Magnificent award-winning gardens set in 125 acres of glorious grounds at Hever Castle.

The beautiful gardens at Hever Castle were laid out between 1904 and 1908 by Joseph Cheal and Son, turning marshland into the spectacular gardens you see today, which are a pleasure to visit at any time of the year.

 

 One of the most magnificent areas of the gardens is the Italian Garden, which was designed to display William Waldorf Astor’s collection of Italian sculptures. Over 1,000 men worked on the grand design, with around 800 men taking two years to dig out the 38-acre (14.2 ha) lake at the far end of the Italian Garden. Within four years the 125 acres (50 ha) of classical and natural landscapes were constructed and planted. The garden is only now reaching its full maturity and includes the colourful walled Rose Garden which contains over 4,000 bushes.

 

 There are many water features around the gardens, including Half Moon Pond, the Cascade, the cool and shady grottoes, the formal Loggia fountain inspired by the Trevi fountain in Rome, and the less formal Two Sisters’ Pond.

[https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/visit/gardens/in-the-garden/]

Italian Garden

Covering four acres, the long sweeping lawns and tall clipped yew hedges form the central area of this magnificent garden, bordered by two twelve foot high walls made from local stone. On the north side is the Pompeiian Wall which contains small bays showcasing antiquities in stone and marble enveloped with shrubs and climbing plants. Along the south side runs the Pergola Walk with its shaded grottoes planted with ferns and moisture loving plants. Hidden in its centre behind a tall hedge lies the Sunken Garden, an oasis of peace and quiet. The impressive Loggia at the lake end of the garden is flanked by pillared colonnades and descends by balustrade steps to the piazza below with its classical sculpture inspired by the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Rose Garden

The romantic quintessential English rose garden is the setting for over 4,000 roses which flourish from June until the end of September. Planted in blocks of colour from palest pink to deep crimson and rich purple, varieties range from the Alba and Bourbon to Hybrid Tea and Floribunda. White Iceberg is a permanent variety complementing the inner beds and pillar-trained climbers, which fill the air with their fragrant scent throughout the summer months.
The Rose Garden was featured on BBC2 Gardeners’ World in 2013. Among the garden’s many admirers is Dame Judi Dench, who launched Hever Castle’s very own floribunda rose (Horquinsey) in 2011.

Blue Corner

Whatever the season, the predominant colour in this charming rockery garden behind the Rose Garden is blue. The plants are concentrated around huge rocks and steps leading to Sisters’ Pool Lawn and include blue hydrangeas, ceanothus and blue seasonal perennials. In spring there are numerous blue bulbs in flower such as scilla, grape hyacinth and the ‘King of the Blues’ hyacinth with its intoxicating scent. Annuals and biennials include heliotrope, ageratum and of course forget-me-no

 

 

Tudor Garden

Alongside the Yew Maze lies the Tudor Garden, a series of small, sheltered gardens with neatly clipped hedges. These simple gardens were laid out as they might have been in the time of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. One is planted in the style of a Tudor Herb Garden with a variety of English herbs. The paved Fountain Garden contains a profusion of Ballerina shrub roses around a tiled fountain making it the perfect place to sit and relax. In the adjoining Chess Garden, with its chess pieces cut from golden yew, stands an astrolabe dating from the reign of Queen Anne. All three gardens border the outer moat which contains colourful water-lilies which flower in July and August.