Gardens Galore

FOR A GARDEN writer, it's humbling to admit that no amount of prose is able to convey the essence of a garden. How to communicate scale or a tangible sense of atmosphere without an actual visit? Which is why garden touring is a growing business.

Gardeners can't seem to leave their favorite pastime behind when on the road, even though their traveling companions may well tire of such zeal. When we were in England a few years ago, my husband and kids saw me off at the train station for a long-anticipated visit to Great Dixter and Sissinghurst, then returned happily to their city sight-seeing. Those gardens are now palpable presences for me in a satisfying way never felt by years of reading about them.

While you can book cruises with lecturing garden gurus, or traipse through the rain forest with garden celebrities, those trips don't motivate me to start saving money. The itineraries compiled by die-hard garden fanatics are the ones that entice — offering, as they do, visits to special private gardens or plant-rich areas of the world. Such jaunts offer inspiration, the company of like-minded people, and a chance to see gardens not usually open to the public.

How about leaving a drab Seattle winter behind to explore exotic Moroccan gardens? Led by savvy garden designer Nan Sinton, Horticulture magazine trips are the BMWs of the garden-tour world. In February, Sinton is leading a two-week trip to the jasmine-scented, walled gardens of Tangier, Fez and Marrakech. If you'd prefer to soak up the sun in arcaded loggias cooled by elegant fountains, maybe an early-April tour of southern Portugal, also led by Sinton, will coax you abroad. A little later in the season, the energetic Sinton will explore the land of the Odyssey, in search of the best gardens of Sardinia, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast. The scenic landscape, with its olive and pine groves and wildflower meadows, is balanced by the contemporary garden in Ischia designed by famed Russell Page, a paradise of fountains, pools and rare plants.

Sinton limits her tours to 15 to 25 people, and describes her ideal trip as a combination of contemporary and historic private gardens, extraordinary scenery and time with local gardeners.

Pacific Horticulture magazine, based in San Francisco, is known for its small-scale tours led by engaging experts. Next May, a cruise through the Mediterranean offers cuisine and culture as well as gardens. Walking tours of southern France and the green gardens of Ireland are in the lineup of upcoming Pac Hort tours, as well as a naturalist's dream trip "down under" to Norfolk and Lord Howe islands, the southernmost coral reef in the world. This look at the rare plants, birds and marine life of these unique islands will be led by editor Dick Turner, one of the best-traveled and most expert horticulturists around.

The Northwest Horticultural Society started offering tours four years ago, assisted by knowledgeable gardeners in whatever locale they visit. It's great to travel with people who garden in the same climate as you do to compare notes as to what ideas can work back home. From short trips to Vancouver, B.C., and Portland to several weeks in New Zealand, society guides ferret out exciting private gardens, nurseries and the best public gardens. Coming up in '06 is a spring tour to garden-rich Santa Barbara and perhaps a late-autumn trip to New Zealand. Best of all, these plant shoppers know to only fill the tour bus up halfway with people, leaving plenty of room for plant purchases.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and contributing editor for Horticulture magazine. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net.