Since you are going to Kew and it is close to London, you might want to visit Regent's Park in London. I can't recall if they had many old roses (since I have been there good 10 years back), but generally it is worth visiting if you have a free minute (or rather free half of a day). It is also free to visit, no ticket required, etc.

Then there also is Hampton Court, which is close to London as well, but by the looks you will miss Hampton Court Flower show (which ends on 11th) and it may not look very neat after the event. They had large rose garden from what I remember and some other garden points of interest.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hampton Court

Oh actually now I checked on their web, flower show is in July after all, so there should not be much of a mess. :)

I saw some pictures of David Austin's place at a symposium hosted by Carol at Northland Rosarium. It's a beautiful place, but a little smaller than I had imagined (so hopefully easier to tour). The climbing roses are absolutely wonderful.

I hope you go and take lots of pictures, for those of us who have to stay at home this summer :)

Wow, how neat is this??

Have you read English Cottage Gardening for American Gardeners by Margaret Hensel? She photographs the more famous castles and gardens, but really gets into the little out-of-the-way places of simple cottage gardens just by driving around.

I also just finished reading "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" and now of course want to visit the island of Guernsey to see their gardens!

You are so lucky and know you will have a great time!

Hello, Anita!
I would suggest you to visit Stone House Cottage Garden & Nursery, near Kidderminster. Not too much Roses, but unusual plants of every kind, the garden is beautiful and ispirational.
Great Dixter is another "must to see".

Powis Castle is in Wales, but really worth the trip!

Ciao :o)
Maurizio

hiya - look, i know this may be controversial but I would miss out on Kew - which is essentially a botanic garden - ie. a collection of lots of plants, and instead, make a visit to Wisley, one of the RHS flagship gardens. Here you will see the most excellent gardens including fabulous monocot borders, a terrific fruit and veg garden, great collection of roses and a number of smaller but perfect show gardens (I love the country garden, laid out by Penelope Hobhouse). I have done both, a number of times and must recommend Wisley as being the best that horticulture can offer, or any of the other RHS gardens - and for a rose lover, then Rosemoor in Devon should be on the cards. Also, Hyde Hall in Essex or Harlow Carr in Yorkshire. Queen Mary's rose garden in Regent's Park in London is lovely, as is Ecclestone square. When you get to the UK, get a copy of the 'yellow book' - this is a list of gardens which open ocassionally to the public for charity - you will find some treasures listed and not the usual boring grand houses and dull estates but some little private jewels. June is our absolute peak month for roses so it will be brilliant, I hope, for you.

I'm glad that we aren't just missing the Hampton Flower Show - Would have upset me to have timed things so poorly.

I've heard of the yellow book - will seek it out - Campanula is right on with the sorts of things that we are interested in, not just the big estates. Wisley sounds perfect.

Any suggestions about transportation? Can we manage by train, or get behind the wheel without killing ourselves?
Anita

Anita, the rose gardens at Kew may be missed, but the species roses and the train ride around and through the gardens should not. It's easy to get there from Piccadilly Circus on the tube + train in about 20-25 minutes. For easy access alone it's worth half a day.

Here's a recent article from the Telegraph on the best rose gardens.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenstovisit/3348616/Gardening-Top-10-rose-gardens-in-Britain.html

Gardens of the Rose is probably mostly moderns. I haven't been there since it was St Albans, which was terrific, even at its most run down. That's all gone to private ownership. If you decide to visit the village, again, it's a short train ride + an intermediate taxi to the gardens. £45 to join the RNRS if you want to go to the gardens, tho. That's almost train fare to a good rose garden somewhere else.

Here's a link to a website you can search by county in the hope you can find more than one place to visit near your destinations.

Here is a link that might be useful: search for UK gardens by county

Anita, I'll mail you shortly - sorry for the delay :)

Of course there are gardens for every taste, and it would be pointless to try to see them all. I would seriously suggest you speak with Gregg and Pam and Michael: Gregg knows more English gardens than I do :) Also, Clair Martin's roadtrip will be happening at about the same time - might be worth looking at his itinerary (Rosarians blog, I think).

The very best have hardly been mentioned, but they are all off the beaten track and few reachable by public transport. I think a car would be essential for at least a part of your trip.

The corporate dumbing-down of the RHS and National Trust gardens is proceeding apace - I would advise any of you wishing to see the great English gardens to try to do it in the next couple of years.

Best wishes
Jon

I'm very excited to go to the UK for the first time.
Thank you all for your input. There are so many choices and it has been difficult to decide exactly what is feasible/reasonable.
Janelle

anita and Janelle, I originally was planning a visit around that time, but now I'll be going in August. Sorry that I'll miss you. Have a great time, Jon is a wonderful host.

