Tours 2010
La Nature - Wild Flora
12th - 17th April 2010
This first Hidden Gardens Hidden France tour of 2010 offers a number of guided walks, exploring the local countryside at one of the most fascinating times of the year. Following the winter rains, the return of milder weather means that wherever one looks there are always new plants coming into bloom to enchant us. We shall be based in the Minervois wine-growing "pays", an area between Narbonne and Carcassonne which is chiefly Mediterranean in climate and flora but is close to the Montagne Noire, thus allowing interesting contrasts in vegetation with changes in altitude. The programme covers four areas of local habitat with walk itineraries of eight to ten kilometres a day and little ascent/descent. This provides a perfect opportunity to study the wealth of native flora and also to consider the potential of Mediterranean indigenous plants for our gardens.
Price: € 895
Click here for full Tour Details: PDF Document
Le Jardin Sec - The Dry Garden
2nd - 7th May 2010
An issue for so many gardeners is the difficulty of dealing with the climate, and at a time when the scientific community seems to accept that climate change is here, with hotter, drier summers, it seems relevant to focus on the implications and issues around waterwise gardening. Le Jardin Sec concentrates on how to maintain a garden with minimum use of water, demonstrating by a mixture of walks in the countryside, and garden and nursery visits, how plants in the wild and in our gardens adapt to dry conditions. This is also the optimum time of the year to view plants in the Mediterrranean region, when both the countryside and gardens are full of bloom. And not to be missed - a taste of the award-winning wines of the area.
Price: € 995
Click here for full Tour Details: PDF Document
Jardins, Nature et Histoire - Gardens, Countryside and History
15th - 21st May 2010
The Languedoc region of France is one of great natural beauty, with a history of settlement from the time of the Greeks and the Romans, as well as many fascinating gardens. This tour is a mixture of the three: walks in the garrigue countryside at a time when it is carpeted by plants in bloom; visits to some of the gardens in the region, and a taste of history including a Cistercian Abbey and its gardens, an ancient Greek and Roman site and a picturesque town with stunning architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Price: € 1195
Click here for full Tour Details: PDF Document
Le Cévenol - Gardens of the Cévennes
14th - 19th June 2010
The Cévennes region of France, to the north-east of the Languedoc, is wild and hilly with some truly hidden gardens. In addition to these "secret" gardens, this tour also visits the acclaimed garden of La Bambouseraie at Anduze, as well as some private gardens further south, and the beautiful town of Uzès. June is a perfect time to make this tour, as the climate is a little cooler than further south and the gardens are in full flower.
Price: € 995
Click here for full Tour Details: PDF Document
La Détente en Languedoc - Relaxing in the Languedoc
5th - 11th September 2010
The first of our autumn tours really does allow you to relax and appreciate the Languedoc: its gardens, its wines and some of its most important, as well as lesser-known, historical sites. The tour is based in a beautifully renovated hotel just outside the walls of the world-famous Cité in Carcassonne, an ideal location for exploring the town. There is more than a hint of the history of the Cathars in this tour with visits to the Châteaux at Lastours and also the historical town of Fanjeaux where St. Dominic established himself in order to combat the heresy. There are also visits to gardens, each of which has its own particular character and history, a short cruise on the Canal du Midi and a chance to taste the excellent wines of the Minervois, Cabardès and Limoux.
Price: € 1195
Click here for full Tour Details: PDF Document
Jardins Classiques du Bas Languedoc - Classical gardens of Bas Languedoc
4th - 9th October 2010
The final Hidden Gardens tour of the year centres on the city of Montpellier which was an important trading centre during the mediaeval period. During the Wars of Religion, it was a protestant stronghold, but was subsequently made the capital of Bas Languedoc by Louis XIV. At this time, edifices glorifying the monarch were constructed, such as the Arc de Triomphe which can still be viewed today in the centre of Montpellier. The local nobility were responsible for the elaborate "hôtels particuliers" and distinctive architecture of the historic centre. Linked to this period of prosperity, the 17th and 18th centuries saw the construction of a number of "folies" (châteaux with wine domaines) by the aristocracy and wealthy merchants of the town, all of which have classical "jardins à la française". The tour includes visits to three of the best of these, as well as an optional visit to the Jardin des Plantes - the oldest and most renowned botanical garden in France. Also included, an excursion to the magnificent Pont du Gard aqueduct, built by the Romans, and the stunning town of Uzès.
Price: € 1570
Click here for full Tour Details: PDF Document
Included in your tour
Transport to and from designated local airports or train stations, accommodation in luxury chambres d'hôtes or small hotels, meals and drinks accompanying meals unless otherwise stated, transport to and from visits, professional guide, information packs on the gardens, botany and historical points of interest of the region.
Not included: travel costs from your home country to the local pick-up point (see Getting Here).
If you live locally and would like to join one of our tours without taking the accommodation, please contact us for a revised price.
Customised tours
We are always very happy to work with gardening clubs and societies, tour operators or simply groups of friends to organise a tour tailored specifically to your requirements. This could be a garden tour or could include other aspects of the Languedoc's history, culture, gastronomy or natural history. If you would like to discuss the possibility of a customised tour then e-mail us on
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