Spring Gardening Holiday
May 13th - 18th 2012
Designed to take in and experience the vibrant fresh colours of springtime in the dynamic scenery of the Lake District, this 5-night holiday includes accommodation, full breakfast and 3-course dinner each day. A coach is provided to transport you to the gardens listed below. giving more time to enjoy the scenery.
The garden visits include both large and small local gardens - some of which are not normally open to the public, with a chance to meet their owners and enjoy some beautiful gardens at a lovely time of year.
David Haigh is your tutor / guide and will be with you for the duration of the holiday to inform and answer your questions.
GARDENS TO VISIT
Greencroft, Great Strickland
The home of Mrs Irving. A unique garden with specific rooms separated by dividing walls of well selected plants. Within each room is a plantsmans range of varieties to suit the seasons. A winner.
Lakeland Horticultural Society, Holehird, Windermere
This garden of originally five acres has taken over extensive adjacent gardens which include a natural tarn and tumbling waterfalls, set on a fellside with stunning views over Lake Windermere. Run by volunteers and one of the best-labelled gardens in the U.K., they hold the national collections of Astilbe, Hydrangeas and Polystichum (ferns). The walled garden gives protection to mixed borders whilst the alpine houses protect an always colourful array of tiny gems, consistantly voted among the top ten gardens in Britain and Europe.
Henley Syke, Catterlen near Penrith
Joan Cave's garden is a little gem. A mere half an acre it is packed with eye-catching and interesting plant combinations. Conifers and shrubs have been pruned into the most unexpected shapes. A delightful stream is beautifullly flanked with apropriate planting. Garden ornaments and sculpture create unexpected delights. This garden contains more surprises than many much larger ones.
Muncaster Castle, Ravensglass
The 77 acre woodland gardens, including a world collection of rhododendrons, have undergone extensive refurbishment under the guidance of Alan Clark and the R.H.S. A visit at this time of year should offer an experience not to be missed, demonstrating the wide range of rhododendrons, azaleas, maples, camelias and a variety of trees & shrubs. During the visit there is chance to see the World Owl Trust' collection of owls.
Broomhill, Windermere
This 2 acre garden, renovated and replanted over the years from a wild woodland garden, has well maintained lawns, camellias, an extensive range of rhododendrons & azaleas interplanted with a wide range of interesting trees, shrubs, hostas, primulas, acers and many others. Utah Potter adds to this garden more interesting and rare plants year by year. A badger family have also made their home here.
Rydal Mount, Rydal
A garden created by William Wordsworth on a naturally sloping 4 acres which has changed little since his day apart from the planting of shrubs including rhododendrons. The style is informal and designed to harmonise with the surrounding countryside. The main lawn is bordered with flowering shrubs and linked terraces. Nearby Dora's field is planted with daffodils in memory of the Wordsworths daughter Dora who died in 1847 at the age of 43
TALKS
Summer bulbs with David Haigh
A look at how bulbs are invaluable for providing highlights in the summer garden when grown in mixed borders, rock gardens or in containers. As well as spectacular Lillies, late flowering Alliums, Crocosmias, Tigridia and the eye-catching giant white lily, Cardiocrinum giganteum will be discussed.
Gardeners Question Time with David Haigh and Ian Turnbull (Head Gardener at Rydal Hall).
PRICES
All prices are per person for the 5 night holiday and include morning coffee, full English breakfast, 3-course Dinner and VAT @ 20%.
A deposit of £150 per person is required for the holidays, which is non-refundable unless the room is subsequently relet; cancellation insurance is available.
TUTOR
David Haigh has spent over 40 years as a professional horticulturalist, 30 of those in horticultural education, lecturing in the UK and Lesotho (Southern Africa) before his last position as ‘Head of Horticulture’ at Newton Rigg College, near Penrith.
He is a ‘Master of Horticulture’ - a qualification awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society - and is now semi-retired, dividing his time between freelance garden writing, lecturing, running practical training courses and hosting gardening holidays. To keep his hands dirty he tends two allotments where he grows a wide range of crops - his other great passion is cooking and this usually involves using the produce of his plots.