Guidance re Garden visits

Many of our members enjoy visiting gardens in the company of others. Every year the Gardens Group visits some amazing locations – from grand stately piles to charming cottage gardens. This guidance is intended to help more members to put on such events.

Sharing these places with fellow members, often created as labours of love by passionate gardeners, make for very enjoyable outings. Such visits can be a popular addition to a group’s programme of events and a number of Group Co-ordinators already put on regular garden events. Have a look at our review of 2025 to see some great photos of us out and about enjoying ourselves!

Garden events also cater for our less mobile members, some of whom are long term members but are no longer able for more strenuous activities. It offers them the opportunity to socialise in the outdoors and enjoy nature, keeping them involved in a club that has often been their lifeline for many years.

As an organiser, it is highly rewarding to see people coming together in a nice environment, building connections and enjoying each others company.

Garden visits are comparatively easy to plan. Normally no need to recce beforehand (though great if you can), the location is usually well signposted and facilities (parking, café, toilets etc.) are all onsite.

Organising the event:

Wherever you are, there is likely to be a garden of interest not too far away. Perhaps you already have somewhere in mind that you think fits the bill? Try to choose a place that appeals to you – somewhere that you would be happy to go to anyway. That way, even if few/nobody else comes, you can still enjoy the visit. If you don't know somewhere, the links below will hopefully give you inspiration in finding somewhere.

Some gardens are at their peak at a specific time of year. They may be renowned for a feature that is only visible for a limited period. Consider this when choosing when to go.

Once you have identified a place to go, please liaise with the Group Co-Ordinator in that area, to avoid any clashes with other events going on. If the venue is close to an adjacent group, it is also a good idea to let them know about your plans.

Sometimes a local walk before or after the garden visit works well, so attendees can dip in & out as they wish.

It is often difficult to predict numbers of attendees, so I tend to avoid prebooked guided tours being provided just for us as they usually need a minimum number. The only exception to this is where there is no other choice and the venue is well known, so there is likely to be significant interest. Our trips to King Charles’ garden at Highgrove is a good example of this. Whilst it can mean a small saving on the entry fee, the challenge of getting the minimum numbers is not worth the hassle. Therefore, I recommend to just keep it simple. Some places offer a free guide (usually a volunteer) to give a talk or tour, which really enriches a visit, so that is always worth asking about, and timings may need to take this into account.

Meeting point: Select an obvious meeting point –next to the ticket office is usually the easiest.

Parking & Public Transport: many of the gardens are in rural areas. If there is easy access to public transport, it is worth mentioning this, if possible offering lifts from the nearest rail station.

Food: Whilst most people enjoy a visit to the onsite cafe , most gardens provide a picnic area, so it would be helpful to state if this is the case, to accommodate those wishing to bring their own food.

Dogs - state what the venue's policy is.

Entry fees - any discounts etc based on age or membership of certain organisations? Providing a link to the appropriate webpage is often easier.

Photos: please comply with the GOC policy on the use of images.

Promoting the event outside GOC: I usually post links to most Garden events on Meet-Up and other relevant social media groups, making it clear that it is a members only event, emphasising the four month free trial option for new members. I am happy to do this for all events.

Shortly before/On the day:

Don’t be disheartened if only a few/nobody signs up. Sometimes it takes perseverance to get people in an area interested and you may have put on more than one event before people start to sign up. Some people leave it until the very last minute before deciding to attend. Some of our most enjoyable events have been with a very small number of people. And if you have chosen a place you wanted to see anyway, hopefully you will enjoy it even if nobody else joins you.

Sorry for stating the obvious, but please try to be there a bit before the start time (I usually aim for 30 minutes), so that you can meet any early birds. I often tell people they will find me in the cafe before the official start time. If the garden has free maps on offer, it is worth getting some copies to hand out. More and more places encourage you to take a photo of the map, so you can show others where that is. Watch out for anyone attending their first event and introduce them to others.

When we have all gathered (allowing a few minutes for late comers if necessary) I normally do a brief introduction to the place – perhaps talk about its history, and what there is to see, emphasizing any features worth seeing.

I have found trying to keep everyone together on a garden visit does not work as people are drawn to a variety of features. Therefore, I encourage attendees to break into small groups and do their own thing, making sure that nobody is left on their own. I then suggest a time to regroup – usually in an hour/hour and a half and also usually in the onsite café. We then wander off at our leisure.

I sometimes ask the café if we can reserve a table, but if this is not possible, I aim to get there a bit before the appointed regroup time and find a table so that as many as possible of us can sit together.

After lunch, which are often very leisurely affairs, sometimes there is more to see, so we may again wander in little groups and reassemble for more refreshments at an agreed time. Otherwise, it’s time to say our goodbyes, everyone hopefully having had an enjoyable time.

After the event:

Even if no-one/only a few come along, it is still worth taking a few photos and writing a report on the event. It shows potential new members that the group is active and may it entice them to sign up to forthcoming events.

Membership of Organisations:

Many of our members belong to some of the organisations listed below, and they can prove good value if they regularly visit their properties. Many gardens also have their own membership schemes, with reciprocal arrangements to give access to other gardens. Again, members can save quite a bit of money. Membership of the Civil Service Social Club (https://store.cssc.co.uk/member-benefits#days-out) also provides free or reduced entry fees into many gardens, including Kew and English Heritage.

If you know of other schemes that offer good value, please let Neil know and this webpage can be updated.

Questions/suggestions?

Please get in touch if you need any help or advice on organising an event.

Ideas on how to make the group better? We would love to hear from you!

Places to look

Whilst local knowledge is often best, below is a list of websites that are good places to search for a place to visit.

Many counties or local areas (e.g Cornwall, West Wales, Northamptonshire) have websites promoting gardens in their area.

If, having looked at these sites, you are still stuck for ideas, feel free to e-mail Neil Barry, the Gardens Group Co-Ordinator, at [email protected], who will try to help.

National Trust

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

English Heritage

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

RHS Partner Gardens

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/partner-gardens

Historic Houses

https://www.historichouses.org/

National Garden Scheme

https://ngs.org.uk/

Open Gardens National Directory

https://www.opengardens.co.uk/open_gardens_map.php