About this trip

Experience some of the most impressive gardens of the Brandywine Valley, nestled between the hills of Delaware and Pennsylvania. On this 6-night escorted tour we will explore a diverse range of private and public gardens, learning about creative garden design, skilled plant cultivation, horticulture research, flowers and foliage galore. Plus, we’ll experience two of North America’s premier public gardens: Chanticleer and Longwood Gardens.

There are numerous educational experiences throughout the tour – at many of the gardens, we will have a tour, lecture or hands-on experience during our visit, either with the head gardener or a local expert. In the months prior to the tour, we will provide reading materials for self-study.

There are hundreds of gardens and horticulture sights in this part of the world, both public and private. The tour will be escorted by board member Camille Paulsen. She is an avid gardener and seasoned traveler who finds endless inspiration in the gardens she visits around the world; she has served on many other boards including the American Horticultural Society, Hardy Fern Foundation, Northwest Perennial Alliance and Tacoma Garden Club.

The itinerary was developed after a number of trips to the area by Lois Moss, owner of Tour 2 Explore More who will also be on the tour.  We will also have expert local guides at most of the gardens plus some behind-the-scenes experiences.

We stay at one hotel throughout the tour, with daily excursions to the various gardens grouped geographically so we have more time in the gardens and less time on the coach. Our hotel is about 40 minutes from the Philadelphia airport – to make it a stress-free tour for you, transportation between Philadelphia airport (PHL) and the hotel is included.

Our hotel is Staybridge Suites Brandywine/Glen Mills, with restaurants and shopping centers nearby. Each room includes a kitchenette, so you have the option of choosing a restaurant for dinners or the nearby upscale grocery store which is a 3-minute walk from the hotel.  There is an outdoor swimming pool, free self-serve laundry facilities and plenty of space for socializing, both indoor and outdoor.

We will have a charter coach and local driver throughout the tour.  We will also have a passenger van for errands and for getting smaller groups of people where they want to go.

You will delight in the company of fellow garden enthusiasts. The minimum group size is 20 and the maximum group size will be 28.