The European Boxwood and Topiary Society go to Provence

Fly with British Airways from LHR – Marseille 09:55 -12:50, where you will be met by Kirsty Fergusson, your Tour Leader. Transfer to Aix-en-Provence for a light lunch at a classic brasserie, La Rotonde, in the historic heart of Aix-en-Provence. A short drive takes us to the privately owned Bastide de Romégas for a guided tour of the award-winning gardens that includes a grand, formal parterre, set against a sheltering backdrop of Aleppo pines and the looming presence of Mont Saint-Victoire.

We return to Aix to check in at our hotel, with time to settle in before meeting for a welcome drink and dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, L’Orangerie.

We depart at 9am, heading northwards into the Alpilles to Bonnieux, a charming provencal village, perched on the edge of a deep valley. Here we discover La Louve, the much-admired garden made by Nicole de Vésian, over 30 years ago. Recently sold, we are delighted to be welcomed by new owner, Olga Faure for a guided visit and coffee.

It’s a short drive on through the Alpilles to Ménerbes, where we will be dropped off to explore the delightful village (made famous by Peter Mayle) and enjoy lunch together in a local bistro. Following lunch, we continue on foot to visit at least one other private garden in the village, much influenced by Nicole de Vésian’s design and planting at La Louve. We return to Aix for an evening of independent exploration and dining.

Leaving our hotel at 8:30am, we head to Avignon and cross the river to find the Abbaye St André, a medieval Benedictine monastery enjoying some of the loveliest views in Provence. Its spectacular formal Italianate Garden, created in the early part of the 20th century by the abbey’s two former owners, Elsa Kœberlé and Génia Lioubow, is on the site of an abandoned orchard. Dropping down to the lovely riverside, we enjoy lunch at La Guingette du Vieux Moulin, looking across to the Palais des Papes in Avignon.

We continue to Le Mas de Benoît, outside Eygalières for a guided visit of a contemporary garden, designed by the late David Idoux for owner, Gilles Colas. Head gardener Guillaume Laguna will be on hand to guide and answer questions. A short drive takes us to St Rémy de Provence to meet Dominique Lafourcade at her home and design studio on the edge of town. She and her late husband, Bruno, an architect, were for many decades almost synonymous with traditional Provençal Garden design. Now with son Alexandre, Dominique continues to dominate the landscape design scene. We are privileged to have an exclusive view of the gardens she designed for the studios and her adjacent private villa Pomone, where a more playful side of this creative superwoman may be discerned.

We will enjoy sundowners with her before returning to Aix for dinner at our hotel.

We check out of our hotel at 10am and head west towards Arles to visit the superb kitchen gardens at Michelin starred La Chassagnette, deep in the Camargue. A wonderful lunch still leaves us with time to transfer to Marseilles airport for our flight to LHR departing 17:55 arriving at 18:55.