Spring coach trip to RHS Garden Bridgewater

On Saturday 25th April, the Disley and Lyme Horticultural Society enjoyed a wonderful coach trip to the spectacular RHS Bridgewater Gardens in Salford. The day began with our busy coffee morning, where I was occupied selling tomato plants before boarding the coach at eleven o’clock, leaving my Dad in charge of selling the remaining stock — thankfully in very capable hands!

Alison and Steve, our wonderful friends and neighbours, joined the coach at High Lane, and it was lovely to spend the rest of the day with them. We were especially fortunate with the weather, which could not have been better: warm sunshine and blue skies all day long, perfect for exploring the gardens. A contrast to our trip last year in September!

Although I had never visited RHS Bridgewater before, I was immediately impressed by both the scale and beauty of the site. Spread across 154 acres, the gardens are vast, peaceful and wonderfully varied. Originally part of the historic Worsley New Hall estate, the grounds were transformed into RHS Bridgewater and officially opened in 2021 after many years of restoration and development. The Weston Walled Garden is particularly impressive — one of the largest Victorian walled gardens in the UK — beautifully restored with ornamental planting, productive gardens and imaginative displays throughout.

Everywhere you looked there was colour. Fresh spring greens filled the woodland walks, while the calm waters around the Chinese Streamside Garden reflected the surrounding planting beautifully. The herbaceous borders were bursting with life and texture, and there was always something new to catch the eye around every corner.

The sheer size of the grounds meant that throughout the day I only occasionally bumped into fellow passengers as everyone set off to explore different corners of the gardens at their own pace. There was always something new to discover — peaceful lakes, long formal avenues, hidden seating areas, productive kitchen gardens and beautifully restored historic features. It was impossible not to feel inspired by the planting ideas and attention to detail throughout the site.

The trip also coincided with the British Iris Society's Show, and the display of perfect flowers was both impressive and inspiring.

The food was absolutely superb, with much of the produce freshly grown within the gardens themselves, adding an extra touch of quality and freshness to the meals. The garden centre was enormous and proved extremely popular. It was highly amusing to see just how many plants made their way back onto the coach by the end of the day — clearly nobody could resist taking home a few treasures! After all the sunshine, it was lovely to climb onboard the perfectly air conditioned coach for the short journey home.

A very special thank you must go to Jane from our committee for organising such an enjoyable and excellent value-for-money trip. Everything ran smoothly and the day was a great success from start to finish.