ANEWYEARINKENT
THINGS TO SEE IN 2023 CONT .
NEW BLOOMS FOR THE START OF 2023
Snowdrop Sensation at Great Comp , 19 February
Great Comp Garden ’ s annual snowdrop fair will be held for the first time since 2019 and will feature some of the very best snowdrop specialist nurseries in the south east , curated by Joe Sharman . The garden in Platt is usually closed during January and February so the Snowdrop Sensation is a wonderful opportunity to take a sneak peak behind the garden gate and enjoy the hellebores in bloom as well as a wonderful collection of ‘ snowflakes ’.
www . greatcompgarden . co . uk
Dazzling Daffodils at Hever Castle , 13-19 March
SNOWDROP SENSATION AT GREAT COMP
Step back in time this spring and immerse yourself in a dazzling wonderland of daffodils in the place where the Belle Époque (‘ beautiful era ’) of gardening really took hold thanks to the vision of former owner William Waldorf Astor . Encouraged by daffodil expert Johnny Walkers and head gardener Neil Miller , visitors will be allowed into Anne Boleyn ’ s Orchard on twice daily tours to experience what it would have felt like when daffodils first bloomed en masse at the castle in the Edwardian era . Tens of thousands of daffodils ( estimates suggesting 250,000 blooms ) will be in evidence across the estate . Visitors will also find out more about Astor and the creation of the gardens in the Garden Exhibition on site , and will be able to learn more about the daffodils from information points throughout the grounds . 2023 will see an extra 7,000 daffodils by the top gate , so the moment visitors enter the castle they will be immersed in a dazzling scene of daffodils .
www . hevercastle . co . uk
DAZZLING DAFFODILS AT HEVER CASTLE
Cherry Blossom around Kent ’ s National Trust Gardens , April & May
Bringing awe-inspired splendour to the start of spring , National Trust Gardens across the county are home to a vast and beautiful array of cherry blossom - the term used for many different species of cherry tree , including the fleeting Japanese ‘ Sakura ’ and wild cherry blossom more commonly found in hedgerows or woodland edges . Find rows of cherry trees in the orchard estate and rose garden at Sissinghurst Castle Garden ; 48 ‘ lollipop ’ -shaped cherry blossom Prunus trees as well as sweet and wild cherry in the woodlands at Emmetts Garden ; beautiful blossoming borders across the visitor centre to the house at Chartwell ; framing the picturesque views across Scotney Castle , which also boasts the next generation of Sakura cherry trees planted a year ago , and finally in the gardens of both Ightham Mote and Smallhythe Place .
© © National Trust Images / Rob Coleman www . nationaltrust . org . uk
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CHERRY BLOSSOM AROUND KENT ’ S NATIONAL TRUST GARDENS