Our Outings

Several outings a year and local garden visits were initiated in 1976. These continue today in the form of a day trip by coach, three times during the spring and summer months.

RHS malvern spring show

sunday 12th May 2024

Depart 8.00 a.m. Evergreen Hall, Cornhill, Allestree, DE22 2FT

This show has something for everyone:

The Floral Marque has 60 specialist exhibitors each putting on a display of their speciality and offering stunning displays of spring bulbs, tactile foliage and all manner of every day and unusual plants and flowers, it is a true feast for the eyes. There will also several National Societies present.

 New for 2024 the Festival of Houseplants takes over the brand-new Kildare Hall allowing you to step into a world of indoor greenery and contemporary horticultural wonders. This dedicated space will be a treasure trove of house plant delight, featuring workshops hosted by industry experts, an abundance of shopping opportunities, vibrant botanical displays, and engaging learning experiences.

There will be a host of Show Gardens on display as well as School Gardens and a number of Feature Gardens and Permanent Gardens located on the show ground.

 There are also Talk Theatres where you can listen to talks by well-known personalities or ask pertinent gardening questions at question and answers sessions.

 There are many non-gardening as well as gardening supplier outlets to satisfy your shopping needs and plenty of opportunities for rest and re-fuelling at the food and drink concessions.

 All in all, a great day out!

rhs garden harlow carr

Sunday 28th july 2024

Depart 8.00 a.m. Evergreen Hall, Cornhill, Allestree, DE22 2FT

The gardens at Harlow Carr offer so much and not just the famous Betty’s Café Tea Rooms and Shop although they are really worth a visit.

The Main Borders run across the axis of the garden and offer exuberant plantings of herbaceous perennials, grasses, bulbs and shrubs through the seasons with a wealth of inspiring planting combinations.

The Streamside Garden is probably what Harlow Carr is most famous for, running through the heart of the garden it knits together the formal and woodland sides of the garden with lush planting. From spring through to autumn, Streamside is awash with colour from a vast range of plants that flourish in its moist, cool environment. This moisture-loving planting includes hostas, Rodgersia, Gunnera, Astilbe, Filipendula and Iris sibirica, as well as ferns and in the Spring period primulas and meconopsis.

The Lakeside Gardens give a flavour of the changing fashions over the past century with a number of small gardens, which are being developed to give views over the lake towards the woodland area.

In 2020, the former Foliage Garden underwent an exciting transformation to become the Sub-Tropicana Garden, bringing a touch of the exotic to Harlow Carr. The redesigned garden is packed full of plants with a tropical look and takes inspiration from the dramatic planting schemes of Great Dixter. Winding pathways are surrounded by immersive tropical-style planting, and a heated glasshouse is home to the most tender plants.

The Alpine House was one of the first large-scale projects to be accomplished at Harlow Carr, after the garden came under RHS care in 2001. Its beds are made of rock re-used from a previous sandstone rock garden. Today the Alpine House is home to more than 2,000 plants, all are native to mountainous regions from around the world.

You must make time for food and drinks either at Betty’s Café Tea Rooms located near the entrance or at Betty’s Tea House located within the garden. Then of course and finally, take home a souvenir from the extensive Garden Centre at the exit to the gardens

stowe Gardens:

Sunday 23rd June 2024

Depart 9.00 a.m. Evergreen Hall, Cornhill, Allestree, DE22 2FT

Stowe is named after a small Buckinghamshire village of the same name. The estate has existed in some form for nearly 1,000 years, with mentions of the local area in the Domesday Book. It has seen many private owners over the years and many changes took place until it’s decline in the late 1800’s before being out up for sale in the early 1920’s. Bought by a Harry Shaw who then sold the estate to a governing body who would later set up Stowe School.

Many years passed with the gardens before the National Trust was gifted the garden in 1989 from Stowe School.

The 18th-century Landscape Garden today has expanses of grass, framed by trees, temples, monuments and shrubs, and reflected in tranquil stretches of water. 250 acres are open for exploration if you are fit and keen.

The Parkland has grand avenues, secluded woods and monuments dotting the landscape with areas created by 'Capability' Brown. 750 acres of wonderful walks, bridleways and wildlife watching. You can also glimpse a few historic highlights in the landscape.

The gardens also host a café, coffee shop and plant shop, next to the house, as well as a second-hand bookshop.

Todays visit offers wide open spaces and many historic temples and monuments

Get Involved

All talks are held in the Allestree Evergreen Hall, Cornhill, Allestree,
DE22 2FT.

All talks start at 7.30 p.m.

All outings leave from the Allestree Evergreen Hall.

Outing Activities

We generally run 3 outings per year from May until September.
These are full day outings on a Saturday or Sunday to particular gardens of interest.

Our Blog

Includes outings, advice and messages from others. All partnered with wonderful imagery.