More on KentOnline
Wake up and smell the roses as 5,000 beautiful flowers burst into colour for the Hever in Bloom festival.
Hever Castle and Gardens in Edenbridge, near Sevenoaks, will celebrate the summer season with thousands of red, pink, yellow and white roses in a dazzling garden display.
The castle, which was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, will host Hever in Bloom for one week.
During that time, visitors can also enjoy botanical art workshops, spot the Tudor roses dotted around the castle and join head gardener Neil Miller for tours of the striking flower gardens.
“June is the pinnacle of the flowering year for many of us at Hever,” says Neil. “The scent in the rose garden in June is something to behold; it’s a heady combination that adds even more to the visual spectacle.”
This year, there is an artistic twist to the flower show as visitors can also be treated to a number of workshops led by artist Felix Green.
“With the rose inspiring so much of art and literature we felt that it was entirely fitting to have an artistic focus for this year’s Hever in Bloom,” says Neil. “Felix is a talented member of our team and not only is he a fantastic gardener but he’s also a wonderful artist too.”
Emma Fuller, former deputy head gardener and Fuller-Wilke Florals owner, will also be giving rose buttonhole workshops each day.
Visitors to the gardens will be encouraged to explore the rose garden, find the shrub roses in the large border inspired by Emily Dickinson and also head to the castle to enjoy mixed floral displays within the walls.
The colourful roses can also be found in the Tudor garden, beside the half moon pond and in the Italian garden.
During your time strolling through the castle grounds, you can also take part in the lake walk, which leads you through to the vivid meadow flowers, and the woodland walk, which is being opened up this summer and gives visitors an additional 25 acres of outdoor space.
Hever in Bloom takes place at Hever Castle from Monday, June 20 to Sunday, June 26. Book tickets online here.