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Snowdrops are a wonderful sign that our gardens are beginning to awaken from their winter slumber and preparing to blossom for another year.
Kent has some beautiful gardens where you can admire carpets of stunning snowdrops as part of the National Garden Scheme. Here’s where you can find the snowy white flowers at this time of year…
COPTON ASH, Faversham
The garden at this family home has lots of rare species raised from wild seeds that can be seen all year round. In the colder months, however, you can find a carpet of woodland snowdrops surrounded by flowering trees and spring shrubs. There are also Mediterranean plants that show themselves in a warmer climate.
Details: Sunday, February 2; Sunday, February 16; and Sunday, March 30 at Copton Ash in Faversham. Book online here.
DODDINGTON PLACE, Sittingbourne
This majestic 10-acre garden has a woodland patch where snowdrops sprout at this time of year. When you’ve admired these winter flowers, you can also take in the many other features of the estate, including cloud-clipped yew hedges, an Edwardian rock garden, the sunk garden, mixed borders and a disused pinnacle from the southeast tower of Rochester Cathedral.
Details: Sunday, February 16 at Doddington Place in Doddington, near Sittingbourne. Book online here.
FAIRSEAT MANOR, Sevenoaks
Take in picturesque views from the top of the North Downs while you walk among the many varieties of snowdrops. The two-acre grounds also offer spring bulbs, rose borders, a sunken garden with a pond, and charming meadows.
Details: Open for visits made by arrangement from Monday, February 3 to Friday, March 14 at Fairseat Manor in Fairseat, near Sevenoaks. Book online here.
KNOWLE HILL FARM, Maidstone
This garden has been almost 40 years in the making and boasts a striking display of snowdrops, hellebores, tender plants, china roses, agapanthus, lavender and salvias. The spring bulbs flower early, while the box hedges and topiary add a touch of structure to the two-acre space.
Details: Saturday, February 1 and Sunday, February 2 at Knowle Hill Farm in Ulcombe, near Maidstone. Book online here.
THE OLD RECTORY, Sevenoaks
The impressive display of natural snowdrops has been a staple of this garden for many years. There are more than 130 named snowdrops that have grown here for over four decades, and there’s also an array of hellebores, pulmonarias, foliage perennials, shrubs, trees and natural woodland.
Details: Open for visits made by arrangement throughout February at the Old Rectory in Fawkham, near Sevenoaks. Book online here.
SPRING PLATT, Maidstone
This one-acre garden is currently undergoing reconstruction, but there are still around 500 different varieties of snowdrops and beautiful views of the Weald. You can also explore the large vegetable garden, four greenhouses, water features, alpine house and croquet lawn.
Details: Saturday, January 26; Thursday, January 30; Sunday, February 2; Wednesday, February 5; and Friday, February 7 at Spring Platt in Sutton Valence, near Maidstone. Book online here.
You can find the full list of winter gardens on the National Garden Scheme website.