Garden Trips

Visit Gardens around the Country and around the World!

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) offers an exciting array of extended tours in the United States and abroad. These tours visit beautiful private and public gardens, flower shows, arboretums, specialty nurseries, and more! Each year PHS members and guests can choose from two trips abroad, and at least one US trip, all accompanied by expert guides and experienced tour leaders. PHS trips provide access to private gardens, and introduce you to extraordinary gardeners and garden owners.

The Gardens of Dorset and Thames Valley with Jane Pepper
June 8 - 19, 2008

Next June, PHS president Jane Pepper will lead a tour of British gardens, first in the rural coastland and chalk downs of Dorset, then in the rich lower Thames Valley in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

Dorset features a wide range of garden styles, from the sub-tropical at Abbotsbury to
the architectural at Athelhampton. The Thames valley, which has for centuries been the main economic artery of southern England, has spacious estates such as Cliveden and West Wycombe, as well as smaller specialist and village gardens.

The PHS group will be welcomed in many private gardens for tours, lunch, and afternoon tea. We will also visit notable architectural sites in Dorset and Sherborne Abbey, along with Prince Charles’s “model village” at Poundbury. Tour organizers Ann and Colin Senior, owners of the specialty Heritage Garden Tours, will join Jane in leading the group.

Click here for a complete itinerary and to reserve your space. To request a hard copy, please contact Betsie Blodgett by email or at 215-988-8818

Tour organizers Ann and Colin Senior, owners of the specialty Heritage Garden Tours, will join Jane in leading the group.

Gardens in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
June 23 – 26, 2008

On June 23, we’ll board our private motorcoach for a four-day adventure to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts.  The Berkshires encompass idyllic areas around Stockbridge and Lenox, known for its beautiful scenery and natural landscapes, forests, historic landmarks, and rolling hills.  “Week-enders” here have become year-round residents, and the natural beauty of the area has inspired the creation of stellar country gardens.

PHS members and guests will explore public gardens such as The Mount (Edith Wharton’s Estate and Gardens) and the Berkshire Botanical Garden, interspersed with a variety of private gardens.  Overnight accommodations: the historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge.

Click here for a complete itinerary and to reserve your space. To request a hard copy, call Betsy Gullan (215-988-8778) or e-mail bgullan@pennhort.org.

PHS Travels to Long Island, New York
July 21 - 24, 2008

On this four-day bus trip, PHS members and guests will visit gardens on the two peninsulas on the eastern end of Long Island –– the south fork and the north fork.  “The Hamptons” on the south fork is famous for magnificent large estates and gardens.  Although the north fork has a quieter feel, it also has wonderful gardens and is the major vineyard area.  We’ll visit one of the vineyards and learn about viticulture on Long Island.

Our itinerary includes outstanding gardens large and small, belonging to well-known garden designers.  We’ll visit gardens created by the owners, who demonstrate a knowledge and love of horticulture.  Some of the gardens are at year-round homes; some are used for vacations.  We’ll see creative uses of plants at every turn and tour a well-known nursery to purchase some of the plants you’ve admired. 

Overnight accommodations are at Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor, a famous whaling port in the 1800’s.  The streets are lined with interesting homes, some reflecting the wealth the whaling industry brought to this village.

Join us for this unique chance to visit memorable gardens on eastern Long Island as we travel by private motor coach from the Philadelphia area.  Bus pick-up locations will be determined when registration is complete.

Betsy Gullan of PHS and Jean Lenehan of JL Tours in Wayne will accompany the group.

Click here for a complete itinerary and to reserve your space. To request a hard copy, call Betsy Gullan (215-988-8778) or e-mail bgullan@pennhort.org.