DAY ONE - RHS WISLEY Transfer from London hotel or airport to visit RHS Wisley, the Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship garden in Surrey, showcasing world-class horticulture across diverse landscapes, from formal borders and woodland walks to its striking glasshouse filled with plants from around the globe. Transfer to Dorset to settle into your hotel. DAY TWO - ATHELHAMPTON HOUSE AND KINGSTON LACY Today brings two houses with rather different characters. Athelhampton is a fine Tudor house, with formal gardens and wonderfully clipped topiary. At Kingston Lacy, the house takes its inspiration from Italy and the grounds offer plenty of landscaped gardens to wander. DAY THREE - MOTTISFONT AND HISTORIC SALISBURY Today we visit Mottisfont, a historic former Augustinian priory set in beautiful riverside grounds in Hampshire, renowned for its world-famous walled rose garden, which displays one of the finest collections of pre-1900 shrub roses in the country. Afterwards we head to Salisbury to visit the Cathedral and Arundells, Sir Edward Heath's former home with two acres of peaceful gardens. DAY FOUR - FORDE ABBEY AND MAPPERTON Visit Forde Abbey where you can explore this former Cistercian monastery and its extensive gardens and wonder at the highest water fountain in the country, soaring to an astonishing 160 feet. Afterwards we continue on to Mapperton, a beatiful manor house where the Italianate terraces descend towards the valley below. DAY FIVE - STOURHEAD HOUSE AND GARDENS Cross the border to Wiltshire to visit magnificent Stourhead with its palladian mansion and acres of landscaped gardens. Follow the path around the lake where each turn reveals another vista, temple or folly. You will also find a wonderful subterraenean grotto. It is easy to spend a whole day here and you can either take lunch at The Spread Eagle Inn, the National Trust cafe or take a picnic to eat on the lawns lakeside. DAY SIX - MINTERNE AND ABBOTSBURY SUBTROPICAL GARDENS We start today at Minterne, where woodland paths wind among rhododendrons, azaleas and trees brought from around the world. Afterwards we take a drive along the Jurassic Coast to the ancient village of Abbotsbury with its sub-tropical gardens where a huge variety of plants thrive in over thirty acres of a uniquely mild microclimate. Two gardens, quite close together, yet each with its own character. DAY SEVEN - DEPART After a hearty English breakfast, transfer back to your London hotel, airport or station - hopefully with some inspiration and ideas to try at home.