The adjoining counties of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk feature on this tour of some of the finest gardens that East Anglia has to offer, many of which have connections to the RHS, making them just that little bit special. We begin in Essex, with visits to RHS Garden Hyde Hall, which showcases a selection of different styles including rose and Mediterranean gardens and a new wildflower meadow, and continue to Beth Chatto’s famous garden and nursery, which was created in 1960 from overgrown wasteland with poor gravel soil and has been transformed into an informal garden harmonising with the surrounding countryside. We continue to Helmingham Hall gardens, where the house, parkland and gardens together create an exceptional work of art. This is followed with a visit to Wyken Hall vineyards and gardens - the vineyard produces some 12,000 bottles a year, while the garden features an old-fashioned rose garden, a knot and herb garden, and an orchard. We will then have the privilege of visiting Raveningham Hall, the garden of former RHS President Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt, along with East Ruston Old Vicarage, an inspirational exotic garden which lies less than two miles from the North Sea. Our final day takes us to The Place for Plants at East Bergholt Place, a fine nursery and garden owned by an RHS committee member, and Marks Hall Garden and Arboretum, whose extensive collection is planted on a geographical theme, with plants from the temperate regions of the world grouped together.