About

The event starts at Lyndalls, Sollers Hope, the private residence of Stuart Donachie and Chris Carter.

After refreshments upon arrival, our guests will embark on an exclusive guided tour by Stuart of this beautiful private garden set in seven acres within a hidden Herefordshire Valley in the Woolhope Dome. The gardens were created from scratch by the current owners over the past 23 years with an overall informal design with emphasis on natural contours and forms. Large herbaceous borders (created with the help of the local farmer’s tractor), wooded areas, ponds and an alpine house provide numerous habitats for a large collection of unusual and rare plants. A chance meeting with a noted galanthophile began an obsession with snowdrops that has resulted in a collection of over 600 varieties which should be reaching peak flowering at the time of our visit.

Upon arrival at The Laskett, a warming two course lunch – prepared by Kerstin Ingham – will be served in The Laskett house.

Kerstin works as a Private Chef across Herefordshire, and we are delighted that she has agreed to prepare this wonderful two course menu and cook for us. Classically trained at Leith’s School of Food and Wine in London, Kerstin’s use of locally sourced ingredients with fantastic provenance truly celebrates flavour with flair.

Following lunch you will be taken on a tour to see The Laskett’s collection of snowdrops, originally created by Sir Roy Strong’s late wife Julia Trevelyan Oman. Vastly expanded and naturalised, the collection is enchanting.  The snowdrops bring a sense of purity and tranquillity to the garden at this time of year.  The formal gardens and topiary really show well.  The snowdrop display in the colonnade court adds an extra dimension to this unique experience. 

Guided tour with lunch.

Lyndalls image © Richard Bloom

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