Visiting UK in April

[Casalima]

I will be travelling to England in April by car via the Santander-Plymouth ferry. The purpose of the trip is to help my elderly father move to my sister's in Kew (no less  .
Obviously I want to take in as much garden/plant "asides" as possible! Indeed, this will be the first time I have ever been in England as a driver and with my own car (the exception being a short trip some 16 months ago during which I drove a lovely Europcar Merc - upgraded as it was my birthday!), so I have to take advantage of the momentous occasion. I will be in the country from 14th to 28th and unfortunately it seems that I will just miss a few interesting events. I will be based in Kew and I don't mind driving reasonable distances (the UK is quite small after the Iberian Peninsula!), although Scotland is sadly a wee bit too far for me. I have already noted down the Midland AGS Show on 21st April, the Hardy Plant Society Spring Plant Fair in Kent on the 22nd and, a bit farther afield, the Specialist Plant Fair at Spetchley Park Gardens on 15th April.
I would be grateful for any comments on these events, on any other events you know of, or on any gardens that are of particular interest at that time of the year and are either not tooooo far, or are on the route between London and Plymouth. Rock-garden-ish, and not necessarily rock-garden-ish too.
And if anybody would like me to bring something from Portugal (Port, camellias, large clay pots ... ), just send me a personal message!

Chloë
(slowly recovering from a broken motherboard ...)

[Paddy Tobin]

Hi Chloe,

I am surprised forum members in the UK have not replied with their recommendations for you. So, in their absence, let me recommend a visit to Wisley, an RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) garden which is worth a visit at any time of the year. North of London is Beth Chatto's gardens which is my absolute favourite garden. Both of these have websites which will give you additional information. There are others but these are my top gardens in the area. Of course, there is always Kew Gardens.

Paddy

[galanthophile]

April will be a lovely time to visit! You could consider Penshurst Place (Kent), Polesden Lacey (Surrey), Somerleyton Hall (Suffolk), Nymans (West Sussex), Great Dixter (East Sussex), Borde Hill (West Sussex), Hidcote and Kifsgate (Gloucestershire) and Sissinghurst (Kent). I mention these because they will look good at that time of year - or any time for that matter. I just wish I could visit them all myself! Have a wonderful trip. I think Kew itself will keep you well occupied!

[David Shaw]

The Saville Garden in Windsor Great Park should look good. My one visit was later in the year and I would go back, given the chance.
Then there could also be Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

[Casalima]

Thank all for your suggestions! I had thought about Savill Garden because I will be travelling backwards and forwards between the Henley area and Kew, and I haven't been there since my father took me many, many years ago.
I have never been to Wisley, so that will be a special treat. Beth Chatto's garden sounds wonderful and would be an excellent excuse to go to Essex for the first time in my life. Kiftsgate, ahhhh - I dream of having a Kiftsgate rose - I think I have enough room!! Borde Hill - wonderful ... My gardening friends here are getting very jealous!!

Can I add extra requests for recommendations?:
 
- Any nurseries you are particular fond of? Alpine or not. I have noted Blackthorn Nursery in Hampshire, with its Fri-Sat opening times. Is Jaques Amand visitable or are they only mail order?

- A good solid all-round garden centre in the London, Surrey or west as far as Reading-ish area, with reasonable prices, where I can stock up on some of the garden sundries that are taken for granted in the UK, but unavailable or difficult to find back here in Spain and Portugal. Henry Street, just outside Reading?

My car is a nice roomy Picasso ... 

Chloë

[galanthophile]

There's Tilebarn nursery in Kent (for cyclamen), Hythe Alpines in Thetford in Norfolk and Foxgrove Plants in Newbury, Berkshire. I've not been to any of these so cannot really say what they are like.

[David Nicholson]

Chloe, if you can get to the Royal Horticultural Society garden at Wisley, it's very easy if you are visiting relatives in Kew, it really is worth a visit. A magnificent array of plants, the Rhododendrons on Battlestone Hill should be at their best; an excellent rock garden; an alpine house without the need to have wire grills fitted as at the RBGE so you can get up close to the plants; and to crown it a Garden Centre with possibly the best, but not the cheapest stock anywhere in the UK.

I don't know if you have your route planned from Plymouth to London, but there are two possibilities? From Plymouth take the A38 to Exeter. You the have the choice of the fastest route by continuing up the M5 to Bristol, picking up the M4 then direct to London; or after Exeter on the M5 take the turn A30 signed to Honiton which leads to the A303 signed London. This is a slower route but some good stretches of dual carriageway and passes in sight of Stonehenge. The A303 leads then to the M3 which in turn leads to the M25 orbital motorway around London and its suberbs. More to see on the slower route. Avoid, like the plague, any motorway service areas and restaurants called Little Chef. If you would like any further details contact me off Forum.

[Casalima]

Thanks David and Ann.
I think I might take the scenic route! Little Chefs
Foxgrove look interesting.
Before I travel to the UK, I'll be popping over to the Basque Country for what is possibly the only collector's plant fair in the Iberian Peninsula, held in a wonderful botanical garden/arboretum, with Spanish and French nurseries and 1 Dutch tree/shrub nursery. If anybody happens to be in north Spain or south-west France the last weekend of this month, I recommend it. It also has the attractive feature of "refreshments" consisting not of a tea urn, but home-made style wine and cider sold by the bottle  http://www.jardineriabotanica.org/triptico_2007_web.pdf or http://www.jardineriabotanica.org/home_sp2007.htm for practicing Spanish or Basque! For a list of the garden's astonishing (mainly tree/shrub) collection see http://www.aiapagoeta.com/index.php?&Sec=03&Sub=15 - check out those Quercus! It is run by true plantsmen/women.

Going a bit off-topic ...

Chloë

[ian mcenery]

Hi Chloe

The Midland AGS show would be an excellent show to visit where you will be able to get a taste of the variety and quality of plants grown for show, so it would be worthwhile

[Maggi Young]

Going a bit off-topic ...

Chloë, don't worry, this is interesting info, thank you!

[Paddy Tobin]

Chloe,

Both Wisley and Beth Chatto's have a good selection of plants.

Paddy

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Poor Chloe - April will be much too short a month to handle even half of all these wonderful suggestions !
I suggest you add May 

[Lesley Cox]

In Ann's (No 2) reply above, don't those beautiful names run nicely off the tongue, as so many English town or village names. Polesden Lacey, Somerleyton Hall, Nymans etc. Like reading poetry.

[Martin Baxendale]

- Any nurseries you are particular fond of? Alpine or not. I have noted Blackthorn Nursery in Hampshire, with its Fri-Sat opening times. Is Jaques Amand visitable or are they only mail order?

Chloë


[/quote]

Blackthorn Nursery is only open a few days in the year, not Fri-Sat every week. They're semi-retired and running the nursery down. Best to phone when you're in the UK, to see if they're open at all. But as far as I'm aware it's just a few days in the winter/spring and in early autumn (if that, this year).

[Maggi Young]

I checked with Big John Amand about whether Jacques Amand was open to visitors;
Here's his reply:
" Maggi, Yes, we are visitable, you will have to come down with your lord and master one day and try it, at the moment we are only open weekdays and (saturdays by appointment) this is at the Clamp Hill address, the Cornwall address is mail order only.
Regards John "
Jacques Amand, the Nurseries, Clamp Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex  HA7 3JS
Telephone 020 8420 7110
email : info@jacquesamand.co.uk