DEPARTURES FROM LACOCK
RHS Spring Flower Show, Cardiff
Friday 18th April - Depart 7:30 - £30
The RHS Spring Flower Show returns to the parklands of Cardiff Castle ready to dazzle you with inspirational show gardens, beautiful displays of spring flowers and a host of fun activities for all the family to enjoy. This first show of the year is within easy traveling distance.
Highlights at the show 2008:-
Inspirational show gardens created by up and coming garden designers.
Two floral marquees packed with the very best nurseries from Wales and the rest of the UK.
The Experience Wales marquee filled with a feast of fine Welsh food and crafts.
Hundreds of gifts and accessories to tempt every gardener.
Advice from the experts, the chance to put your gardening problems to the RHS advisory team.

Malvern Spring Show
Friday 9th May 7:30am - £35
The spring show at Malvern marks the start of the Rose exhibitors season and is billed as 'The finest and friendliest gardening even of the year'. Starved of gardening delights during the winter, the public flock to see this season opener with its trade stands, specialist society stands and show gardens designed by, amongst other, Chris Beardshaw.

 

RHS Chelsea
Thursday 22nd May - depart 7:30 - £62
Every year in May the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital are transformed into the fabulous show gardens, inspirational small gardens and vibrant horticultural displays that make up the world's most famous flower show.
This show is the first of the summer season and showcases the finest examples of horticultural excellence created by the best garden designers, plantsmen and plantswomen. It sets the latest trends and is plant breeders favourite place to launch new plants.
Designers from around the world create around 20 show gardens, which create the impact and spectacle that Chelsea is renowned for.

 

Swannery & Abbotsbury Gardens
Tuesday 3rd June - depart 8:00am - £32
Superb sub tropical Abbotsbury Gardens are set in beautiful coastal location close to Chesil Beach. Magnificent 18th century walled garden, leads to the Valley Garden, a gentle combe with Camellias, Magnolias in woodland. Asiatic Primroses border the banks of the stream in Spring.
There are many fine specimen trees which normally too tender to grow in the country. Rare and exotic plant collection.
During May and June there are hundreds of baby swans hatching at the swannery so please tread carefully.

BBC Gardeners World
Thursday 12th June - depart 7:30am - £37
Further details available at the end of January

Kew Gardens
Tuesday 17th June - depart 7:30am - £35
Kew's main 3 main glasshouses cover over four acres of floor space and are home to largest collection of exotic plants in the world. Through exploring these stunning structures you will travel from scorching arid deserts, to moist tropical rainforests. There are also guided walks or you can explore further by jumping on the Kew Explorer Bus (Small charge) so you cover all the gardens.

West Somerset Railway
Tuesday 24th June - depart 7:30am - £33
We travel on the Steam Train from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead. The railway, a true country branch line of the old Great Western Railway is full of fascination whether you are looking for a nostalgic ride back in time or to study the railway and industrial heritage which the line preserves. The historic steam locomotives, coaches and wagons travel through twenty miles of varied and beautiful countryside. The gentle rolling Quantcock Hills, along the cliffs and coasts of the Bristol Channel with views of distant South Wales, arriving at Minehead where we spend the afternoon.
The coach will collect you from Minehead to make the return journey.

Portsmouth Dockyards & Spinnaker
Wednesday 2nd July - depart 7:30am - £33
Discover the world famous historic ships - HMS Victory, Mary Rose and HMS Warrior 1860. Home of the Royal Navy, other attractions include The Royal Naval Museum with many exhibitions.
You also get to ride to the top of the Spinnaker which soars to 170 metres overlooking Portsmouth Harbour. You need a head for heights on this one.
This is an unusual tour for gardeners but proved very popular with everyone in 2007 so we are running it again in 2008.

Hampton Court Flower Show
Friday 11th July - depart 7:30am - £48
Visitors can enjoy around 50 inspiring display gardens including tranquil water gardens. From contemporary to traditional, there are plenty of design ideas to suit any garden lover.
Hundreds of the UK's best nurseries fill the floral marquees, Festival of Roses and Plant Heritage Marquee. Floral art, floristry,fruit and vegetables are a major part of the show. Lots of opportunities to buy gifts and gadgets.

Dew stow Gardens
Tuesday 15th July - depart 8:00am - £35
Imagine discovering a lost garden with tunnels and underground grottoes buried under thousands of tons of soil for over 50 years. That's what happened at Dew stow gardens.
Built around 1895 the gardens were buried just after WW11 and rediscovered in 2000. The gardens contain many ponds and rills but interestingly a labyrinth of underground grottoes, tunnels and sunken ferneries.
This trip includes a buffet lunch at the Golf Club.

Bicton Park Botanical Gardens
Tuesday 22nd July - depart 7:30 - £30
Spanning nearly 300 years of horticultural history, these magnificent gardens are spread ove 63 acres with formal gardens inspired by Versailles, the historic Palm House contains some of the world's most endangered plant species. You can visit the countryside museum, a nostalgice delight for all generations filled iwth traction engines and vintage machinery, take a ride on the woodland railway or relex in the Orangery Restaurant overlooking breath taking views.

Malvern Autumn Show
Saturday 27th September - depart 8:00am - £35
Billed as 'The perfect end to the gardening year' the event is a truly delicious feast of country life with flowers, fruit and vegetables, exquisite crafts and traditional fayre.
The Harvest Pavillion is the domain of the amateur grower with classes for carnations, fuchsias, gladiolus and roses. Its a plantsmans paradise with thousands of blooms on sale from the country's finest nurseries and for the enthusiast its the last chance of the season to view the Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show.