Hever Castle’s gardeners offer top tips on seed collecting

Throughout October, the gardening team at Hever Castle is helping visitors, of all ages, to learn how to salvage, dry and store seeds, passing on the essential information and skills of seed collecting – an art-form that’s seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. 

Hever’s team is keen to leave the colour in the garden for as long as possible and the newly planted ‘Faith’s Garden’ on Diana’s Walk is a treasure trove for seeds.  

Head Gardener, Neil Miller, and his team, are giving tours along the winding pathways of Faith’s Garden and point out the plants ready for seed harvesting. This area of the garden is ablaze with autumnal colour thanks to the stipa grasses, echinacea, rudbeckia and assorted asters.  

The wonderful Garden Exhibition at Hever Castle will house examples of the seeds collected by the gardeners from the gardens at Hever. 

Children are being encouraged to take up the Leaf & Seed Collection Challenge with 10 different seeds and leaves to be collected on Anne Boleyn’s Walk and Lake Walk. Children will be given a bulb to take home and plant.

Autumn is also tulip planting time and following Hever’s successful Tulip Celebration this year the gardening team will be available to share inspirational tips and their plans for 2020 as they sell Taylors Bulbs fantastic daffodils and tulips on site.  

Rob Peers, Head Greenkeeper at the Estate is sewing pictorial meadow seed ready for flowering in spring. Visitors will be able to see the ground prepped and ready for the seeds and will be able to purchase the seed mix from the Hever Shop onsite.

Autumn is a wonderful time at Hever as the medieval Castle is cloaked in bright red Boston Ivy and the trees, that hug the impressive lake, turn from green to buttery golds and vivid reds. Visitors to Hever Castle & Gardens can also enjoy a self-guided autumn tour of the lakeland area of the garden throughout  October.  

Seed Information Tours of Faith’s Garden take place on Tuesday and Wednesdays through October (with the exception of Half Term).

For further details please visit: www.hevercastle.co.uk 

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