We start our tour of the UK's gardens in the south.   As part of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Wakehurst Place is Kew's country cousin in West Sussex.   With ornamental gardens, temperate woodlands & wetland areas there's bound to be something of interest for even the most finicky green fingers in your group.   The estate stretches over 180 acres & is filled with a wide variety of plants & trees, including collections from the southern hemisphere & Asia.   Summer is a popular time to visit, but you might prefer to go in May when swathes of natural bluebells fill the woods.

Conservation is high on the agenda at Wakehurst Place.   The garden is home to the Millennium Seed Bank Project, which aims to protect the world's most endangered plant species.   Wakehurst is also involved in the conservation of badgers, bats & dormice, as well as birds & insects that benefit the environment.

Providing there are 10 or more members in your group, & you pay at least two weeks in advance, you can get good discounts on admission.   For more information on taking a group to Wakehurst Place call 01444 894066 or email wakehurst@kew.org.

Surf & turf

At Sheffield Park Garden in East Sussex five large lakes reflect the attractive planting of trees & shrubs all through the year.   Some of the seasonal showboats include daffodils & bluebells in the spring, rhododendrons & azaleas in the early summer, & a brilliant display of colour in the autumn.

Groups are eligible for a 15%         discount on regular admission, but make sure you pre-book to take advantage of the rate.   Tailor-made tours of the     garden are available, & you can also book joint tickets with the Bluebell Railway.   For a copy of the 2006 Group Information Pack contact Sheffield Park Garden on 01825 790231 or email sheffieldpark.groups@national trust.org.uk.

Lose yourself

For fans of gardening legend Gertrude Jekyll, Loseley Park in Guildford includes a two-&-a-half acre walled garden based on one of her innovative designs.   Jekyll created more than 350 gardens in England & abroad, but few of them have survived.

The walled garden at Loseley is made up of a series of rooms, & provides attractive displays throughout the year.   In the early summer the rose garden blooms with over 1000 different varieties, & by season's end the white garden & organic vegetable garden are in their prime.   Ring 01483 405112 for more information.

Set over 180 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens includes 11 national plant collections, more than 250 champion trees & over 42,000 plants from temperate regions around the world.

A £3.5 million visitor & education pavilion offers views of the collection & surrounding countryside, & there's an interpretation area where you can learn about the role & history of the gardens.   Entry to the pavilion is free of charge for groups, but be sure to book in advance.   Visit www.hilliergardens.org.uk for seasonal highlights & for more information.

From 18 to 20 August the Bristol Flower Show at Durdham Downs joins in the Brunel 200 festivities with a load of competitions, classes, lectures & demonstrations - as well as the 10th Allotment Fair.   Two weeks later the National Amateur Gardening Show takes place at the Bath & West Showground in Shepton Mallet, & features the National Dahlia Society Show & UK National Giant Vegetable Championships.   And make sure to keep an eye out for some gardening celebs while you're inspecting the mighty marrows...

Bath & West Trading Company is behind both shows, & you can get discounts for groups at www.bathand west.com or by calling 01749 822 200.

Located in the south-east corner of Windsor Great Park, Savill Garden was begun by Eric Savill in 1932.   From the initial stream-side plantings, the area was extended to include herbaceous borders, rose gardens, peat beds & a larger bog garden, & is now one of the world's finest woodland gardens.

Early this summer Savill will open its new visitor centre, which will house a shop, planteria & restaurant.   Visit www.savillgarden.co.uk to find out what's blooming & for more information on group offers.

Just 7.5 miles from Oxford city centre you'll find Waterperry Gardens - a getaway from the hustle & bustle of town.   They produce & sell the largest range of plants in the country, so after a walk in the rose & alpine gardens or along the water lily canal you can pop into the plant centre to bring a bit of Waterperry home with you.

And there's more to the gardens than plant-life.   The estate also includes a gallery, museum, Saxon church & teashop where you can sample their home-made fare.   Ring 01844 339226 to learn more about taking groups to Waterperry Gardens or email office@waterperrygardens.co.uk.

From May 20 to 21 Knebworth House hosts Hertfordshire's annual garden show.   The event has grown considerably over the past 13 years, & now attracts more than 150 exhibitors from the UK, Holland & Germany.   Many Hampton Court & Chelsea participants will be at the show, together with some of the best nurseries & specialists in the country.   As well as the gardening stands, there'll be a craft marquee, demonstrations & a brass band.  

The gardens at Knebworth House are worth a visit in their own right, & provide a good example of Victorian & Edwardian-era planting.   Group visitors are privy to lively & informative tours of the grounds courtesy of David Roberts, Knebworth's Head Gardener.  For further enquiries about group bookings contact Christine Smith on 01438 812661.

