Become a Home Based Travel Agent

In an English Country Garden
By Paull Tickner

There's an art to putting together a travel less see more U.K. or Ireland garden tour. To make it stand apart from the crowd, you need a rich mix of well chosen properties and value added specials, all from a base where you can spend more time in the gardens, cathedrals, antique shops and pubs than on the bus.

In other words, you need to answer the question: Why should my clients fly 3,000 to 6,000 miles for this particular trip? Another question lies closer to home. As a resourceful and creative travel agent, where can I find buyers for such a tailor-made trip? Let's respond to that one first.

Yes, you may find interest in a customised UK tour from your local garden club but as many other travel agents may be beating a path to the same door, cast your net wider and exploit other sources of rich potential. 

Look for orchid societies who might just fancy a long weekend, with extensions, based around Orchid Festivals that take place in and near London in February and March. Search for others with an interest in azaleas, rhododendrons, lilac, lilies, dahlias and chrysanthemums.  We can match them to English gardens that meet their specific interest and then offer a whole lot more besides.

The Exedra Garden, Painswick Rococo Garden, Cotswolds

Your investigations are sure to identify botanical gardens and arboreta Friends groups who might say yes to a tour timed to coincide with the annual Chelsea Flower Show (25^th-29^th May 2010). 

Rose Societies might also fancy a trip that visits private gardens, includes a meeting with senior members of The Royal National Rose Society, spends a few hours at Coughton Court (recipient of an “Award of Garden Excellence “ from the World Federation of Rose Societies) and spends a glorious day at the Hampton Court Flower Show (6^th-10^th July 2010).

The Rose Labyrinth, Coughton Court, Shakespeare Country

Has one of your clients had some major work done on their garden?  Why not invite the landscape gardener concerned to lead a group on a tour that meanders through nearly 300 years of landscape gardening here in England.  Similarly, if another client can introduce you to a Master Gardener, we have tours that will more than meet their exacting standards.

Look for flower arranging societies or maybe talk to the person in your church who looks after the flower rota.  The odds are that they have not been offered a tour which includes an afternoon decorating a 14^th or 15^th century church for Sunday Worship or an evening trading experiences with an English flower arranging club.

The Valley Garden in Spring, Trebah, Cornwall

I’ve mentioned the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows as internationally renowned events on which to base a tour, but if you want something that’s top-class but far less crowded, develop a group for one of the Orchid Festivals in February or March or come with me to Cornwall where, thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream and the river valley micro-climates the gardens are resplendent while every where else in Britain is still waiting for spring to arrive! In April and May respectively, there’s the Tulip Festival at Pashley Manor and the Sculpture Festival at Borde Hill Garden in Sussex.  In June there are fragrant and stunning rose festivals at Hatfield House just north of London and for two weeks at Coughton Court just a few miles west of Stratford upon Avon. In September there are two Royal Horticultural Society shows at Great Malvern in Worcestershire and Harrogate in Yorkshire.

Mariette Tulips, Helen Sinclair Sculpture and Lutyens Bench, Pashley Manor Gardens, Sussex.

To really make a mark on your chosen audience, why not offer them a tour that takes them to some of the very best of English gardens that will not be found in other tour operators’ brochures. Every year since 1984, Christies the fine art auctioneers and the Historic Houses Association run a competition to find their Garden of theYear. The winner’s enclosure reads like a who’s who of the very best of British gardens.  I’ve taken a close look at the list and have forged 6 of them into an eye-catching 8-night pre Hampton Court Flower Show tour.  Beginning with Blenheim Palace (winners in 2008) the itinerary also includes romantic Sudeley Castle, famous for its rose collection as is nearby Kiftsgate Court.  Bourton House Garden is on the list along with the late Rosemary Verey’s garden at Barnsley House where a visit also includes a delicious English Afternoon Tea.  Finally there’s the Peto Garden prior to the journey into London.  As with all other tours I design, this itinerary will also include privately owned gardens that open when at their best as part of the National Garden Scheme.  The tea and cakes add to the pleasure of each visit!

Finally, for clients of yours that love snowdrops, in early February when the airfares and hotel rates are at their best, we can couple the remarkable orchid collections at Wisley and Kew with swathes of snowdrops at outstanding Cotswold gardens along with antique hunting, log fires, pub suppers and superbly appointed country house hotels