As the Earth?s green spaces grow smaller, garden vacations and tours gain in popularity.Nearly 40 million Americans went on a garden tour or attended a gardening festival in the past five years, according to the Travel Industry Association.
The front-runner in this growing green market is The American Horticultural Society. With its mission to “open the eyes of all Americans to the vital connection between people and plants,” the nonprofit AHS has been running educational tours for gardeners since the early 1970s.
“The AHS Travel Study Program offers a chance to travel and see the best examples of plantings, gardens and landscape architecture at both public and private gardens,” said David Ellis, director of communication for AHS and editor of The American Gardener magazine. “Upcoming tours for 2008 include the Gardens and Monuments of India, Gardens of Bohemia and Moravia and trips to Scandinavia, England, Provence and Italy.”
If a garden tour closer to home is more appealing to the pocketbook, look no further than the Winterthur Museum, just outside of Wilmington, Del. The former home of Henry Francis du Pont features a 60-acre naturalistic garden that is the perfect backdrop for Winterthur?s fourth annual GardenFair from Sept. 14-16.
“GardenFair is a great event that combines a unique marketplace for exceptional plant materials with a full series of workshops to inspire and educate gardeners,” said Chris Strand, director of the Winterthur garden and estate.
Featuring more than 60 of the nation?s top destination nurseries, GardenFair exhibitors offer everything from heirloom seeds to premium perennials.
“Most of the attendees are diehard gardeners that know exactly what they are looking for,” said Vic Priapi, owner of Priapi Gardens in Cecilton, Md.”Last year a customer came with a list of the 127 varietals of hydrangea she had in her garden and was searching for three types that she didn?t have.”
Extensive gardening experience, however, is not a prerequisite for anyone considering a garden tour vacation.
“Garden tours tend to attract people who travel frequently and are looking for something out of the ordinary,” Ellis said. “There is certainly enough to see and do on the tours that even non-gardeners enjoy them.”
