DAY 1: Overnight Flight
Depart for Europe.

DAY 2: London
Arrive in London and meet your tour manager, who will stay with you throughout the entire trip. Enjoy an orientation tour of central London before checking in to your hotel. Join us tonight for a welcome reception followed by dinner. Membership to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is included in the cost of your trip. (D)

DAY 3: London
A morning sightseeing tour of London with a local guide shows you the highlights of the city. You will see Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament and an included inside visit to St. Paul's cathedral, with Sir Christopher Wren's famous dome. Every street, every corner has a story in London, whether it is a segment of the wall built around the city by the Romans which now sits in the shadow of the Tower of London, or the London Eye, which uses the latest technology to give an up to the minute view of the changing city. This afternoon features an excursion to the RHS Garden at Wisley including a private tour with a Wisley expert. The RHS moved to Wisley just over 100 years ago to get `beyond the radius of London smoke.' Since then, the 200 acre site has been developed into a vast array of styles, collections, ideas, and inspiration for any gardener. The recently opened Glasshouse echoes some of the vast Victorian greenhouses and houses the more delicate collections. Drive back to central London for dinner. (B,D)

DAY 4: London
A full-day excursion to the gardens at Sissinghurst and Great Dixter shows two very different but equally respected gardens. At Sissinghurst, writer Vita Sackville-West and her diplomat husband Sir Harold Nicolson spent a lifetime building a series of gardens that reflected both classical and romantic themes. Working around existing historic buildings, the gardens are designed to have interest no matter what the season, and have become one of the most appreciated gardens in England. The gardens are set up as rooms with differing themes, among them the White Garden, which is believed by many to have been the start of the fashion of monochromatic plantings. Great Dixter, by way of contrast, mixes colors and other differing elements throughout the garden. Topiary, mixed borders, meadows, and mixed levels (such as in the Sunk Garden) provide continuing interest and change. Return to London in time for dinner. (B,D)

DAY 5: London
Today witness the Chelsea Flower Show, which has long been the foremost gardening event in England. Held on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea (home of the picturesque Chelsea pensioners) it is both a gardening and social event. Limited by its 11-acre site, the show attracts thousands of visitors each year. Exhibitors compete to catch the eye and for prestigious awards. Many new varieties and trends have been introduced at Chelsea. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as there is so much to see! Return to your hotel for dinner. (B, D)

DAY 6: Bristol
This morning leave London and head towards the west of England. The visit today is Stourhead in the county of Wiltshire, which provides a very different atmosphere to the more informal gardens already visited. Laid out in the 18th century by Henry Hoare, the gardens are adjacent to a Palladian mansion and reflect the return to classical style and formality. Greek temples, Renaissance inspired grottoes and even an obelisk are woven into the fabric of the grounds. As a more mature landscape, trees form a vital element, as evidenced in the Fir Walk and the Shades. There are even giant redwoods mixed in, reflecting the 18th century fascination with the flora of the New World. After our visit, continue to the city of Bristol for dinner and hotel check-in. (B,D)

DAY 7: Bristol
A full-day excursion today to Corsham Court and Bowood House today. Corsham Court's gardens still reflect the design of one of the greatest English landscapers — Lancelot "Capability" Brown. Brown and his followers such as Humphry Repron, who also worked on Corsham Gardens, broke away from the precise ornamental designs that were in fashion on continental Europe, and brought in a more sweeping parkland style, based on vistas and naturalization. At Corsham you can still see Brown's touch in the layout of the North ('Great') Walk and the re-working of ponds to develop landscape. Also very evident are the architectural touches added later by John Nash. The next visit is to Bowood House a classic English stately home, again featuring gardens by "Capability" Brown, among others. As at Corsham, typical Brown touches, such as a "ha-ha," blend into the overall plan. Other notable features are the picturesque rock garden, the arboretum and pinetum. Return to Bristol for dinner. (B,D)

DAY 8: Chester
This morning drive through the countryside to Stancombe Park in Gloucestershire. Although the grounds feature some delightfully laid out rose gardens and other flower gardens, most visitors are attracted by the extravagant Folly garden, built in the early 19th century by Reverend David Purnell-Edwards. Follies are supposed to have no practical purpose other than decorative, but the Temple in Stancombe Park had a very definite function — it was where the good reverend would supposedly meet his secret lover, a local gypsy girl. According to legend he had the access tunnels built narrow so that his rather large wife could not pass through and disturb his trysts! Continue to Chester for dinner and your next hotel. (B,D)

DAY 9: Chester
Today, a full-day excursion into North Wales takes you to the gardens of Bodnant, considered by many to be among the most beautiful in the UK. Plants from all over the world, but in particular China, Japan and North America, have been blended into a sloping site forming two distinct gardens. The upper garden features Italianate terraces and formal lawns, while the lower garden is known as the Dell and is much more informal and wild. Bodant is world renowned for its propagation of rhododendrons and azaleas. The gardens also give visitors spectacular views of Snowdonia. Return to Chester for dinner. (B,D)

DAY 10: Cotswolds
Leave Chester this morning and return south. The highlight of the day is a visit to Hidcote Manor and its gardens. The creation of Lawrence Johnston in the early 20th century, it is mostly in the Arts and Crafts style, featuring a succession of rooms that are formed by hedges and topiary which serve to give shelter to some rare and exotic plants that would not normally tolerate the local conditions. Johnston was an avid plant collector and introduced many species from all over the world to England. Some parts of the garden fell into disrepair after Johnston left Hidcote in the 1940s, and an ongoing appeal is working to restore all parts to their former glory. Continue to your hotel in the Cotswolds for dinner. (B,D)

DAY 11: Cotswolds
Either spend the day at leisure in the Cotswolds, or take an excursion to Sudeley Castle and gardens. With a history stretching back over a thousand years, Sudeley Castle has something for everyone. The castle was once home to Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, and hosted many distinguished visitors in Tudor times, such as Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey and Queen Elizabeth I. In the gardens the Tudor period is represented by an elaborate knot garden — a favorite of the time. Sudeley was largely destroyed by Oliver Cromwell and remained abandoned until the 19th century when restoration efforts started in both the buildings and the gardens. The gardens are quintessentially English and feature everything from wild flowers to a vast collection of roses, some varieties of which date back to the earliest days of Sudeley Castle. Return to your hotel for a special farewell dinner, Cotswolds-style. (B,D)

DAY 12: Departure
Transfer to London for your return flight to the USA. (B)