insideKENT Magazine Issue 85 - April 2019 | Page 49

DAYSOUT
K E N T ’ S GORGEOUS GARDENS
CONT.
BROGDALE COLLECTIONS
WALMER CASTLE & GARDENS
Brogdale Collections, Faversham
www.brogdalecollections.org Leeds Castle, Maidstone
www.leeds-castle.com
Although technically an orchard rather than a garden, the
150 acres at Brogdale is still a wonderful place to roam and
enjoy nature at its finest. At various times of the year you
will find impressive collections of apples, pears, cherries,
plums, quince, nuts and medlars (more than 4,000 varieties
of fruit trees overall). Self-guided tours are available and
you can spend as m uch time as y ou like wandering the
pathways, enjoying the countr yside and discovering the
fruits’ cycle from blossom to fruit and frost. The first thing that you will see when you step through the gates to
Leeds Castle’s grounds are the gardens themselves. The castle is a walk
away, and to get ther e you can walk thr ough the most luscious of
gardens. Full of features such as ponds, waterfalls, bridges, gazebos,
and of course the gorgeous azaleas and rhododendrons, the route itself
is a br eathtaking adventure. Reaching the castle y ou will find the
amazing Culpeper Garden – a large cottage garden featuring neat,
low box hedges that are peppered with roses, lupins, poppies and other
exotic blooms.
Walmer Castle & Gardens, Walmer
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/walmer-castle-and-gardens Beech Court Gardens, Challock
www.beechcourtgardens.co.uk
Restoration is taken extremely seriously at Walmer Castle,
and Eng lish Heritage ha ve spend y ears upda ting and
creating the most beautiful outside spaces . British
horticulturist and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll inspires
the colour and planting scheme here, and no matter what
time of year you visit, there is something beautiful to see,
although the bright, vibrant colours of the summer months
are particularly worthy of note. Planted in the 1930s, Beech Court Gardens is a well-established
informal garden set in nine acres near the booming town of Ashford,
yet a million miles from the hustle. The gardens are bursting with
colourful hydrangeas in the spring, alongside acers and rhododendron,
surrounded by mature firs, oaks and pines which reflect the garden
designer's admiration for Scotland's famous Inverewe gardens. You
can also enjoy morning coffee, a light lunch or afternoon tea in the
Oast House tea room or outside on the terrace.
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