History & Horticulture - Hampton Court & RHS Chelsea Flower Show

We spend the day exploring the house and gardens at Hampton Court. There really are two palaces at Hampton Court. The original palace built for Cardinal Wolsey but appropriated by Henry VIII in 1529, is a Tudor masterpiece of red brick, tall chimneys, and wooden panelling and the second, attached to the older building, is an elegant Christopher Wren designed celebration of the Baroque. We will explore both parts of the palace before venturing into the gardens. Embedded with 500 years of history, primarily formal in nature, there are over 60 acres to explore including the Privy Garden and Orangery, The East Front Fountain Garden, the Wilderness and Tiltyard, the Rose and Kitchen Gardens. Highlights include the long herbaceous borders, world famous maze and Great Vine.

A full day visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show which holds a rare position as a great British tradition and an exciting source of inspiration and advice. One of the highlights of the horticultural calendar, the show was once described as ‘the World Cup of Gardening’ and has run almost every year since 1913. One or two of those contributors are still exhibiting today. In successive years Chelsea has continued to mirror changes in society and horticultural thinking from minimalist design to wildlife gardens and sustainability. This year there will be a new RHS category: Sanctuary Gardens which seek to highlight the positive impact plants have on our health and well-being.

Our tour ends and we make our journeys home, or you may wish to stay on and explore London independently.