The trip to Japan was a life changing experience and has greatly influenced my work as a designer since, regardless of the style of garden I am working on. The depth of Penny and Ian’s knowledge in garden design and garden history gave us the opportunity to experience and understand these incredible gardens in a way that would not be impossible if visiting on your own. The sites we visited were carefully selected and gave us a very special look at a wide range of Japanese landscape, architecture, design and cultural sites. I highly recommend taking the opportunity to travel with a Hikoi garden tour; it is an opportunity not to be missed.

 

 

Zoë Carafice, Senior Designer, Xanthe White Design

 

 

 

Penny Cliffin and Ian Henderson are very experienced teachers and landscape design professionals with extensive knowledge of Japanese gardens, their design and plants. With Penny and Ian as our guides here was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the various Japanese garden design styles and how these fitted into traditional and historical contexts. And a chance to start to get to grips with some of the underlying design principles while closely appreciating the attention to detail and careful maintenance that sustains these great examples of landscape making.

 

 

Lee Elliott Design

 

 

 

Absolutely stunning trip with access to extraordinary places. With two wonderful and knowledgeable people leading the tour this was a trip of a lifetime.

For Hanging Gardens, the benefit of seeing what Japan does with tiny vertical spaces was most inspiring. For any designer or gardener this is a 'must do' trip!

 

 

Leigh Nicolson, Hanging Gardens Ltd