Summer gardens in Kent to visit in July 2023
00:00, 29 June 2023
The summer flowers are in full bloom and it’s the perfect time to explore Kent’s beautiful gardens.
From wildflower meadows, wildlife havens, exotic plants and outdoor treasure trails, we’ve got our top pick of gardens to visit this July…
Eureka, Westerham
Eureka is a one-acre garden full of colour and garden art, including a 10ft red dragon. There are eight cartwheel centre beds, chickens, lots of seating and stairs to a viewing platform. The garden is also home to many quirky surprises, including a David Austin shrub rose border and a free treasure trail with prizes for children.
Where: Westerham Hill, Westerham TN16 2HR
When: Select weekends from Saturday, July 1 to Sunday, September 3
Price: £5 per adult, children go free
50 Pine Avenue, Gravesend
50 Pine Avenue has tropical plants around the swimming pool where you can sit and enjoy home-made teas. Then, you can wander through bamboo and exotic planting to the steps that take you down to a completely different part of the garden – a cool shaded woodland with its tranquil pond.
Where: 50 Pine Avenue, Gravesend DA12 1QZ
When: Saturday, July 15
Price: £5 per adult, children go free
Garden for Wildlife, Gravesend
Gravesend’s Garden for Wildlife, featured on BBC’s Gardeners’ World last year, is a great garden to spot bees and butterflies. It also has three ponds visited by amphibians, dragonflies and birds. Vegetables are grown here too, and it all shows what can be grown in a small garden to encourage wildlife. The owner also has photos in the garden shed that show the huge range of wildlife that visit this wonderful town garden.
Where: 68 South Hill Road, Windmill Hill, Gravesend DA12 1JZ
When: Saturday, July 2
Price: £5 per adult, children go free
The Garden Gate, Margate
The Garden Gate in Margate’s Northdown Park is a community garden growing a mixture of plants, flowers and vegetables using organic methods. The garden is run as an independent charity supporting adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues and is best described as an ornamental vegetable garden. There is also a wildlife pond, two polytunnels, a shade house, some coppiced woodland and a green roof on one of the buildings. Northdown House opposite has an attractive garden open free to the public and it is possible to walk through the park to the sandy beaches at Botany Bay and Palm Bay.
Where: Northdown Park, Northdown Park Road, Margate CT9 3TP
When: Saturday, July 1
Price: £5 per adult, children go free
Old Bladbean Stud Gardens, Canterbury
Located in the Kent Downs Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty, Old Bladbean Stud Gardens is managed as an ornamental ecosystem, maintained totally by the owner. It features a romantic walled rose garden with 90-plus old fashioned rose varieties, tranquil yellow and white garden, square garden with a tapestry of self sowing perennials, plus a Victorian style greenhouse and more.
Where: Bladbean, Canterbury CT4 6NA
When: Sunday, July 9 and Sunday, July 23
Price: £6 per adult, children go free
Pheasant Barn, Faversham
Pheasant Barn, overlooking Oare Creek near Faversham, has a large wildflower meadow to explore which is full of buzzing pollinators, as well as the beautifully designed formal gardens closer to the house. Down by the creek you’ll also find a labyrinth to walk around. You’ll need to pre-book your visit as numbers are limited due to parking restrictions.
Where: Church Road, Oare, Faversham ME13 0QB
When: Select dates from Wednesday, June 28 to Monday, July 10
Price: £7 per adult, children go free
Sweetbriar, Ash
Sweetbriar is an average-sized back garden that has been transformed into an exotic jungle paradise full of fabulous foliage and gorgeous flowers. The collection of many rare hardy and tender exotics will transport you into a lawn-free tropical oasis. The garden has been designed by owners Steve Edney and Louise Dowle, the winners of multiple gold medals at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court flower shows, and has been featured on BBC Gardeners’ World.
Where: 69 Chequer Lane, Ash, Sandwich CT3 2AX
When: Select dates from Sunday, July 9 to Sunday, September 17
Price: £5 per adult, children go free
Village Gardens, Bidborough
A small village group of gardens will be open in Bidborough, near Tunbridge Wells. Three gardens take you around a village with its pub, church, village store and primary school. The Sheerdrop garden has had its more formal part designed by Roger Platt, with wonderful views down the valley. Home-made teas can be found at the Boundes End garden, which has both a formal upper garden and a lower woodland garden. The garden at 4 The Crescent is in the process of being transformed into a relaxed cottage garden.
Where: Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0XB
When: Sunday, July 2
Price: £6 per adult, children go free. One admission price gives access to all three gardens.
The Watch House, Broadstairs
The Watch House has two exquisite small courtyard gardens that adjoin an historic fisherman’s cottage. The east-facing garden was designed for entertaining with an outdoor kitchen and slate courtyard surrounded by lush foliage and tender exotics. The west-facing courtyard is arranged around a small greenhouse, where a garden room leads onto a terrace packed with flowering plants that jostle for space. The Watch House has been featured in many publications, as well as on BBC Gardeners' World.
Where: 7 Thanet Road, Broadstairs CT10 1LF
When: Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30
Price: £5 per adult, children go free
