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Big gardens can be overwhelming! Ever get that nag

Big gardens can be overwhelming! Ever get that nagging “I probably missed something” feeling while exploring one?

Some gardens hand you a map and wish you a nice walk. You start off full of excitement, but after an hour or two, your senses just… give up?! You know there’s still so much more to see (maybe even the best bits), but somehow you stop really seeing.

That’s where our lovely tour hosts Chris @walsh8008 and Kim @ouraustraliangardens make all the difference. They know exactly where to take you, what stories to share, and how to make you feel like you’ve seen exactly enough. ✨

Have you ever left a garden wondering what you might’ve missed? Let us know 👇

📸 A picture from our England trip – Fairlight End, 2022
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#gardentourism

📍This peaceful spot in Tallinn, Estonia has us

📍This peaceful spot in Tallinn, Estonia has us dreaming of Japan, where our Carexplorers will be heading next month with our garden expert @walsh8008 Chris. 🌸

What’s the most peaceful garden you’ve ever visited? 🔎

Stumbled across this little patch of wildflowers i

Stumbled across this little patch of wildflowers in a remote Estonian village this summer and literally couldn’t walk past it. 😅 Something about the mix of colors and the wild beauty made me feel happy and free. 🌼 I stayed so long that even the garden’s owner came out to say hello.

Wild plantings like this aren’t just beautiful, they’re also buzzing with pollinators and have inspired many modern garden designers. In fact, the Netherlands has become a leader in this naturalistic style, which we’ll get to explore together with our Carexplorers soon. 🤩

If you came across a little meadow like this… would you stop too?
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#gardendesign #gardendesignideas #wildflowers #wildflowermeadow #naturalistic #naturalisticgarden #gardeninspiration #pollinatorgarden #gardening #gardeningismytherapy #gardentourism

Counting down the days to our first South Island g

Counting down the days to our first South Island garden trip! ⏳🤩 With our host Kim @ouraustraliangardens leading the way, we’ll walk into inspiring private gardens, and may even meet their creators along the way. 🎉

Swipe to see where we’re heading (part 1)

Pic 2: @flaxmere_garden Penny Zino’s sunken native garden with a fabulous fusion of grasses and perennials, framed by ponds, meadows, and a lush canopy.

Pic 3: @lochlevennursery Curved beds, clever planting combinations, and structured hedging create a garden that feels both refined and relaxed, all developed by talented nurserywoman Doreen Dryden.

Pic 4: Hortensia House - Huguette Michel’s romantic garden, named for her love of hydrangeas, with a Monet-style bridge, weeping willows, and flower-filled borders.

Pic 5: @jo.wakelin ’s Garden: Against a dramatic mountain backdrop, ecologist and horticulturist Jo Wakelin has shaped a dry-climate garden of natives planted by the ‘right plant, right place’ principle, with gravel paths, stone, and rustic sculpture.

Pic 6: @frensham_garden In a beautiful country setting, Margaret Long has shaped an elegant yet relaxed garden with abundant vignettes, classic design, and judicious pruning to maximise filtered light.

Which of these gardens would you lose yourself in first? 🌸
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#newzealandgardens #flaxmerehouse #lochleven #hortensiahouse #jowakelingarden #frenshamgardens

We are curious … which iconic garden would you s

We are curious … which iconic garden would you still visit, even if it’s packed with people? 🧐
A couple of weeks ago we made it to Monet’s garden in Giverny. No surprise, it was buzzing with visitors… it was probably the most crowded garden of our whole trip. But honestly, we wouldn’t miss it when in Normandy.

Here are a few ways you can find your “Monet moment”:

🌸 Focus on details: a single bloom, or a reflection in the pond.
🌸 Take breaks instead of rushing through.
🌸 Change your perspective: crouch down, look up, or frame through foliage.
🌸 Wander off the less-famous corners which might feel more peaceful.
🌸 Pause in one spot and give the garden a chance to reveal itself slowly

Lisa, the creative mind behind our trips, just wra

We bid farewell tonight for some guest returning b

We bid farewell tonight for some guest returning before breakfast. Our hearts are full and our garden spirits lifted by such a lovely group of garden enthusiasts. @walsh8008 signing off until next time. Great Gardens in Brittany anyone.. or Cotswolds, Lake District?!

Lovely start to our final day at Jardins de Brecy— a true hidden gem in this. @carextours

Our garden Carex-plorers led by Chris @walsh8008 a

Our garden Carex-plorers led by Chris @walsh8008 are on a mission to explore some beautiful gardens in Normandy… And even the rain couldn’t scare them! ☔️

Yesterday, they were strolling through Jardins d’Angélique. ✨

🤩 The property has gardens in two styles: formal French & informal English.
🤩 In front of the 18th-century house, it’s the English style garden with winding grass paths, intensely mixed plantings, including a great variety of roses. 🌹
🤩 It’s designed by the owners Gloria and Yves Lebellegard whom our group had the pleasure of meeting.

