TUESDAY May 19, 2009 Departure
Our holiday begins with a flight on Singapore Airlines to London.

WEDNESDAY May 20, 2009 London
On arrival at Heathrow airport we are met by our chartered coach to travel to our London hotel. We will have time to freshen up before undertaking a city tour escorted by a local guide. Some of the great landmarks we’ll see include Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. Helen and the tour manager will point out local restaurants nearby and those wishing to dine together can meet in the lobby.

THURSDAY May 21, 2009 London
The highlight of our time in London is today’s visit to the famous Chelsea Flower Show. We’ll be at the show when the doors open, so we can see the exhibits before the crowds build up. Chelsea is the main event in the English horticultural calendar and boasts the world’s finest displays of flowers, plants, trees and, of course, the incredible display gardens. We will depart Chelsea early afternoon to return to our hotel, with a stop at Harrods to drop off those people who would like to shop.

FRIDAY May 22, 2009 London
This morning will be free for individual exploration. In the afternoon we visit the Royal Horticultural Garden Wisley. The Royal Horticultural Society was given Wisley estate in trust by Sir Thomas Hanbury in 1903. Trials of flowers, vegetables and fruit were carried out at Wisley and they continue to be one of the principal objects of the garden. Several Chelsea Flower Show prize winning gardens are displayed in the grounds. Our visit will be an interesting look at the history of gardening in Britain. The evening is free for individual activities, perhaps a West End show.

SATURDAY May 23, 2009 Prague
Today we fly to Prague, “the city of a hundred spires”, of soaring cathedrals and lavish 14th-century palaces. Its lively squares and medieval streets give the city a highly festive atmosphere. On arrival we will be met by our private coach for a transfer to our hotel to settle in for the next four nights. The tour manager will suggest nearby restaurants and those wishing to dine with the group can meet in the lobby.

SUNDAY May 24, 2009 Prague
A local guide will take us on a sightseeing tour of this wonderful city this morning. We will visit Wenceslas Square, which began as a medieval horse market, and the Charles Bridge, which crosses the river Vltava leading to the Old Town. We visit Old Hradcany, Prague’s castle district, situated in a commanding position high above the river Vltava, and see Prague Castle Gardens, which lie at the western end of the castle on the site of a rococo pavilion built by Empress Maria Theresa. The gardens contain rockeries and terraces from where we will have spectacular views of Prague. In the afternoon we enjoy a visit to Prague Palace Gardens consisting of five historic gardens: Ledebour, Small Palffy, Great Palffy, Kolowrat and Small Furstenburg Gardens. They constitute one of the most significant baroque garden works in Europe. Their reconstruction was finished in 2000.

MONDAY May 25, 2009 Prague
Today we travel north of Prague to visit Troja Castle Gardens. The beautiful terraced garden, marking the transition from the Italian renaissance to the French baroque style was originally laid out at the end of the 17th century. A spectacular garden staircase is decorated with classical deities, and terracotta vases adorn the balustrades. In the afternoon we visit the garden of Pruhonice Castle. The park was created by Count Silva-Tatouca in the 1890s. There is an interesting collection of plants including eight thousand rhododendrons and a collection of iris species that is said to be the largest in the world.

TUESDAY May 26, 2009 Prague
This morning is free for individual sightseeing or shopping for interesting local crafts. In the afternoon we visit Konopiste Castle, where the garden was laid out in the grand manner by Grand Duke Franz Ferdinand from 1887. The extensive rose garden is the most exciting feature, designed in 1910 in an Italianate style. There is a pretty water garden and a small lake designed by Marcham in 1913.

WEDNESDAY May 27, 2009 Wurzburg
Today we travel west across the European plain into Germany, continuing to Wurzburg. We visit a stunning private garden established by Ursula Schnitzke-Spijkers in 1986. It features more than sixty roses, which climb over pergolas in great abundance. There are spaces to sit and relax and enjoy the view, which includes two ponds and the stunning roses. Beautiful perennial borders and a vegetable patch are among the many delights the group will enjoy in this wonderful garden.

THURSDAY May 28, 2009 Strasbourg
We travel south to Stuttgart today. On the southern side of the city, we visit the private garden of Waltraud and Hans Fahrion. The garden has been established for twenty years and features many box plants pruned into different shapes and used to divide the garden into garden rooms. A hint of the baroque is added by sculptures, stone shapes and furniture. We travel on to Strasbourg where we will stay for the next three nights. The city grew up around its first cathedral established in the 7th century, and later replaced by the romanesque cathedral seen today. Strasbourg remained a free city within the Holy Roman Empire until eventually submitting to annexation by Louis XIV in 1681. The historic centre of Strasbourg was classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988. It is the seat of several European institutions such as the Council of Europe.

