Very likely you have already taken your trip, but in case not, and in case others have a similar enquiry, I thought I'd make some suggestions. Garden travel is my one of my favorite kinds of travel.

My favorite garden in England is Mottisfont Abbey located in Hampshire. It is one of the National Trust gardens and houses the national collection of heirloom roses. I've gone back to it several times. I also enjoyed Vita Sackville West's garden Sissinghurst, famous for its white garden though I find its purple border more impressive. Other gardens in southern England which we enjoyed are Hinton Ampney, Buscot Park, Barrington Court. You should not miss Stourhead for sheer landscape beauty or Loseley Park for what is in my opinion has an even nicer white garden than the one at Sissinghurst. And if you happen to get up to York, you might want to visit Burton Agnes, a lovely garden that offers the added advantage (to me personally) of belonging to the family that my ancestors came to American from almost 400 years ago!

As for Scotland, I have only been to Edinburgh, and as for France, only Paris. I cannot make suggestions there, except to say that Edinburgh has a quite nice botanical garden which my husband and I enjoyed immensely.

We traveled in England with local friends most of the time so I cannot recommend any tour companies. We went up to York by train, and traveled out to Burton Agnes by public bus. It can be done.

Roisefolly