Gardens of Devon

Today we meet with our expert guide, Rosie Maye, at Dublin airport for our flight to Bristol where we will transfer to Knightshayes House & Garden, home to one of the most extensive plant collections to be found in the care of the National Trust.

Our next visit of the afternoon is to Forde Abbey Gardens – a privately owned former Cistercian monastery the gardens are home to topiary lined vistas, colourful herbaceous borders, an arboretum and a walled garden.

Later this afternoon we will transfer to Exeter where our tour will be based.   Dine as a group this evening in our hotel.

Following a leisurely breakfast, we depart our hotel for a visit to Keith Wiley’s Wildside Garden. Keith’s pioneering approach to horticulture has created an exciting and innovative garden working in harmony with nature.

Next, we will visit The Garden House set over 10 acres of stunning gardens. The Garden House is at the forefront of a revolution in ‘naturalistic planting’ which we will discover as we explore highlights such as the  Summer Garden, Cottage Garden,  Long Walk, Walled Garden and Jubilee Arboretum.

Our final visit today is to Plant World Gardens & Nursery located between Torquay and Newton Abbot. The inspirational gardens were the first ever to be laid out to represent the five continents and is home to countless rare and exotic plants rarely seen outside their native lands.

This morning is at leisure to relax in your hotel or explore Exeter before our afternoon excursion.

Join us this afternoon on a visit to RHS Garden Rosemoor, nestled in a Devon valley the garden blends formal and informal plantings to magical effect. There is something for everyone to enjoy here from exploring the Rose Gardens, The Mediterranean Garden, Lady Anne’s Arboretum, the Woodland Garden and the cottage garden to name but a few of the many highlights.

After checking out of our hotel we will depart for a morning visit to Killerton House & Gardens which is both a family home and great estate surrounded by parkland. With far reaching views, formal terraces, rolling lawns, ancient trees and even an extinct volcano the different areas of the garden are a delight to explore.

This afternoon join us on a visit to Hestercombe Gardens – spanning three centuries of garden design the gardens offer a unique combination and varied experience of the Georgian Landscape Garden, Victorian Shrubbery and the Edwardian Formal Gardens.

Transfer to Bristol airport in the late afternoon after a wonderful few days discovering the Gardens of Devon.