insideKENT Magazine Issue 49 - April 2016 | Page 87

VISITKENT

tulip fever at walmer castle and gardens
One of the oldest cultivated tulips, Duc van Tol Red and Yellow, is amongst the bulbs planted
by gardeners at Walmer Castle as they embark on a new scheme to showcase the history
of this much-loved spring bloom.
The tulip flower in its native form is usually single
coloured, sometimes with a stem so short that
it appears to spring directly from its leaves. When
this hardy bulb travelled from the Ottoman courts
of Constantinople hundreds of years ago, the
beauty and variety of its flowers brought the
promise of the wealth of exotic lands.
The Turkish were notable gardeners and
along with the tulip they cultivated and hybridised
hyacinths, narcissi, pinks and lilies which were
later imported into Europe, some during
the crusades. The tulip made its way to England
in 1577.

2016 will see the largest number of varieties
ever planted in the castle’s gardens, spanning
nearly 400 years and offering continuous colour
from April through into the summer.
Single specimens of the oldest and most
rare varieties will be displayed in pots in Walmer’s
historic glasshouses, with black drapery creating
an eye-catching backdrop for the stunning
blooms, akin to the paintings of the old masters.
Walmer Castle was built by Henry VIII in
1539-40 as part of a chain of coastal forts. From
the beginning of the 18th century it became the
residence of the Lord Ward of the Cinque Ports

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and starting being adapted to a domestic role.
The most significant changes in relation to the
gardens took place under William Pitt the Younger
at the turn of the 19th century and it is now an
essential stop on a tour of Kent’s best garden
attractions.
Walmer Castle and Gardens is open seven
days a week from Easter until November 2016.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/walmer