Garden Visits

Green Island Gardens is a 20 acre garden in Ardleigh, near Colchester. It features many unusual plants for year round interest, due to its unique micro climate they can grow many borderline hardy plants. The garden has been professionally designed by Fiona Redmond, who has a passion for trees and shrubs, scented plants and rarely seen specimens. The autumn colour is spectacular. We are not organising a guided tour so members can wander at their own speed and gently enjoy! There is a cafe for tea and cakes and a plant stall.

Directions can be found on the website at www.greenislandgardens.co.uk but from Colchester you may find this helpful : take the A137 towards Manningtree (called Harwich Road), at the first mini roundabout ignore signs for Ardleigh and turn right onto Bromley Road. follow this road out of Colchester for a couple of miles. You will go over the A120, pass a turning on the lleft called Slough Lane. Park Road is the next turning on the left, and Green Island Garden is the first on the right. Post Code is C07 7SP , where you will find the car park.

We are revisiting our Winter Walk at the beautiful Anglesey Abbey (CB25 9EJ) slightly later than in previous years, in the hope that more snowdrops, hellebores, and winter shrubs will be at their peak. We will assemble in the foyer at 11am. The gardens are free for National Trust and RHS Members, so do remember to bring your membership cards with you. Non members will pay individually at the desk £18.00 pp. Historically this has been a fairly unstructured visit, with members meeting up to enjoy coffee or lunch afterwards, so there is no need to book, and this notice is for your information only. We will look forward to meeting you on the day!

Irelands Meadow is tucked away down a small lane and has the most beautiful natural garden and woodland with lakes. It is the home of Stan Ireland and Jennie Jordan, and Stan has spent years making the landscape that surrounds their home. The woodland is a carpet of many, many thousands of snowdrops, which flourish in every conceivable place, stretching down to the lakes, beneath the willows, and wandering on to the lane and the field beyond. Paths will lead us over the stream, round the lake, and on a small island within the lake Stan has planted an early variety of daffodil, which was flowering at the same time as the snowdrops, when we visited in 2025. Coffee and cake will be provided.

Irelands Meadow is situated off the B1115 just on the approach to Little Waldingfield. Look out for the SRL sign at the side of the road, and turn off the road towards the laboratory, it is a fairly narrow lane. Just over a small bridge you will see a turning and gateway on your right, turn in and park by the barn.

PRICE IS £8 including donation to West Suffolk Hospital Macmillan’s Nurses

Departing from The Cock Horse Car Park in Lavenham at 9:45am prompt.

We will be arriving at the stunning gardens of  Stody Lodge at about midday, where we will explore the gardens and have the opportunity for refreshments, leaving there at 2pm to go on into Holt to explore the town, with its many galleries, cafes, gift and antique shops, before departing at 4pm for home.

In late May, Stody Lodge Gardens is typically in full bloom with a spectacular display of rhododendrons and azaleas, which are the main highlights of the season, with a collection of over 200 varieties. The beautiful four acre Azalea Water Garden featuring thousands of Azalea mollis plants is usually a dramatic blaze of colour at this time.

Other plants you may see include lilies, peonies, lupins, delphiniums and roses. Notable trees include a magnificent Davidia involucrata, a Norway Maple planted in 1985 for a WW11 reunion as well as collections of Magnolia, Camellia and various ornamental species like Liquidambar Styraciflua, Eucryphia Nymansay, Cercis and Arbutus Unendo.

As we are arriving two hours before they officially open for the day, we should hopefully have plenty of quiet space to wander. No refreshments are included, but the tea room will be open for us.

We have a 53 seater luxury coach from Felix Coaches, and the cost of the coach ticket alone will be £18.50, entrance to the garden will be £10, but free to RHS Members as it is a partner garden, so book either the £18.50 or the £28.50 ticket. Once we have sold a total of 53 of combined tickets the coach will be full. 

We are offering the tickets to Boxford Garden Society and Lavenham Garden Club as well, in order to fill the coach, and tickets for everyone will be purchased through the EAGG website. Please book early to ensure your place as this is going to be a marvellous day out.

NON-RHS MEMBERS PRICE: £28.50
RHS MEMBERS PRICE: £18.50