THEGARDENOFENGLAND
THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND CONT .
© National Trust Images / David Sellman
HERBACEOUS BORDER AT CHARTWELL HOUSE
Chartwell , Westerham
The former family home of Sir Winston Churchill for over 40 years and the place that became the centre of his world when Churchill was out of political office . At his dining table , he gathered those who could assist his campaign against German rearmament and the British government ' s response of appeasement ; in his study , he composed speeches and wrote books ; in his garden , he built walls , constructed lakes and painted .
Today , you can enjoy some of Lady Clementine Churchill ' s favourite flowers , such as Sweet William , sweet peas , dahlias , and a tapestry of herbaceous cottage garden perennials , which are all on show in the Walled Garden flower beds this year . From ponds to rose gardens , lakes to orchards , the garden at Churchill ’ s family home is alive with colour in summer . Wander the top terrace of the Walled Garden to admire the Golden Rose Avenue from a high point of the garden with far reaching views of the Kentish Weald beyond . Traditional meadows surround laden apple trees to great effect .
A new trail takes you past displays of letters sent between Churchill and Clementine , revealing more about the personal lives of them both . There are also activities for children to complete along the way too . For more roses , Lady Churchill ' s rose garden highlights red , white and pink . This was Clementine ' s pride and joy , and was always beautiful and immaculate .
www . nationaltrust . org . uk / chartwell Price : Adult £ 10 / Child £ 5 | Garden opens daily 10am to 5.30pm | ‘ Letters between Loved Ones ’ trail runs daily until 18 July .
Scotney Castle , Lamberhurst , Tunbridge Wells
Having undergone extensive works recently , this is a fairytale-like castle packed with planting that creates drama and romance , and is one of the last of its kind for this style of garden design . From the early 18th century , British landscape gardeners had been creating gardens inspired by pictures , but by 1800 a backlash had set in . Critics considered the grassy vistas designed by Capability Brown too smooth and tidy . Scotney ' s picturesque garden is a last fling in this backlash style of gardening .
The garden has naturalistic planting which is seemingly untouched by human hand and its cloudlike planting of rhododendrons and azaleas creates an almost unearthly feeling , with the ruins of the Old Castle at its centre .
The now completed restoration work has been to restore scene-stealing , historic views from the Bastion down to the Old Castle . As part of a three-year long endeavour that involved cataloguing , clearance and cutting back , the rhododendron beds have now also been returned to their former glory and you can wander the restored paths to get a feel for how it would have been in Edward Hussey ’ s day , framed by new kalmias and lower growing rhododendrons . Meanwhile , the walled garden is stocked with fruit trees and velvety roses . Wisteria and old English roses adorn the old castle walls , whilst the surrounding herbaceous beds throw out new colours along the winding pathways .
www . nationaltrust . org . uk / scotney-castle Price : Adult £ 10 / Child £ 5 Garden opens daily 10am to 5pm .
Ightham Mote , near Sevenoaks
This incredible and rare example of a 14th century moated manor house was described by David Starkey as ' one of the most beautiful and interesting of English country houses '. Over its many years of existence , this is truly an example of ‘ if only walls could talk ’ having been home to medieval knights , Henry VIII courtiers and high society Victorians .
The house is surrounded by sublime gardens , orchards and a renowned ancient bluebell woodland . The mixed herbaceous border frames summer walks with a helping of hearty colour , as sunlight dances off the cherub fountain in the centre of the enclosed garden . The lavender walk is still present in the cutting garden ( where flowers cut for use in the house are grown ), but sweet peas are being grown in the beds with other cut flowers . This area is always of interest to visitors through summer with the variety of flowers , colours and scents . In the current oneway system , the grass terraces will not lead visitors to the informal lawns at the north end of the garden as usual . Instead , the upper east bank path will lead them there to picnic , stroll around the lake and visit the play area with its living willow tunnel . The orchard path , with its wildflower meadows , leads visitors from the informal north end lawns and trees , Dell garden and Stumpery to the more formal areas of the garden . Beneath the historic varieties of apple trees in the orchard , a wildflower meadow has been created to encourage even more wildlife to the garden . Each year new varieties of dainty flowers emerge .
www . nationaltrust . org . uk / ightham-mote Price : Adult £ 8 / Child £ 4 | Garden opens daily 10am to 5pm .
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