KENTSTAYCATION
NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME CONT .
IGHTHAM MOTE
HOLE PARK GREAT COMP COPTON ASH
Ightham Mote boasts a lovely 14-acre garden full of autumn colour . The gardens surround the 700-year-old moated manor house and provide formal lawns , herbaceous borders , shrubs , roses , spring-fed fountain pools , cascades , courtyards , and a cutting garden . While a gentle stroll will reveal the informal pleasure grounds , with trees , north and south lakes , stream , stumpery and orchard for peaceful relaxation .
Ightham Mote , Mote Road , Ivy Hatch , Sevenoaks , TN15 0NT Open day : Thursday 13th October , 10am - 4pm Refreshments : A range of refreshments are available on site at the Mote Café . Admission : Adult : £ 16.50 . Child : £ 8.30 . Wheelchair friendly – NB : Gardens have a mixture of gravel and grass paths , some steep slopes , undulating terrain and steps . Plants for sale .
To see how much can be fitted into a back garden - albeit one that is 300ft long - visit Haven in the village of Minster , an award winning garden designed in the open glade style , using exotic and unusual trees , shrubs and perennials . The garden has been densely planted by the owner with wildlife in mind as well as year-round interest . Stepping stone paths wind their way through the wonderful planting via two ponds - one for wildlife and one for fish with water lilies . On your journey you will also find a gravel garden , a rock garden , a fernery , a Japanese garden as well as a greenhouse cactus garden .
Haven , 22 Station Road , Minster , Ramsgate , CT12 4BZ Open day : Sunday 16th October , 10am - 4pm Refreshments : Venues throughout the village . Admission : Adult : £ 5 . Child : Free . Not suitable for wheelchairs .
Hole Park affords the visitor an opportunity to enjoy a peaceful garden of great beauty far away from the crowds , and is proud to stand amongst the group of gardens which first opened in 1927 for the National Garden Scheme . The 15-acre garden boasts fine yew hedges , broad lawns with specimen trees , walled gardens , pools , mixed borders , a stunning woodland walk and beautiful views of the rolling hills of the High Weald . To close the season , autumn colours are a specialty here , making the garden truly a sight for all seasons .
Hole Park , Benenden Road , Rolvenden , Cranbrook , TN17 4JB Open day : Sunday 16th October , 11am - 6pm Refreshments : Homemade teas . Picnics only in picnic site and car park . Admission : Adult : £ 10 . Child : £ 2 . Wheelchairs are available for loan and may be reserved . Plants for sale . Dog friendly .
Opening at the very end of October for the National Garden Scheme is Great Comp , showcasing 7 acres of beautiful and rare plants . This wonderfully quirky garden is home to romantic ruins , an Italian Garden and enchanting woodland walks . It is also an RHS partner garden and is one of Kent ' s finest gardens to visit , with lawns and paths leading visitors through plantsman ’ s collection of trees , shrubs , heathers and herbaceous plants . Ornamental grasses in great variety punctuate the colourful borders and combine beautifully with the myriad colours of autumn . William Dyson is the curator at Great Comp where he also runs his own nursery specialising in salvias .
Great Comp Garden , Comp Lane , Platt , nr Borough Green , Sevenoaks , TN15 8QS Open day : Sunday 30th October , 10am - 5pm Refreshments : Tearoom open for morning coffee , homemade lunches and afternoon teas . Admission : Adult : £ 8.50 . Child : Free . Most of the garden is accessible to wheelchair users . Disabled WC . Plants for sale .
Copton Ash opens throughout the year for the National Garden Scheme as it is truly a garden for all seasons . It is well worth visiting at different times to enjoy a garden that is grown out of a love and fascination with plants . This large Faversham garden contains a wide collection of plants , including many rarities and newly introduced species raised from wild seed . The owners have a special interest in woodland plants , with a woodland area planted to include dry adapted ferns and shade loving plants throughout the season . There are also Mediterranean plantings to adapt to a warming climate . Raised beds showcase choice alpines , and there is an alpine and dryland plant nursery onsite .
Copton Ash , 105 Ashford Road , Faversham , ME13 8XW Open day : Sunday 30th October , 12pm - 4pm Refreshments : Homemade teas . Admission : Adult : £ 5 . Child : Free . Wheelchair friendly . NB : Gravel drive , shallow step by house and some narrow grass paths . Plants for sale .
For all Kent gardens open in October for the National Garden Scheme visit findagarden . ngs . org . uk .
Information about these and other gardens can be found on the National Garden Scheme website : www . ngs . org . uk .
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