Gigantic exotic plants, cool greens of a Japanese stroll garden and a moat teaming with wildlife – these are just some of Kent’s private gardens that you can visit this August. The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to mainly private gardens, raising impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake. Click here to see all the Kent gardens open this month: August open gardens
Garden admission is mainly FREE for children or for a small fee, and many offer home-made teas at very reasonable prices, so it makes for a great trip out for all the family. Some gardens allow dogs on leads as well. Please visit the website for full details: Kent NGS open gardens
The Silk House
The Silk House is a classic Japanese stroll water garden of 2 acres (0.81 hectares), set among various garden rooms. There are koi and wildlife ponds, a wonderful canal pond, unusual acers, cherries, large bamboos, topiary and rare evergreen trees. Secluded and calming with a small woodland walk, a busy kitchen garden, a dry garden and an apiary. Homemade teas are served on the terrace from the tea house.
The Silk House, Lucks Lane, Rhoden Green, near Paddock Wood, Tunbridge Wells, TN12 6PA
Sunday 6 August,10.00am–4.00pm
Homemade teas will be served. Plants for sale.
Admission: Adult: £7.50; Child: £3.50.
Accessibility: Disabled parking at the house. Wheelchairs have assisted side access by request avoiding steps. Some steps, banks, bridges, deep water ponds.
Grove Manor
Grove Manor is a new opening this year where renovation of the garden has been recently started after a long period where it had been left to its own devices. There are plenty of places to sit and enjoy different views of the garden with a cup of tea, whether it be in the shady woodland area beside the ferns, on the patio surrounded by flowers or overlooking the farm pond which is now home to moorhens and ducks after being dredged and replanted. The moat is a haven for wildlife and borders the orchard. Beyond are newly established vegetable and cutting beds.
Grove Manor, The Street, Woodnesborough, Sandwich, CT13 0NH
Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 August, 11am–5pm.
Homemade teas will be served. Dog friendly.
Admission: Adult: £5.00; Child: Free.
Accessibility: Gently sloping lawns and level paths make much of the garden wheelchair accessible.
Eureka
Eureka is a great garden for the whole family, with a free Treasure Trail with prizes for all children. This 1-acre garden is packed full of colour and garden art, including a 10 ft red dragon! There are eight cartwheel centre beds, chickens, lots of seating and stairs to a viewing platform. Many quirky surprises at every turn, with 100s of annuals in tubs and baskets and a David Austin shrub rose border.
Eureka, Westerham Hill, TN16 2HR
August open weekend: Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 11am–4pm.
September open weekend: Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 11am–4pm.
Homemade teas will be served. Plants for sale.
Admission: Adult: £5.00; Child: Free.
Wheelchair access to most of the garden.
Tram Hatch
Tram Hatch: Meander your way off the beaten track to a mature 3-acre garden right by the Great River Stour. Over 30 years the garden has been laid out in rooms and has a large selection of trees with vegetable, rose and gravel gardens as well as many colourful containers. Homemade teas are served in the garden room, ‘The Cube’.
Tram Hatch, Barnfield Road, Charing Heath, Ashford, TN27 0BN
Sunday 20 August, 12.30pm–5pm.
Homemade teas will be served. Dog friendly. Plants for sale.
Admission: Adult: £5.00; Child: Free.
Accessibility: The garden is totally flat, apart from a very small area which can be viewed from the lane.
This garden also opens By Arrangement until October for groups of between 1 and 99. Please contact the garden owner to discuss your requirements and arrange a date for a group or bespoke visit.
Sweetbriar
Sweetbriar in Ash is an average sized back garden that has been transformed into an exotic jungle paradise full of fabulous foliage and gorgeous flowers. A real plantsman’s collection of many rare hardy and tender exotics to transport you into a lawn free tropical oasis. It has been designed by owners Steve Edney and Louise Dowle, multi gold medal winners at RHS Chelsea and Hampton court flower shows, and has been featured on BBC Gardeners’ World.
Sweetbriar, 69 Chequer Lane, Ash, nr Sandwich, CT3 2AX
Sunday 20 August,10.30am–4.30pm.
September open day: Sunday 17,10.30am–4.30pm.
Homemade teas will be served. Plants for sale.
Admission: Adult: £5.00; Child: Free. Not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.
Haven
Haven is a wonderful 300ft back garden, packed full exotic and unusual trees, shrubs and perennials, densely planted in a natural style with stepping stone paths. A plantsman’s garden with several ponds and many different planted areas – gravel, rock, fernery, cactus – with several places to sit among the plants and enjoy the wildlife.
Haven, 22 Station Road, Minster, Ramsgate, CT12 4BZ
August open day: Monday 28 10am–4pm.
Further open days to November. Please see website for dates and details: www.ngs.org.uk
No refreshments but local eateries close by. Not suitable for wheelchairs.
Admission: Adult: £5.00; Child: Free.
This garden also opens By Arrangement until November for groups of between 1 and 99. Please contact the garden owner to discuss your requirements and arrange a date for a group or bespoke visit.
Please visit the website to search for a garden open near to you: Kent NGS open gardens
About the National Garden Scheme
The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique, affordable access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.
Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors we have donated over £65 million to nursing and health charities. Founded in 1927 to support district nurses, we are now the most significant charitable funder of nursing in the UK and our beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
The National Garden Scheme doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity – we are passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens too. We fund projects which promote gardens and gardening as therapy, and in 2017, we launched our annual Gardens and Health Week to raise awareness of the topic.
To find your perfect garden, visit ngs.org.uk, download the National Garden Scheme app or purchase the National Garden Scheme’s Garden Visitor’s Handbook, which is published annually and available via ngs.org.uk/shop and at all good book retailers.
Susie Challen
Kent Publicity
National Garden Scheme, Kent
Website: ngs.org.uk
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