Wealden Times | WT263 | April 2024 | Garden Supplement inside

The Priceless Gardens Supplement
Come
the
to
Caslte
Come with us as we tour the great and the grand castles of
the South East in search of gardening inspiration
From Disney palaces to Traitors
tower, there’s something utterly
captivating about a castle (along
with their awe-inspiring settings).
To wander the grounds of a grand old
estate, experiencing some of the most
magnificent gardens in the country is one
of our favourite things to do in the spring.
The South East is filled with more than
its fair share and each has something to
offer as inspiration in our own gardens,
be it an expansive landscaping project or a
simple planter with a bit of fancy planting.
With all this in mind we’re listing (in no
particular order) a few truly captivating
castles to visit this spring.
1 Scotney
Moat? Check. Woodland glades?
Check. Pretty hidden walkways? Check.
Romantically ruined castle? CHECK.
Scotney is all we’re looking for in a fairytale
come to life. It has one of the best examples
of a picturesque-designed garden in the
UK, meaning it embraces a more wild and
natural idea of beauty and celebrates the
softness of imperfections. The centrepiece
moated castle ruin with its gorgeous roses
scaling the walls tells the tale that is echoed
throughout the estate – one of man-made
beauty being embraced, complemented, and
generally doodled upon by nature. As we
all strive to add wild spaces to our garden
for the sake of the environment, one lesson
to learn here is that the edges between the
order of the man-made and the wildness of
nature can be beautifully blurred. Here you’ll
find grass terraces left long to encourage rare
orchids, ‘Hoop Petticoat’ daffodils growing
on the lower castle walls, and gardeners at
work in little row boats on the moat where
kingfishers dwell and dragonflies dance.
nationaltrust.org.uk/scotney-castle
2 Chiddingstone
Chiddingstone Castle is a fascinating historic
house set in the rolling Kent countryside
and there is much of quintessential British
gardening to be found here. The inner
courtyard is filled with colourful fragrant
roses, the Grade II* listed Victorian Orangery
is a favourite feature of wedding planners,
and right around this time of year the lawns
will paint themselves yellow with daffodils.
What might surprise you is that this is also
a location that incorporates influences from
far off lands and cultures, from the Japanese
cherry blossoms that border the pathway to
the lake, to the Fields of Eternity, inspired
by the Ancient Egyptian idea of heaven. The
grounds here are a reminder that we can be
inspired by distant places to enrich our own
gardens. Visit from Sunday 31 March to
Sunday 30 October from 11am-5pm (last
entry 4:15pm) chiddingstonecastle.org.uk
3 Sissinghurst
Sissinghurst is a joy in the spring; The Lime
Walk, designed to look its best from March
to May, blooms under the watchful stone
eyes of a Bacchante; magnolias add drops
of colour in The White Garden, Lower
Courtyard and the Cottage Garden; and
blossom abounds in the Orchard where
1,100 fruit trees make for some stunning
photo opportunties. As well as being a
celebration of gardening for food (with
its nuttery, orchard, herb garden all doing
their part) its also a masterclass in how to
use texture and shape to add dramatic flair.
The White Garden, for example, came to
life when Vita Sackville-West decided on a
limited colour scheme of whites, silvers, greys
and greens. Here, shrubs create volume and
structure, tall Arabian thistles contrast soft
and foamy gypsophila and hedging provides
a dark backdrop for brighter blooms.
nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden
4 Hever
There is so much to adore about Hever
Castle. Take a pedalo on the lake, have a
go at archery, weave your way through the
Yew and Water mazes, you’ll see what we
mean. And spring is a fantastic time of year
to visit as the historic home of the Boleyns
blooms into an energetic and ecstatic
palette of rich and riotous colour. It’s the
destination for those who dream of colourful
sweet scented flowers. From blossom and
bluebells to the thousands of tulips, spring
bedding, magnolias, early rhododendrons,
hyacinths, primulas, and camassias, there’s
much to appreciate in the grounds. Which
is why their Celebration of Spring from
15 – 28 April is the perfect time to go for
interested gardeners. The gardening team
themselves will be offering tours in the
first week and workshops in the second.
If you miss this one, it’s also worth noting
that Hever in Bloom will be coming round
from 24 June to 7 July with more tours and
demonstrations from the gardening team.
hevercastle.co.uk
5 Leeds
Leeds Castle – need we once again point
out that it is in fact the loveliest castle in the
world? The expansive 500 acres of grounds
really demand many trips to fully appreciate
(although a segway tour will get you round
a lot of it the quick way!). Walking these
gardens may inspire you to create a really
immersive garden that harnesses abstract
elements like scent, light and movement.
Take note of the motion and reflections of
the lake and waterfall, the use of tall trees
to play with sun and shade and the many
wonderfully scented plants that can be found
throughout. In April you can enjoy self-led
daffodil walks, and next month is a great
time to go with the family to see the Queen’s
Joust over the bank holiday. leeds-castle.com
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