GARDEN GROUP - NOW FULL! LOOK OUT FOR THE 2011 CRUISE COMING SOON.
s British Isles & Isles of Scilly
with Tony Russell
20 May 2010 - 9 night cruise aboard Fred. Olsen's Braemar
A voyage around the British Isles gives the opportunity to appreciate the enormous variety that the islands have to offer
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly, probably Britain's best-kept secret is a sub-tropical paradise just 28 miles southwest of Lands End and has to be the 'perfect holiday' destination. Tresco, the second largest island in the Scilly Isles features an amazing variety of scenery. Wild rugged granite outcrops and heathland to the north, with sub-tropical sandy beaches and the Abbey Gardens in the South.
Free Tour - Tresco Abbey Gardens
The tropical Abbey Garden is a perennial Kew without the glass - shrugging off salt spray and Atlantic gales to host 20,000 exotic plants. We will go ashore where our guide will meet us. Work on the gardens commenced in 1834 on the site of the old Benedictine Abbey. By building tall wind breaks, Augustus Smith (a botanist and plant collector) channelled the weather up and over the network of walled enclosures he built around the Priory ruins, and the three terraces he carved from the rocky, south facing slope looking towards St Mary's. In this way he maximised the generous climate that Tresco enjoys thanks to the prevailing effects of the Gulf Stream. The climate is mild, sunshine hours are generally greater than the UK average, rainfall is less, and winter frost and snow are unexpected.
All in all, the garden is home to glorious species from 80 countries, ranging from Brazil to New Zealand and Burma to South Africa. Subsequent generations have continued the development of the Gardens, which are today the major attraction of the islands.
We will start with a guided tour of the Gardens, followed by some free time to explore on our own. There is a gift shop and refreshments (not included) are available from the café. A horticultural world tour condensed into just 17 acres.
EXCLUSIVE GARDEN CLUB BENEFITS
* Hosted by Tony Russell
* Programme of talks, Gardeners' Question Time, Cocktail Party
* 1 x half-day garden tour
* Free car parking at Dover
* £30 per cabin on board spend
Introducing your host - Tony Russell
view all garden themed cruises
.jpg_thumb.jpg "Santorini sunset")
