Long before I became a gardener I fell in love with London. So by the time I was savvy to things horticultural, I had become quite familiar with the city. We had bought a flat in Chelsea as a time share, with our week falling in the middle of September. I looked high and low for a book that would reveal the special, less well-known gardening-related destinations, but found not a single volume devoted to the topic, especially for the traveler from abroad. Having very much enjoyed the process of researching, writing and publishing Gardeners on the Go: Seattle, I decided to embark on one to fill the gap for my cohorts en route to Great Britain, with time in London my focus. That book is very well researched now, and in process. In the meantime, I will provide some pertinent details for those of you who will find your way to London before the book is printed (which we hope will be late-summer). For more information on the scope of the new book click HERE.

MILLER HORTICULTURAL LIBRARY
If you are in Seattle and need help with visiting websites I suggest you go to the Miller Horticultural Library at the Center for Urban Horticulture where you will find a computer station with Internet access and the help to go on-line. They are open Mondays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday (except July/August) 9 a.m.-3 p.m. There is free parking and they are located only a couple of blocks from University Village. See your current Northwest Gardeners’ Resource Directory for more information or call them: (206) 543-0415.
Email: hortlib@u.washington.edu
URL: http://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/index.shtml

The 8th edition of The Northwest Gardeners’ Resource Directory has a lot of garden-related and travel information to help you plan your trip to Great Britain. (See "Travel Opportunities", pages 307-314: the best garden-oriented travel guides, tour opportunities, websites, and, for organizations, see page 41 for detailed information on Overseas Societies like the Royal Horticultural Society).

OK, meanwhile, here are some tips and specific resources:

To tour London’s small private gardens with a well-informed guide in an intimate group, and new in 2000, a very knowledgeable and well-connected guide escorts you to Royal Parks including special areas not generally accessible to the public:

CITY GARDEN TOURS
131 Upland Road London SE22 0DF UK, Tel/Fax: +44 (0)208 693 6620

GENTLE JOURNEYS (see your Northwest Gardeners’ Resource Directory, page 310, in the chapter "Travel Opportunities")
For day-trips outside London (off at 9 a.m. return by 6:30 p.m.): Gentle Journeys, P.O. Box 3854, Long St., Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3YB UK. Tel: 01935 815924 (from outside the United Kingdom: + 44 1935 815924). Fax: 01935 817908; (from outside the United Kingdom: + 44 1935 817908). Toll free from Canada/USA: 1-800 873 7145.
URL: http://www.gentlejourneys.com/

This very professional company will provide you with day-trip access to such places as Sissinghurst, Great Dixter, Barnsley House, Hidcote Manor, West Green House Garden, Greta Comp and the RHS’ Wisley Gardens Gentle Journeys also offer: a five day package that includes the Chelsea Flower Show and your choice of one of their day-trips. You can take a two-day trip that combines Sissinghurst with Beth Chatto’s Garden (with your hotel included) or a four-day tour that includes a visit to Bath and Chipping Camden along with Hadspen House Gardens and Hidcote (among others).

The NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME publish a book called "Gardens of England and Wales Open for Charity Vol 74: 2000" listing over 3,500 private (largely) and some public gardens open on a specific date to raise money for charity. In London there are over 200 gardens open (a separate leaflet of just these gardens can be purchased from the Scheme's Head Office for a US$5 check made out to The National Gardens Scheme.) You can order a copy of the full directory, affectionately called THE YELLOW BOOK from the National Gardens Scheme site, which has a direct link to Amazon UK (or go to the on-line bookseller’s site directly http:www.amazon.co.uk— with air shipping it is close to $14US.) Visit the National Gardens Scheme site for more information on gardens to visit, special events, history of the charity and who are the beneficiaries. The NGS plans for a fully searchable site (by July, hopefully). Head Office: The National Gardens Scheme, Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, Guildford Surrey GU4 7RT UK. Tel: 01483 211535 Fax: 01483 211537
URL: http://www.ngs.org.uk/