FRIDAY May 29, 2009 Strasbourg
A sightseeing tour of Strasbourg this morning includes the cathedral and a walk through the old city with its timber-framed houses and traditional features such as wooden galleries and loggias. We see Place Kleber, the city’s most famous square. This afternoon will be free to explore the city individually, perhaps visit one of the many museums or shop in the historic centre.

SATURDAY May 30, 2009 Strasbourg
This morning we visit the Jardin Botanique du Col de Saverne. These gardens were founded in 1931 to cultivate examples of the local flora. There is an emphasis on medicinal plants and rocky habitats and high meadows. The garden has a fine collection of alpine and pharmacological plants. We also visit Saverne’s historic rose garden, which contains more than 8500 rose bushes with a total of 550 different varieties. With its attractive pools and fountains, this is a wonderful garden.

SUNDAY May 31, 2009 Beaune
Today we head for the Burgundy region of France and visit Chateau de Vaire-le-Grand. The garden was developed in 1718 in accordance with the ideas of Dezallier d’Agenville that gardens should be works of art. The two ponds and the river were placed in the landscape to reflect the chateau. We see parterres, stately trees and expansive lawns. We continue on to Beaune, where we stay for the next four nights. The tour manager will give recommendations of local restaurants for dinner.

MONDAY June 1, 2009 Beaune
This morning we enjoy a sightseeing tour, with a local guide, of the charming small town of Beaune. The tour will include a visit to the famous Hotel-Dieu, founded as a hospital by Rolin in 1443 and a great example of Burgundian-Flemish art. We travel with a local guide through the famous Cote de Nuits wine-producing area to the village of Nuits St Georges and visit Barbirey-sur-Ouche. This park-like garden is set on eight hectares in the Vallee de l’Ouche. A superb potager garden and a natural prairie are highlights of our visit. On our drive north of Beaune, through the vineyards and west towards the mountains, we will see some of France’s most beautiful countryside.

TUESDAY June 2, 2009 Beaune
Today we explore south towards the Abbaye de la Ferte. The abbey dates from 1113 and was one of the most important Cistercian abbeys of the time. Park-like grounds have been developed around it. We will stop for lunch before continuing on to the sumptuous Chateau de Cormatin. Built in 1605 for the Marquis of Huxelles in the style of a water castle, it has been extensively restored since 1981. The formal renaissance garden features sculptured yews, a vegetable potager, a maze with aviary and has the fountain of life at its centre.

WEDNESDAY June 3, 2009 Beaune
The morning will be free for individual sightseeing and shopping. Beaune has a beautiful town square and many entrancing shops. As capital of the Burgundy wine region, the importance of the wine industry is very evident. There are many cellars, wine shops and food specialists. A visit and tasting at a cellar here is recommended. This afternoon we visit La Chaux, a 19th-century chateau. The garden is comprised of several garden rooms with roses, rhododendrons, medicinal plants and a potager garden. The chateau owner, who has a wonderful eye for colour, will escort us through each of her gardens.

THURSDAY June 4, 2009 Paris
We travel north-west to Paris today, stopping along the way to visit the magnificent Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte. The superbly designed grounds were the first great work by Andre Le Notre, who went on to design Versailles’ gardens. Organised on a central axis, the gardens stretch for three kilometres with elaborate parterres, ornate fountains, ponds, topiaries and statues. After settling into our hotel in Paris, those wishing to dine together can meet in the lobby where the tour manager will recommend restaurants for dinner.

FRIDAY June 5, 2009 Paris
This morning we have a sightseeing tour with a local guide to acquaint us with the romantic city of Paris. Highlights include Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Tuilleries and a drive along the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe. In the afternoon we visit Claude Monet’s famous house and beautiful garden at Giverney. This garden, with its ponds and water lilies and its Japanese bridge, appears in many of the artist’s paintings. Another section of the garden has a more formal layout, featuring espaliered apples and pears and abundant plantings of roses, irises, spring bulbs, poppies and more. It has been magnificently restored and gives a vivid impression of Monet’s inspiration. Helen will make sure that we get the most out of this garden. We return to Paris in the early evening.

SATURDAY June 6, 2009 Paris
Rose lovers and romantics will be inspired by our visit to Chateau de Bagatelle on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne. In addition to the noted rose garden with its climbing roses, there is a waterlily pool, grotto, potager, and iris and peony gardens. In the afternoon we’ll be free to explore Paris, according to our interests. Go shopping, soak up the Parisienne atmosphere, walk along the Seine or visit one of the many famous museums and art galleries. Together we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner tonight to celebrate the end of a wonderful garden tour.

SUNDAY June 7, 2009 In flight
Travel to Charles de Gaulle airport this morning for our return flights to Australia.

MONDAY June 8, 2009 Australia
Tour arrangements conclude on arrival in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane.