Summer garden tour: southern Gloucestershire

Sunday 28 June – Thursday 2 July 2026

The county of Gloucestershire is rich in interesting private gardens, and also home to many professional plantsmen. On this tour we concentrate on the southern part of the county, much of which lies within the southern Cotswolds. We will be based south-east of Cirencester at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel, overlooking the wildlife lakes.

Gardens on the tour include:

  • The former home of Isabel and Julian Bannerman, who designed part of Highgrove for the King when he was Prince of Wales.
  • A historic Arts and Crafts house and garden, where local stone is used to form terraces and garden rooms.
  • A relaxed wildlife-friendly garden in a hidden valley, which holds the National Collection of Rambling Roses, and also showcases wildflowers in the mature orchards. It should be peak season for the roses.
  • A classic garden with a contemporary twist, that has been developed over the last 30 years.
  • A talk and garden tour with Derry Watkins of Special Plants
  • A tour of Jekka McVicar’s herb farm including its Herbetum
  • A visit to a contemporary flower farm.

In most gardens we will be met and shown around by the owners, or their head gardener. Travel will be by minibus, due to the terrain. The cost is expected to be £815 per person, with a single supplement of £160. Maximum 24 members. Deposit £272 per person on booking.

For those intending to arrive via public transport, the nearest railway station is Kemble, which is 6 miles from the hotel. Taxis from the station must be pre-booked, and a list of recommended taxi firms will be available. For departures via public transport, suitable transport will be provided after the last garden visit, on Thursday am, to the nearest railway station, Bristol.

Note. We will not be visiting Highgrove, but members who have not visited the King’s garden before might like to book to visit individually, before or after our summer tour, as it is local to our area. Dates for garden visits to Highgrove are not released until March.

The first RHS Badminton Flower Show takes place locally from 8 – 12 July 2026. This will be a bi-annual event, alternating with the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, which will not take place this year.

Application form

Please note that MPG events are open to members of MPG and its sister organisations only.

Note. Additional details (passport, insurance, dietary, medical etc) will be collected from participants once places are confirmed, after deposits have been paid.

Bank Transfer

By bank transfer with reference  Gloucestershire
Sort Code 40 40 32
Account 5161 4002
Account name: Mediterranean Plants and Gardens
IBAN  GB63 HBUK 4040 3251 6140 02

Euros

For those wishing to pay in euros, payment can be made directly into our euro account. If you wish to pay by this means please contact the treasurer, David Mason, for an exchange rate and payment instructions. If paying from a bank in the euro zone into our euro account, this can be done with minimal bank charges provided you use a SEPA (Single European Payments Area) payment method.