A quarter of a million daffodils will be providing a spectacular and colourful greeting for visitors to Hever Castle & Gardens in March.
The Hever estate, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, is considered one of the best daffodil gardens in the UK. During this week-long event, visitors will be able to see why, as they immerse themselves in all things narcissus.
They will be able to enjoy tours of Anne Boleyn’s Orchard, led by daffodil-growing legend Johnny Walkers and Hever’s head gardener Neil Miller; take part in floral demonstrations; enjoy daffodil displays in selected rooms of the Castle, and attend a specialist spring plant fair on Sunday 22nd March.
Johnny Walkers, recipient of 25 consecutive RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medals for his daffodils, said: “I have been coming to Hever Castle for the last eight years and leading tours through Anne Boleyn’s Orchard, where fascinating, rare, old and new daffodils bloom. Every time I visit, the daffodils delight!”
The weekday tours with Johnny and Neil (Monday to Friday) will give rare access to Anne Boleyn’s Orchard – an area usually closed to visitors.
The duo will be sharing tips on the best varieties to grow, as well as how keen gardeners can extend the daffodil flowering season themselves at home. On Saturday and Sunday, the tours will be led by Hever’s garden team.
Neil added: “We have daffodils that begin blooming in December and, because of the way we’ve carefully selected the varieties with Johnny, we have daffodils still blooming all the way to May. We really believe that Hever is becoming the home of the daffodil!
“It’s always a great thrill to welcome Johnny back, as each year we make new plans to plant even more.”
The Plant Fairs Roadshow will be at Dazzling Daffodils on Sunday 22nd March, featuring award-winning specialist independent nurseries which nurture and grow seasonal plants and shrubs in the UK.
There’s much to see on the Hever Estate during March. A relatively new area of the gardens, Church Gill, a recent winner of the prestigious Chairman’s Award at South & South East in Bloom, is a quiet escape where visitors can enjoy the woodland planting.
Visitors to Church Gill will pass hundreds of large, trumpeted ‘King Alfred’ daffodils, planted 120 years ago by the second most famous resident to live at Hever Castle – William Waldorf Astor.
Visitors will also be able to take part in daffodil floral workshops with florist Emma Fuller-Wilke in the Garden Exhibition (included in admission ticket).
*Tours of Anne Boleyn’s Orchard:
There will be two daily tours, Monday to Friday, at 11:30 and 14:30. The Monday – Friday tours will be given by Johnny Walkers and Neil Miller (except 14:30 on Friday, which will be taken by Neil Miller and his team).
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a tour at 11:30 led by the garden team only.
For full details of what’s on and when during Dazzling Daffodils, please see the web page. https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/whats-on/daffodils/