Carol

If you are based in London and need a rest, visit the Chelsea Physick Garden on the Thames embankment, not a rose garden but a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The Derry & Toms Roof Garden is interesting as a phenomenon, 6 acres of three gardens laid out in 1933 on a roof top, free access by elevator, unless owner Richard Branson is having a private party. Also in the Kensington/Chelsea area is the Chelsea Gardner, the posh garden centre in Sydney Street. I always go there just to see things I can't afford and wonder at the other half.

Can anyone advise if a BritRail pass is worth it? Last one we used found us burdened with luggage as there was no luggage storage at any of the trainstations (So there was no stopping, visiting a town, and continuing on.)

If you can find a BritRail schedule on line, you'll get a better feel for the time it takes to cover certain distances, by slow train AND by fast train.

Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, easily reached from London, near Oxford. Not to be missed. I was just there a couple of weeks ago and of course the rose garden was not in bloom yet. They have quite a few gardens that I did not have a chance to see. You can easily spend a day there. I just love this place.
http://www.blenheimpalace.com/thepalace/whattosee/formalgardens.html

Definitely get a car! Otherwise, you get to the train or bus station, and find yourself still 7.2 miles from what you want to see.

I have driven many times in Britain with no problems. Probably the biggest challenge is the stick shift, with the lever on the left. It takes some serious mental shifting (pun intended) to shift with your left hand. On the other hand, the pedals are in the same order as ours, so the clutch is just fine. Don't count on being able to rent an automatic -- they may or may not have them at a rental agency.

Roundabouts are also challenging for an American, but easy if you remember one rule -- always yield to someone coming from your right.

If you do go to Kew (and I could not possibly miss Kew, even after a dozen or more visits!), have lunch at "The Kew Greenhouse" on the walk from the Tube station to the entrance. Great shepherd's pie and carrot cake.

How far north are you going? Others have suggested stuff in the south, here. But if you get to Yorkshire, Castle Howard is worth a visit. And if you go up into Scotland, Craithes Castle is one of my very favourite British gardens. If you do that, do it late in your trip -- their roses will be somewhat later than those in the south of England.

I'm envious.
Malcolm

I'm envious, too!

I would strongly urge you to get a map of the London Underground as well for the London area. I was there 10 years ago and there wasn't much we couldn't get to that we wanted to see (including Kew) that wasn't too far from the Tube. (Oh, that we had something like that in L.A.!) And no, it wasn't creepy like you might expect a subway. Of course your mileage may vary, but if you plan ahead, you can take advantage of discounting by buying several days or however it works, I don't remember anymore. London city may be the worst of driving by car so you won't miss anything except angina ;-) We also found the Tube to run often enough for convenience. Whatever you do, Mind the Gap!!!!

'Nother thought in London if you have time, there are walking tours here and there, most meet near a Tube station. Most tour guides have some sort of schedule. We took the evening Jack the Ripper tour by a guy that wrote a book on him, as he was the most recommended. Your taste may vary! But there are all kinds of these for what was reasonable pricing. A good time filler per one's interest and time offered.

You might also do the London bus tour early on to get an over view of the city and decide what you'd like to see.

If you have time for anything not garden related (!?!), the most wonderful time we had was at the Tower of London / White Tower where King Henry killed many of his wives, and little princes were bricked up in the masonry and so on. As I recall, there are also replicas of the crown jewels, the armory (fascinating!), the tower ravens, and many, many more things. I cannot begin to say what a good time it was and we both wished that we had planned a FULL day to take it all in, imho, if you see nothing else touristy in London, this is a MUST see. The Beefeaters were MOST excellent tour guides. If you're lucky, you might also find one of your relative's names carved in stone before they were executed! Alas, poor cousin Henry T!!!

My cousin wanted to go to the pottery district, dunno about pricing with the dollar now, but we both got stuff for ourselves and Christmas presents. We went to Wedgewood only due to time (took the train, I think from Manchester, I'm not sure) but worth a stop for you if it is on your way to somewhere else just for the tour of how they make the china. There are many other companies like Spode in the area so something to check ahead to see if it fits in (if you do buy, we had our pieces shipped home). Nowadays with these shops more common over here and online, I dunno that it's worth to stop to buy except for the memory, but again, the tour was a great memory of something we don't have over here.

Have fun!!!

