Weekend daytrip: Hole Park Gardens, Kent

If you're a fan of the English garden and a resident of Kent you've got some great weekend day trip options. One charming and quintessentially English garden we've just dicovered is that of Hole Park in Rolvenden, Kent. You can explore the normally private garden to your heart's delight on a Wednesday and Thursday until the end of October.

Hole Park is part of the Seven Wonders of
the Weald, just south of London, which are made up of formal
gardens, meadows and woodland, are owned and managed by the Barham
family.

Famous for its bluebells and standard wisteria in spring and
wonderful topiary these extensive gardens have plenty to offer visitors
throughout summer and into autumn.

The head gardener Quentin Stark points out some of the highlights of a visit to Hole Park in the summer months: "The summer bedding is now in full flower and will continue into autumn. Some of my favourites around the gardens are Ageratum, Antirrhinum (snap dragons), Agrostemma (corncockle), Sweet peas, Cleome and Helianthus (sunflowers)."

Other areas of the garden with summer blooms include the sundial garden which is full of scented roses and clematis. The vineyard with its hydrangeas and climbing roses and a new border near the house features the rose ‘Blue Moon'. The late flowering agapanthus, unique to Hole Park, and the exotic border will take centre stage in late summer before the reds, yellows and golds of autumn bring interest during October.

A circular network of hard paths enables visitors of all ages, including those with disabilities, to explore the gardens. Light lunches and delicious homemade cakes are available in the coach house where apple juice, local beer and homemade jam and honey produced from the fruit and bees on the Hole Park Estate can be bought. There is also a small plant stall next to the coach house.

Admission: £7.00 for adults and £1 for children. The gardens are open 11am to 6pm.

Summer - 15 June to 31 October - Wednesdays & Thursdays Autumn Sundays - 2, 9, 16 and 23 and 30 October 2016