Treat your senses to the truly fantastic array of sights and smells around Great Britain's gardens, from grand designs attached to stately homes to the secret delights and private passions of many individuals' more modest homes. Full days out, escorted by expert plantsmen or women, take in a mix of these. You don't need to know a lot, because the tours are relaxed, very sociable affairs that you can enjoy at any level.

Cornwall is our most popular destination, with opportunities to see the amazing Eden Project, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Bosvigo and many other, sub tropical gardens. The Duchess of Northumberland has something very interesting going on in the Alnwick Garden, or you may want to take in some major flower shows at Tatton Park or Hampton Court. New for 2008, freelance plantswomen and TV broadcaster Christine Walkden joins HF Holidays to lead some of our exciting garden tours. You'll need to be fit enough to spend all day on your feet visiting sometimes large gardens, but there's plenty of time to recover and socialise in the evenings back at superb get away from it all Country Houses in glorious countryside!

Our prices hide nothing and represent remarkable value for money - you don't need to spend anything other than at the occasional tea shop when you are out and about.

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The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Enjoy a full day exploring the stunning RHS Flower Show with its numerous display gardens and floral marquees, set in the expansive parkland surrounding Hampton Court Palace. On the Sunday you will also have an opportunity to visit some of the best public and private gardens in Sussex. This great value break offers you the opportunity to enjoy the expertise of our experienced leader, who will answer your questions and add a host of valuable information to the tour.

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Tatton Park Flower Show

A full day at this excellent RHS Flower Show to enjoy its numerous and varied horticultural attractions, set amidst the glorious acres of Tatton Park. On the remaining days we take in some of the best public and private gardens in Derbyshire, including the historic gardens of Chatsworth, developed over 400 years and with many areas still reflecting the fashions of each century. We shall also include, by way of contrast, the delightful Dove Cottage Gardens that are the very epitome of the English cottage garden, richly stocked and including collections of alliums, campanulas and hardy geraniums.

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Alnwick Garden break

Come and see history in the making; at completion, the Duchess of Northumberland's ambitious grand design of the Alnwick Garden will rival the greatest gardens in the world, and is already unique in England and Europe. On other days we take in some of the area's best public and private gardens. These may include Cragside House, near Morpeth, a garden built on the grand scale with a precipitous rockery, Howick Hall, and Wallington, with its superb walled garden first created in 1760 but now planted mostly in 20th century style.

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The Eden Project and Cornish Gardens

Spend a full day marvelling at the Eden Project, whose architecture of biomes is amazing in itself. They contain plants from the rainforests, the Mediterranean, South Africa and California, and there is extensive outdoor planting, too. On the remaining days we take in the best of other Cornish Gardens; Bosvigo, a very English garden constructed as a series of outdoor rooms and Trebah is also a must, a garden in a south-facing valley running down to the estuary and planted with many plants brought back by early plant explorers from Japan and the Far East.

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Cotswold Garden Tours

The Cotswolds, with its enchanting villages and traditions, provides many gardening highlights. We include Bourton House Garden, an intensively planted three acre garden with fine examples of topiary, knot garden, water features and a 16th century Tithe Barn. We have also scheduled Hidcote Gardens, Chipping Campden (National Trust), and Sudeley Castle and its gardens.

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Christine's Welsh Border Garden Tours

Lovely Welsh gardens including Abbey Dore Court, a stunning garden situated on the banks of the River Dore, with an abundance of interesting trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. We also visit Hergest Croft, Dyffryn, described as one of Wales’ best kept secrets and the Weir Garden in a spectacular setting on the bank of the Wye. Led by TV personality Christine Walkden.

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Christine's North Wales Garden Tours

With a climate softened by the surrounding sea, we see some wonderful gardens, public and private, famous and less well-known, and the added bonus of a background of the wonderful mountain scenery. Highlights include the famous garden of Bodnant in the Conwy Valley. 80 acres in a stunning setting in the Conwy Valley, and plas Newdd on the shores of the Menai Straits. Led by TV personality Christine Walkden.

