Travel adventures with le jardinet
Meet Your Hosts
Karen & Andy Chapman: touring the Chatsworth Estate, Peak District National Park, England.
Both Karen and Andy grew up in northern England. In fact, they first met when Andy was just 9 and Karen was 14 (and she still hasn’t forgiven him for not remembering her, even though she has the photographs to prove it!) Despite such inauspicious beginnings they married in 1987 and lived in the heart of the Peak District before moving to Seattle in 1996 with their two young children.
A love of the English countryside was a common bond even in those early days, which for Karen naturally led to an interest in gardening while both Karen and Andy enjoy photographing landscapes and wildlife.
Today, as a landscape designer, award-winning author, and international speaker Karen has the knowledge, enthusiasm, personal connections, and detailed, organizational skills that are needed to put together a tour of inspirational gardens, historical sites, and cultural experiences.
As always, Andy is an integral part of Karen’s business, offering logistical support, attention to detail, and a reassuring pair of extra hands, ears, and eyes to make sure every guest feels cared for.
Together, they would love to share “their England” and other favorite places with you.
What our guests said....
England 2022
east coast 2022
England 2023
SOUTH AFRICA 2023
england 2024
hudson river valley 2024
england 2025
NEW ZEALAND 2025
- What a fantastic time we had! The gardens, historic homes and villages were a treat to experience. We appreciated your attention to detail and personal insights into everything UK. Thanks so much!
- You and Andy are a perfect team. You have your roles down perfectly and everybody is quite comfortable with both of you. You are very different and very approachable.
- Thanks again for all your and Andy's efforts to make this tour so marvelous, delicious and wonderous. I will remember it forever!
- This was just absolutely awe inspiring and fun!!! Can't wait to do it again.
- Would definitely signup for another tour with you guys
- The group size is just right - easy to bond with people.
- I am just so grateful for this opportunity to travel with you, Karen, Andy, (Katie and Evan) and be a part of your family. I loved the personal people connection that you provided.
- It was an incredible tour to a destination I would not have ventured out to on my own. The mix of gardens and the added safaris were great. I look back on it now and still have to pinch myself that it wasn’t a dream. Great tour.
- Once again you have created a once in a lifetime experience for us.
adventures in yorkshire & the lake district:
inspiring gardens, literary connections & scenic byways
With Karen Chapman
June 1st-13th 2026
Join me for an unforgettable personalized, small group tour through the quintessential English countryside of Yorkshire and the Lake District.
Our adventure begins in the Yorkshire Dales, much-loved for its rolling, heather clad hills and as the setting for the humorous James Herriott veterinary stories. Based initially in the medieval city of York before transferring to Harrogate, we will enjoy private, guided tours of hidden gems including Parcevall Hall Gardens and the moated Markenfield Hall in addition to world-class gardens including Scampston Walled Garden and RHS Harlow Carr. Yet it is often the private gardens our guests enjoy the most, so our tour will include the opportunity to peek over proverbial stone walls to visit several gardens rarely opened to the public and meet their owners.
From here we will head north west to the more rugged scenery of the Lake District, best known for its literary associations and hiking opportunities. We have a wide variety of exciting gardens to visit including Levens Hall, renowned for its artistic topiary, Rydal Mount (home of William Wordsworth), the reimagined garden at Lowther Castle, designed by Dan Pearson and Hill Top where the stories of Peter Rabbit were penned.
Yet to truly experience England, you need to do more than just visit gardens. There will be free time sprinkled in throughout the tour for you to explore museums, shop for souvenirs, indulge in a cream tea or simply relax. We will also learn about York Minster, visit Castle Howard (a Bridgerton location), eat in historic coaching inns, and end our adventure with a cruise on Lake Windermere.
This is a tour like no other: it will be a unique blend of treasured experiences.
adventures Down Under: australia & tasmania
With Karen & Andy Chapman
October/November 2026
From wallabies to wombats and grevillea to gum trees – this tour has it all.
Australia and Tasmania are world-renowned for their outstanding natural beauty, delicious wines and unique wildlife and this 18-day tour promises to be the adventure of a lifetime as we explore the highlights of it all. Additionally, the tour has been carefully planned to encompass two spring garden festivals, affording guests the opportunity to visit a much wider range of garden styles, sizes, themes and designers.
Our journey will begin in Sydney with excursions including Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Firescreek Botanical Winery and a dinner cruise on the spectacular Sydney Harbor. As we journey on to the Blue Mountains we will stop at the Featherdale Wildlife Park, historical gardens and enjoy the panoramic views. There will be time to explore the Hartley Valley Garden Festival before continuing on to the Southern Highlands and then Canberra. Here we will visit larger country estates and smaller cottage gardens together with lunch and wine tasting at Centennial Vineyards, a cool climate winery. We will also have the opportunity to learn more about the Aboriginal peoples and their interpretation of the landscape through an indigenous tour.
From Canberra we fly to Melbourne where we have been invited to visit two outstanding private gardens and meet their designers. Sam Cox, a sought-after landscape designer, has generously invited us to tour his personal garden Wattle Glen. With a remnant bushland backdrop, this extensive garden exemplifies how traditional natives, indigenous plants and considered design create a unified sense of place. From here we visit Stone Hill, a much published garden crafted by the highly acclaimed Michael McCoy. The Quarry Garden at Stone Hill is expected to be in its prime during our visit, and features tussock grass-like plants accented by an abundance of spring flowering bulbs set within a rocky terrain.
Other prestigious garden visits while in Melbourne include the Castlemaine and District Festival of Gardens, Heronswood Gardens and Nursery (home of the Digger’s Club), Cloudehill Gardens, Coombe Yarra Valley and the Chelsea Australian Garden at Olinda where designer Philip Johnson will personally lead our private tour. This garden won ‘Best in Show’ at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show and was then recreated within the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden in 2023.
Finally, we fly to Tasmania to visit a wide variety of private gardens including Corinda House, Brickendon and the Woolmers Estate, a UNESCO world heritage site, while an excursion to the Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary will get us up close and personal with wombats. We will also sample the farm-to-table scene for which Tasmania is known and enjoy a wine tasting at Frogmore Creek Wines.
With spectacular scenery, inspiring gardens, unique wildlife and delicious food and wines, there really is something for everyone.
This small group tour is filled with the flora, fauna and flavors of both Australia and Tasmania. Our adventure together is sure to leave you with memories that will forever become a part of your soul.
Adventures in Scotland: Highlands & Islands
June 2027
Adventures in South Africa (Kenya pre-tour option)
October 2027
Disclaimer
Le jardinet acts only as an agent for the various independent suppliers that provide hotel accommodations, transportation, sightseeing, activities, or other services connected with this tour. Such services are subject to the terms and conditions of those suppliers. Le jardinet and their respective employees, agents, representatives, and assigns accept no liability whatsoever for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or any other incident which may be caused by the negligence, defect, default of any company or person in performing these services. Responsibility is not accepted for losses, injury, damages or expenses of any kind due to sickness, weather, strikes, hostilities, wars, terrorist acts, acts of nature, local laws or other such causes. All services and accommodations are subject to the laws and regulations of the country in which they are provided. Le jardinet is not responsible for any baggage or personal effects of any individual participating in the tours/trips arranged by Le jardinet. Individual travelers are responsible of purchasing a travel insurance policy, if desires, that will cover some of the expenses associated with the loss of luggage or personal effects.
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