There's no better time to visit the gardens of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.   From April 2006 to April 2007 the Royal Shakespeare Company brings the Complete Works Festival to Stratford-upon-Avon - the biggest festival in the RSC's history.   You'll have the chance to see every play, sonnet & poem written by Shakespeare performed - as well as visit the five period homes directly linked to the bard.

Anne Hathaway's cottage is set amid stunning grounds, & includes a quintessential English cottage garden, orchard, sculpture garden & maze.   In Wilmcote you can tour the childhood home of Shakespeare's mother, & enjoy the country air on a field walk or nature trail.   For more information ring 01789 204016 or email info@shakespeare.org.uk.

For something a bit different, the Vineyard Trails at Chilford Hall take you on a tour of various vine varieties.   The Rivey Hill walk includes the highest point in Cambridgeshire & affords great views of the area.

For group members who prefer the great indoors, guided tours take place in the winery.   Evening tours are also available, which can include tastings, snacks or meals for groups of 10 or more.   Call the vineyard on 01223 895600 to check when specific activities such as bottling, pruning & picking are taking place so you arrange the best time to visit.

The gardens of Sandringham House, the Queen's Norfolk retreat, are considered to be among the best of the royal gardens.   Woodland walks, lakes & streams are planted with sheets of spring-flowering bulbs, avenues of rhododendrons & azaleas, beds of lavender & roses, & dazzling colour in the autumn.  

And that's not all.   There's the formal North Garden to take in, Queen Alexandra's summerhouse beside its own cascading stream, 16 species of oak & many commemorative trees.   The house itself is the epitome of Edwardian country-house life, & the museum shows royal memorabilia, personal & official royal cars, & loads of interesting photographs.   For further details on bringing groups to Sandringham House ring 01553 12908.

Fancy a trip to warmer climes?   Stapeley Water Gardens in Nantwich, Cheshire take you a step closer to the Spanish Alhambra, the Amazon Basin, Italy & Japan.   Beyond the ponds, pebbles & water lilies, you'll find an impressive collection of rare plants & animals, including piranhas, toucans, tamarin monkeys, poison-dart frogs, moray eels & freshwater stingrays.               After adventuring in the Amazon you can stroll through the Italian Garden, relax by the Japanese Koi Carp pool or stop to eat in the Terrace Restaurant, overlooking the tropical cascades.

There are loads of special offers for groups, including discounted admission rates for parties of 15 or more - & depending on the package, free meals & entrance for organisers.   Visit www.stapeleywg.com for more information.

In the 18th century the wild & wooded valley of the river Skell was transformed into one of England's finest Georgian water gardens.   Disgraced by financial scandal & expulsion from parliament, John Aislabie devoted the rest of his life to creating the water garden on the Studley Royal Estate at Fountains Abbey near Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Group visitors have been touring the grounds since Aislabie's day, taking in the stepping stoned canals, rustic garden bridges, classical temples & statues, & elegant ponds & cascades.   For a group outing the Georgian-way go to www.fountainsabbey.org.uk.

We round up our whirlwind tour of the UK's top gardens in the Lake District.   On its southern-most border is Leighton Hall in Carnforth.   The estate stretches over 1550 acres with landscaped parkland & woodland walks, a 19th century walled garden, caterpillar maze, aviary garden & ornamental vegetable plot.   Be sure to bring your walking shoes as miles of footpaths cover the grounds, taking you up close to the wide range of plant & animal life that live inside the walls of the estate.   For specific details about the range of group packages available, visit www.leightonhall.co.uk.

Not a twenty-minute drive from Leighton Hall is Holker Hall in Cark-in-Cartmell.   The gardens that surround the neo-Elizabethan mansion cover 24 acres of woodland & formal garden areas, & their richness & variety depend on the micro-climate particular to the South Lakes.

Bespoke garden tours can be arranged, just be sure to include the Great Holker Lime in your itinerary.   Measuring 7 feet 6 inches wide this 17th-century giant is one of the UK's 50 Great Trees.   Go to www.holker-hall.co.uk to find out more.

Last year, BBC Gardeners' World Live was a huge hit with almost 10,000 group visitors in attendance.   You can expect another jam-packed event for 2006 with 35 show gardens & live entertainment from top BBC celebrities like Alan Titchmarsh & Monty Don.

BBC Gardeners' World Live runs from 14 to 18 June at Birmingham's NEC.   As a group-travel organiser you're entitled to a no-obligation reservation period & discounts of up to 30% compared to tickets sold on the day.   Tickets are available through See Tickets on 0870 830 0209.