I have never been to gardens in England or on the continent in the late fall, but June is a wonderful time to tour gardens in the UK (including private gardens that open to the public under the National Gardens Scheme). Our first visit to Sissinghurst was in early June and we were lucky enough to see the white rose in bloom in the White Garden. (May is actually better for the roses, though.)

One tour company to investigate is Gentle Journeys, which is a bit pricey but has very comfortable buses and well-informed guides. Be careful of their selection of gardens, though; some are not necessarily worth the trip.

Renting a car and touring around on your own is vastly preferable to a guided tour, I think, and much easier to do than you might imagine. The trick is to arrange to hire the car in a place like Oxford, which is easily reached from London by bus or train. Renting a car in Oxford is much cheaper than renting one in London or at the London airports, and it allows you to avoid plunging into traffic on the motorways (which is not an experience for the faint of heart,and defintiely not recommended until you ahve had a day or two of practice with driving to the left).

May is not better for roses in the UK! They bloom mid June to early July in southern UK. If you have any doubts about this check Phillips and Rix Rose book which has photographs of thousands of roses and the exact day they bloom at gardens such as Mottisfont, Kiftsgate and many others.

The White Garden at Sissinghurst is actually best in early July when the Rosa Mulliganii is in bloom.

The best deal on a rental car is one arranged from the states. I have rented cars while in the UK and have been charged the same price in pounds that I was charged in US dollars, but the pound is usually worth more than $1.50. I would also advise renting from the airport if you wish to hire a car (pre-arranged).

I have visited many gardens in the UK I think mid to late June is best, but I love roses and clematis so it's the best time for me. I hope to visit gardens in the UK in May perhaps next spring when everything is so fresh and new and also visit Monets Garden Giverney, France and the Chelsea Flower Show in London.

When I read treacle's post, I was worried that I may inadvertently have misled you about seeing roses in the UK. I've visited Sissinghurst only twice, and in each case the rose garden was past its prime in mid-June. Still, I suspect a great deal depends on the weather during any particular year, so it occurred to me that my experiences might not have been typical. I thought it might be interesting to follow up on this, so I did a little research.

On May 1, 1938 (the first time V. S.-W. opened her garden to the general public), at least one of her Permberton musks was open. J. Brown, Vita's Other World (Penguin, 1987) at 129. In her column about her garden for the Observer, published on May 28, 1950 (and therefore presumably written at least a few days before), Sackville-West wrote "The roses are coming out, and I hope everybody will take the opportunity of seeing as many of the old roses as possible." In almost her last note to Sir Harold Nicolson, written on May 23, 1962, she expressed regret about missing "Miss Murrell's" one of her favorite rose nurseries, which she said she "was" looking forward to. Harold Nicolson, The Later Years (Nicolson, ed., Atheneum, 1968) at 412 and footnote 6.

It is certainly true that Rix and Phillips show R. mulliganii in bloom on July 16th, although they do not say in which year. However, they do say where it was photographed. It was at the Garden of the Rose. The Garden of the Rose is the rose garden of the Royal National Rose Society, and is near St. Albans, in Hertfordshire, more than 50 miles to the north and west of Sissinghurst. I am not familiar with differences in climate in different parts of England, so I cannot comment on whether the difference in bloom date can be accounted for on this basis. I did notice on hertfordshire.com, though, that The Garden of the Rose lists its spring season as "12th April - 7th June," suggesting that the Royal National Rose Society regards May as a worthwhile time for seeing a rose garden in England.

Treacle is absolutely correct that to save money, arrangements to rent a car should be made from here before your visit.

I still hold to the fact that most roses bloom in June in the UK. Gardens of the Rose in Albany is in the same general zone as Sissinghurst as is most of the southern UK except perhaps the western coastal areas and islands off the coast.

I have been to the UK many times an have seen the roses blooming in late June at Sissinghurst, Mottisfont, Hidcote, Oxford, Cambridge and many other places. perhaps a few early one but the majority of garden roses bloom in June!

I would agree with the June date for rose blooming. I usually try to get there by the 2nd week in June, catching the end of the blooming of some of the older rose varieties and the peak of bloom for most of the rest. Several years ago we "hit" Sudley Castle to find their "Queen's Rose Garden" at it's floriferous peak and it was spectacular.

I also concur with the suggestion to make car rental arrangements before leaving on the trip and picking the car up outside London. On different trips I've done it both ways (in London and in Cambridge)and I much recommend out of London. Transport by train throughout GB is so great and relaxing. It's so convenient to get from the airport (either one) into London by train that I will never again go any other way. But back to car rentals. In the first instance I found my self trying to return the car to the garage in London where I rented it during the worst of "rush hour" and the garage about to close. Save yourself that grief. Next time I took the train to Cambridge, rented the car there and had some time on city streets and country roads before getting on the expressways. Having rented in the states I had only to present the voucher I was given by the travel agent, show my driver's license and get in the car and go. Returning the car was also very simple and devoid of London traffic stress. If you're heading up north in England, be sure and stop at Harlow Car garden that has the largest collection of roses in the north.

