The world garden puts a spring in your step
We are officially in Spring! With many of us eager for the break in weather, lighter evenings, the chill starting to lift and the wonderful clean, fresh and crisp mornings that we meet each day leaves this time of the year being of the most favourite times of the year for us Brits. When the Daffodils pop their heads and the tulips beacon from the cold ground means only one thing, and can be all that is needed for some of us to realise better days are coming.
With spring in full flow, April is a great month to visit gardens, and to get a true representation to what the break in spring can look like it is highly recommended to visit a well-maintained garden. A nurtured garden is an awe-inspiring spectacle this time of year with many of the early season plants, flowers and shrubs getting a head start before the thick groves and foliage starts to muscle in on their beauty.
The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle offers an environment to behold, this time of year it has thousands of daffodils and red tulips to admire in the round beds leading to the moon gate entrance. There is also chance to see Asiatic shrubs such as the dazzling yellow Forsythia ‘Lynwood’ and various scented Viburnums in and around the 2‑acre walled garden.
Should we experience a bit of rain or drizzle, which let’s face it we can’t completely write off in the UK, especially in spring! Visitors can go undercover in the Cloud Garden, to see the World’s tallest flowering Fuchsia, Fuchsia excorticata, from New Zealand. Take time to explore the temperate orchid house ‘Orchis’ showing over 100 rare and beautiful orchids, donated from the UK and it’s also home to the World’s deadliest plant ‘The Stinger’! The indoor garden delights continue with the Hot ‘n’ Juicy” hot house, showcasing a diverse collection of sumptuous cacti and succulents mostly from the arid regions of North America. Whilst the ‘Hot & Spiky’ house, features over 1000 prickly wonders, showcasing xerophytic (dry loving plants) from across the globe including South America, Africa, Mexico, Southwest USA & Macaronesia.
The World Garden is also home to the National collection of Eucalyptus, comprising of around 30 species and many were collected by Tom in Tasmania. Heading through the moon gate beyond the garden, visitors can also enjoy a stroll along the calming River Darent where you can walk amongst a substantial and varied Arboretum, including most of the Lullingstone’s National Collection of Eucalyptus. The new circular woodland walk also offers the chance to visit the orchid meadow and bulb island.
The World Garden is open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays with special events throughout the season (April- October) including a themed Plant Hunters weekend with guided tour with curator Tom Hart Dyke and friends to celebrate the unsung plant heroes of the bygone era.
www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk
Photo credit: Alan Graham
