The American Horticultural Society hosts a trip to Great Britain with AHS host Stephanie Jutila and Tour Escort Antonia Lloyd Owen, May 22 – May 31, 2010.  This is a tour designed for the connoisseur of English gardens who has perhaps already visited the famous great houses and gardens of Derbyshire and Yorkshire, the Cornish coast, or those within easy reach of London.  The little known, but beautiful region of East Anglia (comprising Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire) has a rich history dating back to pre-Roman times.  It boasts several Viking burial sites, and is famed for its splendid churches and the venerated Cambridge University.  Norfolk and Suffolk, in particular, are memorable for their peaceful landscapes and charming villages, little touched by time, and for the great open skies and magical quality of the light which has inspired countless artists.

Stephanie Jutila, director of member programs and outreach at the American Horticultural Society, invites you to hoin her on this tour.  An anglophile herself, Stephanie studied gardens and horticulture in the UK as a Garden Club of America Martin McLaren Scholar.

This new tour has been created specifically for the AHS by Antonia Lloyd Owen of Specialtours.  A long-time resident of Norfolk, Antonia has ensured access and a warm welcome at a number of enchanting private gardens, many of which are not generally open to visitors.  From historic formal gardens to classic English country house gardens to contemporary gardens with a twist, this tour offers a delightful horticultural journey through East Anglia.

To optimize time spent in gardens, the tour is based at just two hotels.  The four-star Sprowston Manor Hotel near Norwich is a converted 19th century country house that was once the home of the Gurney family, one of the Quaker families who united to create Barclays Bank.  The Swan at Lavenham is a fine old inn dating back to the 15th century.  It is a quintessential English country house hotel, with ancient oak beams and inglenook fireplaces.

The complete itinerary may be found at www.ahs.org.