The repeated heatwaves the South East has experienced this year have been hard on some trees like the birch, but luckily at Hever our collection of mature trees and our golden oaks are looking fantastic. There are alternatives to the birch though. Just take our magnificent Tree of Heaven with its delicate flowers- this tree was actually planted by Princess Alexandra back in 1985; a bold choice then, but doing absolutely brilliantly now.

October is a great time to plant trees- but what to choose? Just beyond the fairy-tale golden gates to the Italian Garden the figs are going great guns, as is the Crepe Myrtle( Lagerstroemia), Albizia and pomegranates. The leaves on these Mediterranean trees are inspiring and lush, as are the leaves on the eucalyptus. A few years ago, we wouldn’ t have dared plant these due to our freezing winters, but today, they are absolutely thriving and it’ s worth thinking about these smaller, lush trees as possible purchases for your home gardens.

ESSENTIAL OCTOBER GARDENING JOBS

Planting Spring Bulbs October is the month to plant your narcissus, and we took delivery of a special consignment recently of 5,000‘ Hever Castle’ daffodil bulbs from Taylors Bulbs

in Lincolnshire, ready to go in the ground ahead of Dazzling Daffodils next March. When planting yours at home, a good rule of thumb is to dig a hole about three times the depth of the bulb itself, place it pointyside up and cover it over to guarantee a spectacular display next spring.

Dividing Asters Over in Faith’ s Garden, the aster family is thriving. Ranging from compact 20cm rock garden varieties to dramatic 2-metrehigh border specimens, they are perfect for Prairie-style planting. October( if it’ s mild) or better still March, is a good time to propagate healthy new clumps throughout your borders by lifting and splitting them with a clean, sharp spade. Divide the plant in two and replant, watering well.

Leaf Raking and Lawn Care With a huge collection of trees spanning the shores of Lake Walk, lining Anne Boleyn’ s Walk and filling the woodland, trees really deliver for Autumn Colour at Hever Castle & Gardens. But this beautiful canopy also means one thing- leaf raking. As leaves fall, it is vital to clear them from your lawns to prevent the grass from yellowing, suffocating, or rotting under a wet blanket of foliage. Collect and take them to your compost bins- they make fantastic peat-free compost.

Making Compost in Hot Bins October is the perfect time to make your own compost. We highly recommend using a hot bin system. By retaining heat and keeping the internal temperature

high, hot bins drastically accelerate the decomposition process. This means you can turn everyday garden clippings, deadheaded flowers and those raked leaves into rich, crumbly compost in a fraction of the time a traditional cold heap would take. It is a fantastic, sustainable way to lock nutrients back into your garden for next spring. We have two on display near the greenhouses at Hever- so do pop along and ask us about them

Autumn Colour 2026 at Hever Castle & Gardens.

As part of Autumn Colour- 28 September- 1 November- Hever Castle & Gardens has a range of workshops including talks by Kew’ s former head of arboretum, Tony Kirkham MBE VMH, on trees on Wednesday 14 October, and Steve Edney from Kent’ s The No Name Nursery giving a dahlia talk on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October.

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