PROGRAMME
2010
Thursday 25th March 2.30 p.m.
Bankers and Botanists
– The Lubbock Family and their garden at Emmetts
Richard Wheeler, the National
Trust’s Curator of Gardens and Parks for the South and West of England,
will give an illustrated talk on the recent restoration of the garden
at Emmetts. This charming garden was created by the Lubbock family in
the late 19th century and was greatly influenced by William
Robinson’s interest in alpine and woodland gardens. Frederick Lubbock
was a passionate plantsman and many of his plantings of newly introduced
exotic shrubs still survive.
Richard Wheeler has worked
for the National Trust for 33 years. He is chairman of the Conservation
Committee of the Garden History Society. This will be an exceptional
opportunity to hear a leading authority on the history of gardens talk
about one of the most fascinating gardens in Kent.
Venue: Westerham
Village Hall, Quebec Avenue, Westerham, Kent TN16 1BJ
Cost
£10 to include tea
Sunday
25th April 2.30 p.m.
Blossom time at Brogdale
National Fruit Collection
A visit to the National
Fruit Collection at Brogdale in blossom time
The National Fruit Collection
is the greatest collection of temperate fruits on one site in the world.
2,000 different varieties of apple and 550 of pear are grown at Brogdale
and smaller collections of many other types of fruit. Some varieties
are very old dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Fruit growing has been a very important part of the economy of Kent
for centuries and even now 80% of the country’s orchards are in Kent.
We will have a private
guided tour of the collection and we are hoping that our guide will
be Dr Joan Morgan, the renowned authority on the history of fruit growing.
The tour will end with tea at the Visitor Centre.
Venue: Brogdale Farm, Brogdale Road, Faversham, Kent ME13 8XZ
Cost £15 which includes
tea and a donation to the Friends of Brogdale
Sunday 16th May at 10.15 a.m.
A visit
to the gardens at Pympne Manor and Balmoral Benenden
We shall see two remarkable
gardens in Benenden with connections to the great plant collector Capt.
Collingwood ‘Cherry’ Ingram
Pat Thoburn has kindly
agreed to show us her beautiful garden at Pympne Manor. The garden,
set in an unspoilt part of the Kent Weald around a typical 15th century ‘hall’ house was planted by the present owner’s father,
a friend of ‘Cherry’ Ingram with many different species of rhododendron
and azalea and other interesting trees and shrubs.
Lunch will be arranged
at the historic Bull Inn after which we will visit ‘Balmoral’ the
home of Charlotte and Donald Molesworth. The house was originally the
gardener’s cottage for The Grange, the home of Cherry Ingram and the
Molesworths have created an enchanting garden around it. Plants have
been chosen with a discriminating eye and are planted exuberantly. Hedges
and topiary provide structure and vistas. We will then pay a visit to
the garden of the Grange which still contains many interesting plants
and there will be a short talk about ‘Cherry’ Ingram and his plant
introductions.
The day will end with tea
Venues:
- 10.15 a.m. Pympne
Manor, Goddards Green Road, Benenden, Kent TN17 4AR
- 2.0 p.m. Balmoral,
Benenden, Kent TN17 4DL
Cost: £25 to include
morning coffee, Ploughman’s lunch at the Bull in Benenden and tea
Wednesday 15th September 10.15 a.m.
A visit to the Sturry
Road Community Garden followed by a private guided tour of the garden
at Walmer Castle
A chance to see the 45
acre community garden at Sturry Road which was created with the help
of Kent Gardens Trust and which members will have heard so much about.
We shall be shown round the garden by Allison Wainman, the KGT trustee
who was primarily involved in the project to create the garden and some
of the Sturry Road trustees who now manage the garden and park. KGT
initiated the project and facilitated its creation with the help of
funding from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. The site contains a one
acre garden and ten acres of woodland and is set in landscaped parkland.
It contains many play areas for children. It is now beginning to mature
well.
We will then proceed to
Walmer Castle where lunch will be available (not included in the price)
followed by a private guided tour of the garden with Tom Hooijenga the
Head Gardener. The castle was originally built during the reign of Henry
VIII as part of a chain of coastal defences and has been the official
residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports since 1708. It contains
memorabilia of past Wardens including the Duke of Wellington and the
late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The 10 acre garden within the
castle walls is listed Grade II by English Heritage. Magnificent herbaceous
borders, a productive vegetable garden and the late Queen Mother’s
garden which was designed by Penelope Hobhouse are some of the delights
in store.
Venues:
- 10.15 a.m. Sturry
Road Community Gardens, Sturry Road, Canterbury CT1 0AA
- 2.30 p.m. Walmer
Castle, Kingswood Road, Walmer, Deal CT14 7LJ
Cost:
£15 (lunch not included) including entry to Walmer Castle and donations
to English Heritage and the Sturry Road Community Garden.
Wednesday 17th November 7.00 p.m.
Landscapes at risk -
protecting the historic parks and gardens of Kent
Our annual autumn lecture
this year will be given by Charlotte McLean, the South East Regional
Landscape Officer at English Heritage. Charlotte will explain
the role of English Heritage in the planning system and how it works
to protect parks and gardens with some recent examples. Charlotte is
a Chartered Landscape Architect who previously was a director of the
eminent landscape design firm Elizabeth Banks Associates. Wine and light
refreshments will be provided before the illustrated lecture.
Venue: Lenham Community Centre, Lenham, Maidstone ME17 2QT
Cost:
£12.50 including wine and light refreshments
Please apply for tickets
on the enclosed form or telephone Sue Chipchase on 01233 811611
