Walmer Castle in Spring

Spring often comes early at Walmer Castle. Winter aconites Eranthus hymalis provide splashes of yellow in the Queen Mother's Garden, and hellebores open in the Woodland Garden. In the Paddock swathes of daffodils entice you to explore the garden further, before being replaced later in the year by bluebells. From the first signs of spring, daffodils and snowdrops emerge all across the gardens, the result of large scale plantings by the castle's gardeners in recent seasons.

At the top end of the Oval Lawn a well established group of Fritillaria meleagris, the snake's head fritillary, is steadily increasing through self-seeding year by year. With the warmer weather, cherry blossom in the Paddock and apple blossom in the Orchard and Kitchen Garden create a magnificent sight whilst cowslips and oxslips proliferate in the castle meadow.

Walmer Castle in Summer

Roses have always been popular at Walmer, and of particular importance are the 'Queen Mother' patio roses that make a bright show in the Queen Mother's Garden each summer. In the meadow, wild flowers including pyramid orchids (Anacamptis pyramidalis), common spotted orchids and blue Scabiosa can be seen nestled in the long grass. The trees surrounding the Paddock provide a striking dark green backdrop to the rest of the garden.

During summer, the Kitchen Garden is in full production with a spectacular offering of soft fruit, vegetables and flowers. Some produce is grown in the glasshouse, including tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. A permanent display of houseplants, cacti and succulents can also be admired here.

Even the castle itself is taken over by the riot of colour spreading across the gardens. Large colonies of Australian daisy, Erigeron Karvinskianus, begin to peek out from nooks and crannies across the walls and bastions, brightening the scene still further.

The mix of, cool shaded lawns, leafy woodland canopies and coastal breezes make Walmer a comfortable garden to explore in the heat of summer. Children can stretch their legs on the oval lawn, spot dragonflies flitting above the Queen Mother's Garden pond, or challenge each other in giant garden games. Grown-ups have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the shade nearby, and can pick a deck chair or bench on the lawn, or perhaps admire the view of the gardens from atop the bastions.

With longer evenings and plentiful outdoor space, in summer the gardens are also a popular venue for performances by local musicians.

Walmer Castle in Winter

With just a few remaining crops in the Kitchen Garden, the hard work of preparing the ground again for the new season is well underway. Shelter from the worst of the winter weather can be found in the glasshouse. Their collection of ornamental plants, including scented pelargoniums and succulent aeoniums, provide interest throughout the winter while the beds in the kitchen garden are prepared for the new productive season.

Colour and interest in the garden are provided by snowdrops in the Woodland and during mild winters with an early showing of the 'summer snowflake' Leucojum aestivum in the Queen Mother's Garden.