The Gardens of the Isle of Wight

Date: Monday 11th - Thursday 14th June, 2012

Cost: €695 per person sharing

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE IRISH GARDEN MAGAZINE

Itinerary:

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, about 3 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent. The Island has many resorts which have been holiday destinations since Victorian times. We are based in the elegant seaside resort of Ryde, in Yelf's Hotel in Union Street. Built by the Victorians, it provides a superb view of the Solent and Ryde Pier. It also leads you onto Ryde Esplanade which is the start of a seven mile stretch of seafront and sandy beaches.

Monday 11 June
Iain MacDonald will meet you at Dublin airport for your early morning flight to Southampton. Coach transfer to our first garden, Mottisfont Abbey, the iconic garden designed by Graham Stuart Thomas to display his collection of historic roses. Free time for lunch before our visit to Little Court Garden; a quintessential country house garden with herbaceous borders full of early summer colour. It has a walled kitchen garden and many other features. We then take the short ferry journey to our hotel in Ryde on the Isle of Wight.

Tuesday 12 June
Depart after breakfast for Nunwell House, a pretty 16th century house, where we find flower filled borders, tranquil walks and views across the lily pond to the surrounding countryside. On then to Osborne House, which was built by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a family retreat. The garden has been completely restored in recent years and historic varieties of plants are used in modern designs. Free time for lunch before our final garden of the day – Butterfly World where jungle foliage and bright bedding provides a backdrop to the exotic collection of butterflies in the small Italian, Japanese and water gardens.

Wednesday 13 June
Free morning to relax and explore Ryde before departing to visit Ventnor Botanic Gardens. Taking advantage of the mild climate in this area, this 22 acre garden has collections of rare and tender trees, shrubs and perennials. Later in the afternoon, we visit Mottistone Manor, an Elizabethan house which lies in a beautiful valley and was restored and added to by Lutyens. Borders and roses lead to a viewing point and below are the kitchen and sunken gardens.

Thursday 14 June
Check out this morning and our first garden is West Dean. Dating back four centuries, the garden was redesigned by Harold Peto in the early 20th century. Among the many features, is a magnificent 100 metre pergola clothed in different climbers for every season. Free time for lunch before our final garden of the tour – Rymans – a beautiful 15th century house surrounded by formal box parterres and double shrub rose borders. A walled garden with island beds filled with unusual plants completes the picture. We then go to the airport and return to Dublin at 20.15.

GUIDES: Iain MacDonald, a qualified and experienced gardener and guide, escorts this tour; he will be available at all times to help and advise you.

HOTEL: We are based in the elegant seaside resort of Ryde, in Yelf's Hotel in Union Street.

Further details from: Frances MacDonald (tours@thebaygarden.com)

Cost includes ...

• return airfare
  
• ferry
  
• private coach transfers
  
• hotel with breakfast and dinner
  
• garden entrances

COST: €695.00 per person sharing

Single Supplement: €100.00

Deposit: €250.00 – Cheque or bank draft payable to Bay Garden Tours.

All of our tours have a final booking date but as our numbers are limited, they tend to book out before those dates (particularly single rooms) so we would recommend early booking.

Itinerary subject to change