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Scottish Highlands Garden Tours

A wonderful collection of rhododendrons and other Asiatic plants abound on the mild west coast of Scotland. Highlights will include Crarae, likened to a Himalayan ravine with beautiful trees and shrubs; An Cala on the romantic Isle of Seil with streams and paths winding their way through slopes and terraces; Arduaine overlooking the Sound of Jura; and Ardtornich House, with fabulous views down Loch Aline, to the Isle of Mull.

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Christine's Lake District Garden Tours NEW

May is the perfect time of year to visit Muncaster Castle where extensive plantings of Himalayan rhododendrons should be in spectacular flower, and stunning views of Eskdale can be had from the Terrace garden. Amongst other visits we also include a visit to Sizergh Castle, with its famous large rockery, lakes, and wild limestone grassland studded with orchids. This tour will be led by one of our regular expert gardens tour leaders. The July tour is led by TV’s Christine Walkden and as well as those gardens takes in the heathers, rockeries and walled garden at Holehird.

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Cornish Garden Tours

Gardens flourish here in the mild and humid atmosphere, many famous. There is an abundance of rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias, plus some fine trees. Included in our itinerary is the Eden Project; The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Europe's largest garden restoration project, made famous through TV. St Michael's Mount set on a rocky Island in Mount's Bay, and a stunning series of nine terrace levels, are thickly clothed with succulents such as sedums, agaves and aloes, this garden is like no other. We also take Trevarno Gardens, near Helston; the famous coastal garden of Trebah and Bosvigo House, a real plantsmans garden.

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Somerset Garden Tours

Splendid coastal scenery and fabulous gardens - the milder climate of the west country, combined with fertile soil conditions, supports an abundance of plant growth, including sub-tropical species. Highlights include Hestercombe, a stunning garden of mellow stonework, with its fringed rills and pools and delightful mixed plantings; Cothay Manor, near Wellington is said to be the finest surviving example of a small medieval manor house in the country. A white garden, scarlet and purple gardens, herbaceous borders, a scree bed and bog garden are just a few of the delights.

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Sussex Garden Tours NEW

A short break in autumn in Sussex is bound to be well-rewarded with some beautiful woodland walks and stunning autumn colours. We will visit the tranquil hillside woodland of Winkworth Arboretum with its sweeping views of the North Downs and a veritable treasure trove of over 1000 species of trees and shrubs, many of them rare. At Wakehurst Place, the ‘Kew in the Countryside’, as well as seeing a superb collection of trees, you can look into the fascinating world of seeds and learn about their global efforts of collecting and storing the world’s plant genes in the new Millennium Seed Bank. Sheffield Park’s magnificent landscaped grounds were touched by both ‘Capability’ Brown and Humphrey Repton, and boasts four lakes, Grand Cascade and bridges, superbly colourful reds and golds of Japanese maples and tree collections from the eastern USA. In contrast a visit to the modern garden at Denmans will show you just how versatile planting and imaginative use of materials can lead to all year round interest in the garden.

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Devon Gardens Tour

Explore fabulously colourful gardens in this favoured county of Devon with its rich soil and mild climate. At Castle Drogo, perched high above the Teign Gorge with dramatic views over Dartmoor, we see the classic architecture of Edwin Lutyens extending out into the garden; stepped terraces, hedges and arbours are softened by Gertrude Jekyll-inspired richly-planted borders. Also included will be visits to Coleton Fishacre, the D’Oyly Carte family’s ‘Arts and Crafts’ garden set in a sheltered valley down to the sea near Dartmouth, and the historical garden at Killerton where the famous 18th century nurseryman John Veitch began his gardening career, now a fine collection of rhododendrons, magnolias, herbaceous borders and rare trees. One of the highlights of your visit is bound to be The Garden House at Buckland Monachorum, 8 acres of brilliant luxurious colour where old meets new, from a 16th century tower to 21st century naturalistic and stunning South African meadow planting.

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