Have a great trip.

I lived in north London for 4 years (job) and would concur that summer is usually best. I also agree that London should be avoided if you are driving and unfamiliar with their right-hand drive. Thirdly I would avoid Heathrow airport like the plague! If I remember correctly, Stanstead airport is one trainstop between Cambridge and north London- then the train continues to London central. Gatwick is the airport to the south of London, direct train serving the city, and a very nice airport as well. If you are driving yourself, I suggest joining one of the manor home societies; you get free entry into any homes&gardens you visit- the list can be extensive and if you visit 3 or more you will have saved money. Hmmm ... royal heritage? English Heritage! that was it- is one, and there is another that is much fancier. English heritage membership came with a booklet, maps and all sorts of stuff- but the entry was to lots of dilapidated on the channel wrecks of places- just the kind I like!

A good web-site for Sissinghurst is Dave Parker's site. The photographs are wonderful.

I live just down the road from Sissinghurst, and in my experience the Rosa mulligani in the centre of the white garden is usually at its peak around 7th July, but of course it does vary with the season. In general the rose garden will be looking good from early June onwards and probably peaks around the end of June. I visited yesterday and there was a yellow species rose starting to bloom in the cottage garden! Sissinghurst is worth a visit any time because there is always something of interest. The lime walk is planted with spring bulbs and looked wonderful at the moment, as does the Orchard and the Nuttery.

If anyone wants advice on other local gardens near Sissinghurst (there are very many!) or help with accommodation plans I would be happy to help.

David

Here is a link that might be useful: Sissinghurst by Dave Parker

I just realised that the original post mentioned Dwarf Conifers - you may be interested in Bedgebury , not far from Sissinghurst, which is the UK Forestry Commissions national collection of conifers - both large and small.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bedgebury Pinetum

For those of you interested in this years tour by David Green I understand that the dates will be Monday September 13 to Friday 17 September, visiting Sissinghhurst, Great Dixter, Marle Place - plus David has added others including Hever Castle.

Here is a link that might be useful: September 2004 Garden Tour

We lived in the UK between 1975 and 1988. We have returned for visits at least once every two years. We have been all over the place in that time, from the north of Scotland to London. But we spent a good 5 years in London.

London is a great city, but you certainly would not want to drive into Central London. First of all, there is no need to - it is so well served by public transport - you can buy a day pass which will get you on the Underground and on the buses for the whole day. Second, where are you going to park? Even seasoned drivers like my SIL, who has lived in London for 36 years, and who knows every nook and craney in London has difficulty finding parking spots. Even when she does find one, it's still a distance from where we want to get to. Third, London drivers are a sight to behold - not an activity for the fainthearted to indulge in. (And pedestrians - watch out!!) Fourth, those of us in North America used to the orderly vertical and horizontal grits of streets can potentially be totally lost in the streets of London, with it's the curves, turns, oneways, divided carriage ways, elevated carriage ways, multiple bridges and what nots. Your best bet would be to stay somewhere in the suburb, in a Bed and Breakfast, within walking distance of an Underground Station, and forget about the car for activities in London. However, a car will definitely be useful for excursions outside of London and it's suburbs - anywhere out of reach of the main city transportation grit.

June is the best month for garden travellers. That's usually when the perennial beds are just coming into it's own, and at the same time, the once blooming roses are at their peak.

There are some nice gardens, set within huge public parks, within the City London itself. My favourite is Regent's Park, which has nice gardens, including a well planted rose garden.

If you are going to be able to spend more time, don't forget to go to one of the flower show. The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is usually held in the second week of July (5-10 July for 2005). It is one of the biggest such show in the world, if not already the biggest. It would be an "out of this world" experience for any avid gardener. And you can visit the gardens at Hampton Court to boot.

The gardens that are "must see" for me anytime I am in London are the RHS Garden Wisley, and Kew Garden. Kew has a large rose garden with extensive arbours clothed by a huge selection of climbing roses and ramblers. My favourite is the garden of the history of roses, with plantings of species and old roses through the ages. It has a very large collection of bamboos. The palm house contains some of the oldest containerised plants in the world, including the oldest. Both Wisley and Kew has large rose beds. The one at Wisley has just been recently replanted, and may not have mature rose bushes yet, but like Kew it has a good collection of climbers. The trial garden in Wisley is usually very interesting.

Beyond those two staple itineries, I spend the rest of the time visiting other gardens further afield. Sissinghurst is a "must see", at least once in your life. Leeds Castle has a beautiful garden. Others worth mentioning are Great Dixter, Hever Castle, Hatfield House and Hidcote Manor. Jon_in_Wessex has fired my interest in Monttisfond Abbey, which houses the National Collection of Old Garden Roses. There are lots more to see, if you would like to venture further away from London. We visited the Eden Project in Cornwall in 2003, and, IMO, it was fantastic. "Gardens in England A-Z" provides a list of some of the major garden attractions in England.