California is a paradise on the Pacific, a place of mythic proportions blessed with an intoxicating climate. Its monumental landscapes, including ocean, mountains, mighty redwood forests and barren sweeps of deserts all fill the senses.

Our unique horticultural tour starts in the San Francisco district, moves to Yosemite, comes back to Monterey and follows the coastal route down to Santa Barbara. Of course we are only scratching the surface of the Golden State, however what we have included on our full itinerary will stay with you forever.

With its breathtaking landscapes, diverse climates and rich plant life, California contains some of the most exciting and stunning landscapes in the world. We have a combination of famous botanical gardens such as those of Berkeley University, Santa Barbara, Strybing and Huntington, one of the most famous gardens in North America. We also visit private gardens such as Filoli with its beautifully preserved Georgian revival house and Lotusland, for many the outstanding garden of this tour.

All these man-made features will be dwarfed in comparison with the redwood forests and the National Park of Yosemite. In 1868 the young Scotsman John Muir ventured through California’s wild landscape and was so entranced by the beauty of the place that his enthusiasm to conserve it for eternity eventually led to the formation of America’s network of National Parks.

We also visit the Channel Islands National Park, five remarkable, uninhabited islands with a wealth of natural and cultural resources which afford a glimpse of southern California as it once was.

Our tour is led by the Curator of Tresco’s Abbey Gardens and expert horticulturalist Mike Nelhams, who rates the Pacific coast of California as one of his favourite destinations in the world.