A copy of the Yellow Book is a must. So many little jewel gardens to see!
Around London, use the underground system and the suburban rail system. Driving in London, and parking is a nightmare.
Outside of London, a car is essential. So many of the gardens are off the beaten track.
Also, since the railway system has become privatised, it has become very expensive and confusing.
If you are going to Sissinghurst Castle, then Great Dixter is nearby. They can both be seen on the same day.
In East Anglia, as well as Peter Beales roses, I strongly urge you to visit Beth Chatto,s garden at Elmstead Market, near Colchester, Essex. Definitely NOT to missed.
,Have a great time.
Daisy

My dream trip. Sigh.

Ohh-h-h! The trip I intend to take in June 2011! So please report back to the OGR group in great detail, both the good and the bad. Safe journey, take lots of pix.

Carol

must concur with both jon and daisy in crete, the rail system, sadly, is dirty, expensive and inefficient - hire a car. The UK is a small place - you americans will probably think nothing of driving 200 miles which is practically across country. Also, Beth Chattos garden in Essex is a worthwhile visit and I might also suggest the Old Vicarage in East Ruston, Norfolk. Finally, even though the great man himself is no longer at the helm, great dixter, christopher lloyds demesne is pretty fab. If you do make it to the west country, devon and cornwall, there is a huge number of marvellous gardens although the rhodies, magnolias and azaleas are past their best in June. It is also true that the RHS and English Heritage are doing horrible corporate nasties to many of the properties in their portfolios - Jon is right, go now or give them a miss in a couple of years. Oh yes, if you are planning to come to Cambridge, there are a number of fellows gardens which are also open to the public - see yellow book. Have fun.

Have a great time-----I visited England back in 1974----sure would love to go back--

You will have a wonderful time---I love UK--

Florence

This will be my 4th trip to the UK - Janelle's first foreign trip. Never have gone to see gardens, so it will be like a whole different trip.

I went to a village in the Cotswolds in a long-ago June and was bowled over by the roses climbing up houses and blooming in every garden. The whole place smelled sweet. I didn't know one rose from another thirty years ago, but am pretty sure that Mme Alfred Carriere was one of the spectacular climbers.

You've pretty well convinced me that we need a car. Janelle says she's willing to drive - I'm a good navigator but I don't think that I can be sure to do the right maneuver in an emergency. One of my friends hit a house in Scotland when he misjudged where he was on the road.

And Great Dixter sounds wonderful - as do some of the other suggestions. I couldn't wait and bought a yellow book already.

Thanks so much - keep the ideas coming, please!
Anita

One of my biggest highlights was just walking around near Jon's house. We walked down country lanes and footpaths and saw tons of roses. All the thatched cottages had roses growing on the walls. There were Dog Roses in the hedgerow. We walked to a very old church. Times like this are so valuable. A garden that we went to in November in a thumping thunderstrom was Hinton Ampner, near Winchester. I'm dying to go back in Spring. If you are in London you might want to go to the Museum of Garden History. It's just a modest place,with a small garden outside where the Tradescants are buried. Another small thing to mix in with the grand.

Since it is Janelle's first trip you will want to include London. So much history and architecture as well as gardens are to be seen and savored there that it is worth enduring the crowds. On one trip Tom and I had with us a wonderful book called Mystery Reader's Walking Guide London. Using it we saw so much of the city we would have missed just going from notable site to notable site. If you are a mystery reader, or watch PBS/BBC mysteries on television, everything on the walks will have a wonderful sense of an old friend met for the first time.

For repeat trips we tend to skip London if we can. It is a grand city, none grander, but for me, England is the villages, small cities, and countryside. I don't know if the English would necessarily agree with me (and it is after all their country), but that is how it is from my visitor's perspective.

Of course as rosarians you must see Mottisfont Abbey. It is a gem of a garden. But there are so many wonderful gardens to see that you could almost throw a dart at a map and be delighted with the results. You might not see a lot of roses (though there is a good chance you would), but you would certainly see beauty in any garden you visited.

Having a car may not be necessary, but it will make it easier, if one of you is confident enough to handle it. I would NOT rent a car for time you spend in London. Not only is is it unnecessary, but cars are actively discouraged there. Tom and I don't rent a car when we go to England. We use a lot of public transportation, are sometimes offered rides by friends, and we have occasionally taken a bus or train to within 3-4 miles of where we want to go and walk the rest of the way. Taxis are an expensive but do-able option. Tom has driven there in the past and hated it. I can't tell my left from my right, especially under stress, so this would be a very bad idea for me. If I lived there, I could no doubt make the transition, but then I would not be able to drive in the USA.

Rosefolly