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Pick your own fruit and flowers in Kent this summer, including strawberries, plums and sunflowers

Summer is in full bloom, and that means many fruit orchards and flower fields across the county are too.

If you want to make the most of Kentish produce on your doorstep or freshen up your home with colourful flowers, there are plenty of places for you to pick your own this summer.

For the first time members will be able to pick plums from the Brogdale orchards in Faversham. Picture: iStock
For the first time members will be able to pick plums from the Brogdale orchards in Faversham. Picture: iStock

Brogdale in Faversham is welcoming visitors to enjoy the 332 varieties of plums of all shapes, sizes and colours from its National Fruit Collection during this year’s Plum Weekend.

The special event, which takes place on Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14, will also be the first time that members have been invited to pick their own plums from the beautiful orchards.

Stroll through Brogdale’s heritage plum orchard varieties and fill up your container with the freshest fruit on offer, all while exploring the collection with guided tours and tractor trailer tours.

You will need an Orchard Pass to pick your own plums at Brogdale, which can be purchased online here for £16 per adult. Orchard Passes last for a year.

There is a huge variety of plums in different shades of reds and purples at Brogdale. Picture: iStock
There is a huge variety of plums in different shades of reds and purples at Brogdale. Picture: iStock

If you want a little more variety than just plums, you can pick a selection of delicious fruit at Lower Hardres Farm.

This Canterbury farm shop, which sells fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, local cheeses, bread and milk, gives guests a chance to venture into the fruit farm and choose their own produce to take home.

The farm grows a fantastic range of fruit including gooseberries, raspberries, red currants, black currants, plums, blackberries and pears so you can really fill up your fruit bowl with just one visit.

To pick your own fruit at Lower Hardres Farm, you will need to call ahead on 01227 700947.

Picking your own fruit is a great step towards being more sustainable. Picture: Dawn Brack
Picking your own fruit is a great step towards being more sustainable. Picture: Dawn Brack

There are no strawberries at Lower Hardres Farm, so if that’s a must-have fruit for you this summer then you might want to head to Stonepitts Farm in Sevenoaks.

The traditional Kentish strawberry season usually runs from June to August, so you’re just in time to pick yourself some juicy strawberries before they disappear for another year.

Stonepitts Farm has been growing strawberries and raspberries, which are also available to pick, for more than 60 years.

This summer, there are six varieties of strawberries, including the late-season Florence and the orange Cambridge Favourite, and three varieties of raspberries all fresh for the picking.

There’s no need to pre-book your fruit picking session at Stonepitts Farm. You can simply turn up and enjoy picking your berries.

Tuck into fresh strawberries picked by yourself and your family this summer. Picture: Mark Westley
Tuck into fresh strawberries picked by yourself and your family this summer. Picture: Mark Westley

It’s not all about the fruit, as there are also plenty of places for you to pick your own flowers this summer.

The two giant Maze Moon outdoor mazes in Rainham and Maidstone, which are open daily throughout the school holidays, have between eight to 10 acres of space to explore.

While the main attractions are the space and dog-themed mazes, these farms also offer sunflower picking during the season.

Enjoy a fun family day out at this year's Maze Moon mazes. Photo: James Kemsley
Enjoy a fun family day out at this year's Maze Moon mazes. Photo: James Kemsley

Snap a perfect Instagram photo as you are surrounded by fields of towering, colourful sunflowers before picking the perfect plant to take home. While you’re there, you can throw in some cobs of sweetcorn which are also available to pick.

If you want to spend a family day out playing and sunflower picking at the Maze Moons, you will need to book tickets online here. Adult tickets cost £6 and there is an additional £1 charge per stem or cob.

Bring summer into your home with the sunflower picking at Maze Moon in Rainham or Maidstone. Picture: Maze Moon
Bring summer into your home with the sunflower picking at Maze Moon in Rainham or Maidstone. Picture: Maze Moon

And, finally, for a wider variety of blooms you can head over to Blooming Green in Maidstone where visitors can stock up on stunning seasonal flowers.

Whether you’re planning a summer party, searching for the perfect wedding bouquet or simply after luxury plants to brighten up your home, the flower plot is open for you to choose from the freshest, most vibrant flowers and foliage on offer.

This relaxing activity is open at Blooming Green every Saturday until the end of October. You will need to book your flower picking slot online here. The flower picking costs £25 per container and includes flower wrapping.

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