BED AND BREAKFAST FOR GARDEN LOVERS
(See your Northwest Gardeners’ Resource Directory, page 312-313). Bed and Breakfast for Garden Lovers, Mrs. Sue Colquhoun, Handywater Farm, Sibford Gower, Banbury, Oxon OX15 5AE. Send 3 IRC (International Response Coupons available from any post office) and a self addressed No. 10 envelope (for each booklet requested) to receive detailed listings of all the offerings, numbering about 100, across Britain (primarily England with a few in Scotland, Wales and Europe). For London, contact: Mrs. Winkle Haworth, 38 Killieser Ave., London, SW2 4NT. Tel/Fax from outside the UK: + 44 (0181) 671 4196

Two rooms at the top of the house, 1 with twin beds, the other with 1 single bed, share a bathroom; lovely home, very nice garden with many specialist plants, warm, welcoming and knowledgeable hostess (feline undergardeners in residence).

The ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (I suggest you join for their outstanding monthly magazine and many benefits for those traveling to Great Britain –check out their website, where you’ll find an application form). The Royal Horticultural Society, P.O Box 313, London SW1P 2PE UK. Tel. (9am - 5.00pm GMT) UK: 020 7821 3000 (from outside the UK) + 44 20 7821 3000; Fax + 44 20 7828 2304.
URL: http://www.rhs.org.uk/

CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN
66 Royal Hospital Rd., London SW3 4HS UK tel: 0171 352 5646 Fax: 0171 376 3910. Open April-October, Wednesdays noon-5 p.m., Sundays 2-6 p.m. Chelsea Flower Show week: Monday-Friday noon-5 p.m. (also open during Chelsea Festival Week, late June same hours)
URL: http://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/

THE ENGLISH GARDENING SCHOOL
Located on the grounds of The Chelsea Physic Garden; contact them to find out about short courses to add something memorably special to your vacation (including one-, two-, and three-day courses in London and at Stoneacre in Kent). The English Gardening School, 66 Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HS, UK. Tel: (from U.S.) +44 (0) 20 7352 4347 fax: +44 (0) 20 7376 3936
URL: http://www.englishgardeningschool.co.uk/

My slide presentation about Gardeners on the Go: London also takes you to these places: The Roof Gardens atop the old Derry and Toms Department Store: 99 High Street Kensington; tel. 0171 937 7994 to find out if the gardens are open

Ham House, Richmond, a National Trust Property; garden open year-roundSaturday-Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew: see their fabulous website http://www.kew.org/

Columbia Road Flower Market, Sundays only, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (be sure to visit S & B Evans and Sons just off Columbia Road on Ezra Lane.)

The Geffrye Museum, English Domestic Interiors/Herb and Period Gardens, Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA. Tel: 0171 739 9893. Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday & Bank Holidays noon - 5 p.m.
URL: http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/

Gentle Journeys trip was to the Cotswolds’ private garden of Andrew Lawson, Hidcote Manor and Kiiftsgate Court

The walking trail map of The City's hidden gardens is called "Open Spaces in the City of London" – get a copy at the tourist information offices, including the one across the street from the entrance to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Hampstead: visit Jane Green's Garden Store on Flask Walk; Fenton House (National Trust) Windmill Hill, Hampstead, London, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

The Pergola is located adjacent to Hampstead Heath. Walk down North End Way past Jack Straw’s Pub and the posh private residences at Inverforth Close. Look on the left for the pathway to the Pergola. For information from the Corporation of London, tel. 0181 455 5183. Entrance is free.

Highgate Cemetery, final resting place of Karl Marx is in Highgate Village

Beth Chatto Gardens
Elmstead Market, Colchester CO7 7DB UK, tel. (01206) 822007. Open March to October, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., November to February, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Sunday and bank holidays, small entrance fee.