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David Austin gardens-How to get there

8 years ago

Hi,

My husband are planning a trip to the Chelsea Flower Show in May. We will be in London for 5 days and would love to visit David Austin's gardens while we are there. Can anyone tell us how to get there? This trip is a birthday gift from my hubby to me. I'm super excited to attend the flower show and hopefully, make it out to the DA gardens. Thank you for any advice you can give us.

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daisyincrete Z10? 905feet/275 metres

8 years ago

My birthday is on the 28th May, which is the day the Chelsea Flower Show ends so I have a pretty good memory of the roses usually in bloom in the south of England at that time. I agree with Marlorena and fduk that it is too early for the full flush of roses. There might be some in gardens, if it is a warm, early spring but I wouldn't count on it.

However, apart from Kew Gardens and the Chelsea Physic Garden, there are a number of private town gardens open in London and the surrounding counties that week. Look in the Little Yellow Book, link below. There are lots of choices. You could even get down to Sissinghurst Castle with a train from Victoria Station to Maidstone and then a bus or taxi to the gardens.

If there are roses blooming naturally at that time, they are more likely to be seen in Queen Mary's rose garden in Regents Park. Being in central London, where the temperature is warmer, everything blooms earlier than the colder midlands where DA is situated.

Daisy

Little Yellow Book

Queen Mary's Rose Garden

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Comments (7)

nikthegreek
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Get a Virgin train from London, Euston station to Birmingham New Street and change to an Arriva Trains Wales to Albrighton. Or get a Virgin train from London, Euston station to Stafford, change to a Cross Country train to Wolverhampton and there change to an Arriva Trains Wales train to Albrighton. Total time would be between 3 to 4 hours.

I'm sure UK forum members can tell you more details including the easiest way to book online although one can easily find that by googling in this internet age. You can also email DA at plantcentre@davidaustinroses.co.uk , I'm sure they will promptly and happily offer directions. Be careful to email 'plantcentre' and not 'plantcenter' since the latter does not exist in Britain...lol

When I used to reside in England things used to be simpler since it was British Rail all around, but we didn't have the internet..

DA Gardens

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User
8 years ago
bellarosa... I hope you have a lovely time, and I'm sure you will... but I would like to add a note of caution, that is you will likely see a lot more roses at the Chelsea Flower Show than you will at Austin's rose gardens as it's just too early for roses to be out in full bloom here at that time, about 3-4 weeks too soon... some early blooms, some specie types maybe, but not the whole mass of colourful roses we often see in photos.

...in mid May, I would be visiting other types of gardens. I just wouldn't want you to have unrealistic expectations as it's not the easiest place to get to.

...as long as you are aware of that...then I'm sure there will still be much to enjoy...
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fduk_gw UK zone 3 (US zone 8)
8 years ago
Mmm, I was thinking that too Marlorena - both Austin and Beales and Harkness have stands every year and roses are a feature in many of the gardens. Roses at Chelsea have been 'brought on' for the show so will be at their peak, but elsewhere likely won't be in full bloom yet till June ish.
mariannese
8 years ago
I agree with the comments above. The Chelsea Physic Garden is quite close to the show grounds in Royal Hospital Road and it used to stay open late during Chelsea Week. Very interesting even if you're not a gardener. My daughter enjoyed it when she was a nursing student.

There are lots of Austin roses in Queen Mary's Rose Garden in Regents Park. Rather too many for my taste as they were grown in large blocks of only one variety. We liked Hampton Court, too, and getting lost in the maze of Three Men in a Boat fame. Kew is a must, too, and a green relief after the bustle of London.
mariannese
8 years ago
If you find yourselves in the neighbourhood of King's Road in Chelsea, you might like to visit the very posh city garden centre The Chelsea Gardener in Sydney Street. You can't take much home with you except maybe seeds but it's fun to see what people are prepared to pay for old spades.

The afternoon tea in the Orangery of Kensington Palace nearby is very good and much cheaper than in any of the upscale hotels like the Ritz and has a nice view of the Kensington Gardens.
User
8 years ago
..reading Daisy's post made me check the dates, and I now find that it's a little later this year, May 24-28 as she says.... even so, for garden roses it's still 2-3 weeks too early for the main flush... and besides, their stand at Chelsea which is a real full on tour de force of their best and newest roses, would be hard to match anywhere at that time...

..as an example... the Historic Roses Group have arranged a tour for members, of some great rose gardens here, starting June 20th, which is about right...

...last year they visited Austin roses at Albrighton on June 22nd...

..even so, whatever you decide, it'll be worth it....

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