insideKENT Magazine Issue 37 - April 2015 | Page 103
DAYSOUT
kent's spring gardens
Spring is springing, blooms are blooming, and the Garden of England is waking up
after its long winter slumber. April is a great time to get out in the seasonal sunshine,
visit some of the luscious formal – and informal – gardens of Kent, and drink in the
sights and scents of bluebells, cherry blossom, and daffodils. Here are just a few of
the highlights from Visit Kent.
Castles, Lords and Ladies
Sissinghurst Castle
Kent has an impressive 180 gardens open to the public, but
perhaps the most famous are the stunning grounds of Sissinghurst
Castle. Designed by Vita-Sackville West, the series of scent-and
flower-filled outdoor ‘rooms’ are framed by warm, weathered walls
and crowned by an iconic tower. Sissinghurst has inspired many
green-fingered visitors over the years, and is noted as one of the
most famous gardens in the world.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden
Quex Garden
Formal lawns, herbaceous borders, exotic trees, ponds,
listed statues, woodland walks and a Victorian Walled
Garden await visitors at Quex Gardens, where extensive
restoration work continues to bring the gardens back
to their former glory. Wander through the Victorian
Walled Garden and explore the greenhouses and rare
cucumber pit. Quex Park also has its own maize maze
in the summer months, and The Secret Garden Centre.
www.quexpark.co.uk
Kent's historic estates and castles dazzle visitors
from the outside, as well as from within. Hever
Castle (www.hevercastle.co.uk) boasts 125 acres
of stunning gardens that were voted the
southeast's most romantic by BBC Gardeners'
World – they even have their own rose, launched
by Dame Judi Dench.
Goodnestone Park Gardens
Literature lovers shouldn’t miss a trip to the
beautiful Goodnestone Park Gardens, where
Jane Austen frequently walked whilst visiting
her sister-in-law. An all-year-round treat, visit
the 14 tranquil acres in early spring and delight
in a profusion of snowdrops.
www.goodnestoneparkgardens.co.uk
Brogdale Collections
It's no wonder that Henry VIII dubbed our county the Garden of
England after sampling a bowl of Kentish cherries. Delicious to say
the least, why not explore the grounds of the National Fruit Collection
at Brogdale, Faversham, and see the 4,000 varieties of fruit trees in
blossom this spring? Brogdale offers orchard tours, plus fresh apple
and pear juice tastings. www.brogdalecollections.co.uk
The grounds at nearby Penshurst Place
(www.penshurstplace.com) contain an 11-acre
formal walled garden, which keeps faithfully to
its 16th-century design. A one-mile yew hedge
adds to the appeal, creating a series of seasonal
‘rooms’.
Riverhill Himalayan Gardens
Riverhill, near Sevenoaks, is a listed hillside garden that the whole
family can enjoy. The gardens boast carpets of bluebells in the
woodland during early spring, a spectacular array of
rhododendrons and azaleas as the season continues, and
magnificent views overlooking the Weald of Kent. The recently
refurbished Walled Ga