LATE SEASON TOURS

Bookings Still Coming In....

Chateau Canon

The Telegraph September tour of 'Gardens of Venice & the Veneto' hosted by Helen Yemm is sold out, as is the 'Gardens of a Golden Afternoon' tour of Shropshire. However, the good news is that there are places remaining on the other 3 late season tours.

HORTUS readers already know about the early September tour to Calvados hosted by editor David Wheeler. After many years of HORTUS tours in association with Boxwood, there are a growing number of travellers outside the HORTUS readership who have experienced and enjoy the particular depth and range of these tours, combined with good living and stimulating company. In addition, Paris based-tour leader Maite Delmas has earned her own following of appreciative travellers with her winning combination of expertise, energy, and kindness (see comments below). There is still just time to join David & Maite visiting private gardens of Basse-Normandie, based at the Chateau La Cheneviere near Bayeux, with personal invitations and introductions by a colourful range of gardeners and owners.

Brilley Court

The first COUNTRY LIFE garden tours to Provence and to the Riviera sold out within days of publication last year. Unusually for Boxwood, we were persuaded to repeat the same tours in 2014 with great success (see comments below). At the time of writing, we are still able to take bookings for COUNTRY LIFE 'Welsh Border Collection' tour of country gardens of Monmouthshire & Herefordshire mid-September, led  by Helena Attlee, superlative tour leader (see comment below) and author of 'The Gardens of Wales' as well as authoritative books on the gardens of Italy & Japan. Gardens in this border country now rival those of any area of Britain, with well-known garden names like Sir Roy Strong, Stephen Anderton & Arne Maynard enlivened with many superb lesser-known gardens and gardeners, including the Arts & Crafts High Glanau Manor, subject of recent TV coverage and COUNTRY LIFE article.

The GARDENS ILLUSTRATED trip to Paris & the Île de France, is a tour of 3 parts: firstly, an opportunity to stroll through old Paris led by John Hoyland enjoying a mix of historic and modern public spaces and private town gardens followed by 2 days south of Paris visiting a range of chateaux parks & gardens as well as artist & architect Mark Rudkin's garden, Le Bois du Fay. The tour finale is a day at Courson, 'Journees des Plantes' a plant fair with the ambience and charm of a provincial market set in the grounds of a 17th century chateau. There is still time to book to join GARDENS ILLUSTRATED editor, Juliet Roberts and tour leader John Hoyland for a rich & unique garden experience.

Here at Boxwood Tours, after 24 years designing garden tours and itineraries, we still cannot predict with accuracy those tours that will sell out. All of the tours researched, planned and organised by Sue are of equal worth, richness and interest to garden-lovers. The challenge we have and work on daily is how to convey that quality to travellers old & new...

Perhaps best to let others do the talking.....................

TRAVELLER COMMENTS, EARLY SEASON TOURS

It was most interesting, the highlights seeing Villa Silvio Pellico where lunch was excellent, garden & house splendid, and the Fiat Villa & Park which were superlative. (HORTUS Piedmont 2014)

Tania & David were excellent tour leaders: it was fantastic. (Country Life Riviera 2014)

A most enjoyable break. (Gardens Illustrated, Somerset, 2014)

Maite was simply wonderful: quietly efficient, thoughtful, kind and inclusive to all, shared her knowledge when required and went with the unattached to free evening meals. (Country Life Provence 2014)

Tour leader Helena Attlee and assistant Patty Shone were first class. They worked hard to make sure we were always enjoying ourselves and were concerned for our welfare. They were also very good company. My enjoyment was due as much to their efforts as to the lovely places we visited. (Italian Lakes, 2014)

It is the non-standard requirement which shows up the organisation's efficiency, in this case highly favourably as I wanted to meet the group at a different place. (Telegraph Normandie 2014)

Spectacular gardens: Helen & Boxwood outdid themselves. (HORTUS Piedmont 2014)

Was especially interesting and meaningful to meet garden owners and to feel their passion about their gardens (Country Life Provence 2014)

Interesting & varied as ever. Helena as fascinating & illuminating guide as ever; hotels & all arrangements faultless. (HORTUS Piedmont 2014)

Lovely to meet the garden owners or those associated with them. (Country Life Riviera 2014)

Amazing gardens; truly spectacular. (HORTUS Piedmont 2014)

Click the titles in blue for more details..............................