Holidays for the garden enthusiast
Garden holidays in South Devon
Gardens of South Devon
18-21 May 2009
South Devon is a landscape of contrasts, from moorland to wooded valleys, and our Spring tour will include some of the most popular and best loved gardens in South Devon.
From the Livermead Cliff Hotel in Torbay we will visit Stone Lane Garden, a 5 acre woodland and water garden in Dartmoor, renowned for its National Collections of wild-origin Birch and Alder, and its extensive outdoor exhibition of artwork. Travelling across the Dartmoor National Park we call into The Garden House, set in a tranquil Devon valley, with many pathways and themed gardens to enjoy. Lukesland Gardens, set on the slopes of Dartmoor, have a wonderful collection of rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas, and provide some of the finest garden scenery in the region.
The sheltered site of Higher Knowle provides excellent conditions for tender plants and the surrounding woodland garden, with spectacular views towards Dartmoor, is amassed with magnolias and acid-loving shrubs. From here we travel south to the beautiful garden of Coleton Fishacre, which lies in a stream fed valley above the scenic Devon Coast. Tender and exotic plants thrive in the subtropical climate and paths descend through the informal wooded valley to the coastal path and lookout.
En route to Torquay we will visit the wonderful gardens of Knightshayes Court, with formal terraces and an amazing walled kitchen garden. On our journey home, we will spend time at Burrow Farm Gardens, a private garden, comprising woodland, formal and informal gardens, an azalea glade, a bog garden and other delights.
Cost per person:
£345 Single room: £45
Departure points: Lincoln, Newark, Leicester, Lutterworth