Exclusive garden tours

Exclusive can mean private access, privileged arrangements, meeting the people behind a garden, or experiencing a familiar place in a way most visitors don't. Some of these gardens admit visitors only by arrangement, some open on a handful of days each year, and some open for us outside their normal hours. Each itinerary sets out exactly what has been arranged.

On several tours, yes. Hearing from the person who planted something twenty years ago, and who can tell you what failed before it worked, is a different kind of visit from following a printed guide.

Frequently, and that tends to be the appeal. A private garden is usually a personal project rather than an institution, which makes it more idiosyncratic, more revealing about the person who made it, and easier to take in properly.

Gardens are best enjoyed on foot, and you'll be walking on grass, gravel and uneven paths with slopes and steps along the way. Private gardens are less likely than public ones to have level routes or seating throughout. Each itinerary carries an activity level of light, moderate or active so you know what to expect before you book.

Very much so, and many guests travel solo. Shared interest naturally leads to easy conversation, and a small group being shown round somewhere personal tends to talk easily. 

As early as possible. Private access is usually arranged for a specific date and a limited number of visitors, so places on these departures are necessarily limited and they tend to fill well ahead.