Spring is officially here and, to celebrate the new season, Kent’s gardens are now bursting with seasonal colour and fragrance.
From carpets of daffodils and tulips to blossoming magnolias and cherry trees, now is the perfect time to explore the county’s show-stopping gardens. Here’s some of our top picks to visit over the next couple of months…
The gardens at Chartwell were heavily influenced by Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine. Picture: National Trust Images / Sarah Haile
CHARTWELL, Westerham
The vivid display of colour in the gardens at Chartwell, the former family home of Winston Churchill, is at its best during the spring months. The approach to the house is lined with magnolia trees, daffodils and cherry blossom, while around 30 camellia varieties can be found around the grounds. Rhododendrons, azaleas and green ferns can be found by the Golden Orfe ponds, and the Walled Garden features seasonal vegetables and flower beds with tulips. In May, the apple orchard and wildflower meadow come to life.
Details: Open daily from 10am to 5pm. Tickets start from £17, free for National Trust members. No need to book.
Godinton House and Gardens is known for its vibrant daffodil display in March and April. Picture: NGS
GODINTON HOUSE AND GARDENS, Ashford
The 12-acre gardens that surround this stately home are lined with grand oak and chestnut trees, but it’s the flowers and formal gardens that are the real highlight at this time of year. The rose garden, wild garden and Italian garden, as well as the herbaceous borders and lily pond, continue to transform with bright colours and pastel hues. In April, the magnolias and cherry trees start to blossom and, in May, tulip displays can be found across the estate.
Details: Open Tuesdays to Sundays, plus bank holidays, from 12.30pm to 5.30pm. Tickets start from £11. Book online here.
Admire the azaleas at Great Comp Garden. Picture: Supplied by Vikki Rimmer
GREAT COMP GARDEN, near Sevenoaks
Visitors to this seven-acre garden can enjoy lots of stunning spring flowers over the coming months. Swathes of magnolias, azaleas and rhododendrons will transform the grounds into a carpet of colour, along with the many hellebores and spring bulbs. As we move closer to summer, the garden boasts one of the largest collections of salvias in Europe.
Details: Open daily from 10am to 5pm. Tickets cost £12. Book online here.
There will be guided tours around Hever Castle’s award-winning gardens this spring. Picture: Hever Castle and Gardens
HEVER CASTLE, Edenbridge
Thousands of tulips are expected to bloom across the award-winning gardens in April as part of the castle’s spring celebrations. The seasonal flower display at the historic landmark also includes cherry and apple blossoms, magnolias, early rhododendrons, hyacinths, camassias and bluebells. There will also be self-guided walks and tours with the gardening team on select dates during April and May, as well as floristry workshops.
Details: Open daily from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Tickets start from £19.95. Book online here.
The Bluebell Spectacular will return to Hole Park around mid-April. Picture: Stuart Kirk
HOLE PARK, near Cranbrook
Hole Park reopens to the public in April, giving visitors a chance to explore the 16-acre grounds and see the stunning mix of magnolias, cherry blossoms, tulips and early bulbs such as daffodils and crocuses. The woodland will be covered with primroses, blue scillas and wood anemones in the coming months, all leading up to the annual Bluebell Spectacular from mid-April to mid-May. The forest floor transforms into a sea of violet-blue, and visitors can check the Hole Park website’s Bluebell Barometer to see when the flowers are at their best.
Details: Open daily from Wednesday, April 1 from 11am to 6pm. Tickets start from £12. Book online here or pay on the gate.
The World Garden can be found within the grounds of Lullingstone Castle. Picture: Lullingstone Castle
LULLINGSTONE CASTLE, near Swanley
The World Garden, a two-acre walled garden inside the grounds of Lullingstone Castle, features thousands of species of striking and unusual plants. The garden has been designed in the shape of a miniature world map and has flower beds representing plants from across the globe.
Details: Open daily from Thursday, April 2 from 11am to 5pm. Tickets cost £10. No need to book.
Mount Ephraim is a privately-owned family home and garden in Hernhill, near Faversham. Picture: Mount Ephraim
MOUNT EPHRAIM GARDENS, near Faversham
This Edwardian estate has many standout spots worth visiting at springtime. The botanical arboretum, planted to celebrate 300 years of the family’s ownership of Mount Ephraim, sees its first blossom at this time of year, while the rock garden is filled with spring bulbs, flowering cherries and dwarf rhododendrons. There’s also the topiary and herbaceous border, first established in 1910, which brings unusual colour combinations from late spring into the autumn.
Details: Open Wednesdays to Sundays, plus bank holidays, from Wednesday, April 1 from 11am to 4pm. Tickets cost £10. No need to book.
The stunning Italian garden pond at Penshurst Place. Picture: Dash Pictures
PENSHURST PLACE, near Tonbridge
The Grade I listed gardens at Penshurst Place are moving into peak spring bloom, a period which boasts tulips, magnolias and early fruit blossom, as well as an outdoor Easter trail. In the orchard, you can find large-headed daffodils and apple blossom, while the first of the herbaceous flowers begin to appear and the roses will start to flower from the end of April.
Details: Open daily from Saturday, March 28 from 10am to 5pm. Tickets start from £15. No need to book.
Apple trees in blossom with daffodils, narcissi and fritillaria, in the orchard at Sissinghurst. Picture: ©National Trust Images / David Sellman
SISSINGHURST CASTLE GARDEN, Cranbrook
Spring has already started at the world-famous Sissinghurst Castle Garden, with the February snowdrops kicking off the season. However, in April and May, the garden will transform with the sights of golden peony, hellebores, and witch hazels. The Lime Walk will be covered with a violet crocus thomasinianus carpet and the orchard is already bursting with wild daffodils and fruit trees.
Details: Open daily from 11am to 4pm. Tickets start from £13, free for National Trust members. No need to book.
Walmer Castle is free for English Heritage members to visit. Picture: English Heritage
WALMER CASTLE, near Deal
Swathes of daffodils have already taken over the Paddock at Walmer Castle where, in later months, there will be bluebells covering the grounds with shades of deep-blue and purple. The cherry and apple blossoms are part of the castle’s spectacular spring display, along with the wildflowers in the meadow and the fresh shoots in the Kitchen Garden. By late spring, the Broadwalk’s herbaceous borders are brimming with vibrant foliage, continuing into summer and autumn.
Details: Open daily from Wednesday, March 25 from 10am to 5pm. Tickets start from £15.38, free for English Heritage members. No need to book.
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