East Coast of North America

The 2013 Spring tour to the East Coast of USA and Canada was a great success. 35 travellers landed in Washington in early May to begin a journey that ventured to Philadelphia, New York, Poughkeepsie, Martha’s Vineyard and Boston. In Boston we boarded a Holland America Line Cruise around the Bay of St Lawrence calling to Sydney, Halifax, Bar Harbour, Quebec and Montreal. Gardens were in a full spring glory with Dogwoods, Peony and Fringe trees particularly memorable. The gardens we visited included some of the most famous of American names including Du Pont, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Roosevelt. Longwood gardens, Kykuit, the Breakers and the wonderful John Hume’s Japanese garden outside of New York were fabulous. Most of the group decided to join an optional extension to the thousand islands area of Ontario and then to Niagara Falls for a few days. I think everyone who travelled enjoyed themselves!

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Great Britain

The 2013 Great Britain Garden Tour was a wonderful tour.  Eighteen travellers enjoyed the sights of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  Some of the famous gardens visited included Sissinghurst, Pitmiddden Gardens, Benvardin Garden and Powerscourt Estate.  A journey on the Jacobite steam train was a highlight of this tour as well as spending an evening at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Our tour visited Pretty Crafty Design Studio in Downhill Forrest and enjoyed the hospitality of Jim and Lesley. If you are ever in this area you can experience great coffee, hospitality and craft items from this studio. Most of the group stayed in Singapore on an optional stopover on the way home where we all got to see and visit the Gardens by the Bay Project,  The National Orchid Gardens and the sights of Singapore.