last summer with a lovely garden and loads of gardening books to browse through. You can find some of the B&B's on the website www.sawdays.co.uk, but there are more in the book.

Hi Elizabeth<BR><BR>Check out BBC Gardening's GardenFinder:<BR><BR>http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardenfinder/index.shtml<BR><BR>It lists all the gardens open to the public, you can even search by the dates you'll actually be there.<BR>HTH<BR>= )

A second vote for Stourhead. Spectacular in May - not to be missed!

Since this thread will obviously attract garden lovers, do any of you know of a site which lists gardens open to the public in France. We will be in Paris and then in Provence in late May and early June. I know of the classics listed in tour books, but I would love to find some less well known and more informal gardens. Thanks. Pat

For info about France--I suggest you post with your own heading, you'll get more information.<BR><BR> Meanwhile, youmight check the website of Sisley Garden Tours--they have a tour to France and their itinerary would probably give you good ideas.

Gardenvist.com is a very comprehensive listing of gardens around the world. Its very useful -but do double check the informatuion - they hadn't updated the 2002 opening times for Sissinghurst when I last checked and they suggested taking a train to Ashford to get there - the nearest staion is actually Staplehurst only a few miles away and accessible by bus. But it does have pictures and reviews of all the great gardens and is edited by a fellow landscape architect.