Would you enjoy wandering these gardens yourself? Tell us in the comments! 💚

Join us in welcoming Kim Rabbidge – curator of @

Join us in welcoming Kim Rabbidge – curator of @ouraustraliangardens and guest lead of our very first New Zealand: South Island in Full Bloom tour this November.

Kim’s an award-winning garden writer, photographer, and tour leader who’s spent her life around gardens.

On this tour, she’s taking you to:
-- private gardens rarely open to the public
-- creative landscapes by Jo Wakelin, Jane Falconer, Robert Watson, Penny Zino, Ross Palmer, Hiro Yoshida, and more
-- the expression of native NZ plants you’ve probably never seen before, in local garden designs.

When Kim's not leading tours, she and her husband are transforming an old dairy farm into a garden at Eltham, near Lismore, Australia.

📷 Swipe to see Kim's own photos from her New Zealand garden collection:

1. Kim Rabbidge
2. Walter Peak
3. Flaxmere Garden
4. Larnach Castle
5. Fisherman's Bay Garden
6. Barewood Garden
7. & 8. Welton House Garden
9. Paripuma

Did you know that… Japanese tea ceremonies actua

Did you know that… Japanese tea ceremonies actually begin in the garden? 🧐

Before entering the teahouse, you walk along the “roji” – a garden path designed to prepare your mind for the ritual ahead. This traditional tea garden often includes:

🪨 Stepping stones that slow your pace
🌿 Moss that creates a calming atmosphere
🏮 Lanterns to “guide” your way
💦 And a washbasin (tsukubai) where you purify your hands and mouth

It’s like a walking meditation that begins the moment you step into the garden.

Would you try this kind of experience?

📸 Photos taken during our garden trip to Japan in 2023 by our design expert Chris Walsh @verdantgardenworks
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#japanesegardens #japaneseteagarden #japanesetea #teaceremony #roji

“You just can’t plan moments like that,” sai

“You just can’t plan moments like that,” said a Carex-plorer, right after sharing tea with the owners of a private garden in England. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

This year our garden enthusiasts not only saw incredible gardens, but also met some of the creators behind them:

🌱 Charlie & Moy at Knepp's rewilding project
🌸 Fergus Garrett at Great Dixter
🌺 Polly sharing Pettifers' secrets firsthand
☕ Surprise kitchen tea with the owners at Fairlight End

These interactions with gardeners are rare, but often become the most memorable part of our trips. ✨

Whose garden wisdom would you love to hear over tea?
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#pettifers #kneppestate #knepp #fairlightend #great #duct #greatdixtergarden #greatdixterhouseandgardens #greatdixtergardens #kneppestate #kneppwildland #kneppcastle #knepprewilding #pettifers

Happy weekend everyone! 💐 If our team could mag

Happy weekend everyone! 💐 If our team could magically pop up in any garden this weekend, they’d go to…

🌺Chris, tour leader: Pettifers Garden in Oxfordshire England 🌺
“I'm sure the hellebores are in full bloom by now–something I missed on my last visit. I’d love to see the structure of the evergreens in the lower garden and visit with head gardener Polly. A harbinger of spring, seeing them would lift my spirits on these cold, harsh Michigan winter mornings.”

🌼Jacqueline, booking manager: 'Les Jardins d’Etretat' in Étretat, Normandy, France 🌼
“It's a super artistic garden with strange head sculptures, rolling hedges, beautiful trees, and an amazing view of the sea and the white cliffs of Le Trou de l'Homme. It looks almost like a fairytale garden!”

🌸Carolyn, founder: Fishermans Bay Garden in New Zealand 🌸
“If it were spring, summer, or fall, I would love to revisit Folly Farm in England. But since it's winter, I'd like to go to the Southern Hemisphere, say New Zealand, and visit Fishermans Bay Garden. It's a contemporary perennial and grass garden in a spectacular landscape on the ocean, made by a self-taught woman. It doesn't get much better than that!”

What garden would YOU want to chill-out in this weekend?
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P.S Image 4 sourced from @fishermansbay_garden account

#gardentours #gardentouring #pettifiers #etrétat #etretatcliffs #etretatgardens #normandygarden #fishermansbaygarden

What unusual plants are in your Valentine’s bouq

What unusual plants are in your Valentine’s bouquet this year? 💝

It doesn’t have to be all red roses.🌹 There are plenty of seasonal blooms that will make your bouquet stand out. Here are some of our ideas:

🌸Hellebores
🌸Narcissus tazetta
🌸Virginia Springbeauty

Let us know your favorite unusual bloom for Valentine’s Day! 🌺 We’d love to hear your floral choices. 🤩
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#valentinesdayflowers #hellebores #narcissus #virginiaspringbeauty #loveplants #valentinesplants

Garden etiquette has sparked quite a conversation

Garden etiquette has sparked quite a conversation among our followers! Should visitors pose for pictures among the plants? 📸

Share your garden visiting tips and unspoken rules in the comments below. 👇

As fellow garden enthusiasts, we'd love to hear what you consider essential ✅ do's and ❌ don'ts when touring these beautiful spaces. 🌸
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#gardeningtips #gardenetiquette #gardening #gardenvisitors #gardentourism

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