Secret Gardens Unveil Jekyll’s Long Border

Work has been completed on a stunning new attraction at the award-winning Secret Gardens of Sandwich.

The 200-ft long Long Border is a re-creation of Gertrude Jekyll’s own garden at Munstead Wood in Surrey and contains more than 2,500 annual plants which are now at their finest.

Most of the plants have been grown from seed by the Secret Gardens’ highly-skilled team of gardeners and planted in the 14ft wide border using Jekyll’s original planting plan.

Old-fashioned favourites, rarely seen in today’s finely-manicured gardens, include gypsophila paniculata (baby’s breath), antirrhinum (snapdragons), African marigolds and the delicately-fragranced Iris Germanica.

This spectacular splash of colour sees the culmination of 12 months major investment in The Secret Gardens, which has seen an extension to the popular Tea Rooms and the opening of a new eclectic Gift Shop.

It also virtually concludes a major restoration project, which has been ongoing since the current owners, Dominic and Stephanie Parker, took on the mammoth task five years ago.

Millions of pounds have been ploughed into the gardens – 3.5 acres of beds, borders, meadows and woodland – under the expert eye of Head Gardener Steve Edney,

Today, The Secret Gardens have something to reveal to visitors all year round – from the frosts of the Winter, through thousands of tiny bulbs in the Spring, the spectacular colours of Yellow, White and Tropical Gardens in the Summer to the awesome Autumnal colours in the Fall.

Add to this an inspirational Kitchen Garden, intriguing Tropical Border and the calming Lake Patricia and The Secret Gardens have something for everyone – whatever the season.

The Secret Gardens are open seven days a week, throughout the year. From now until September 30, opening hours are from 10am to 5pm, closing at 4pm from October through to December.

On August 27, 28 and 29, gates will re-open at 5.30pm, with a series of guided Dusk Tours commencing at 6.45pm. Tickets are £16. (Telephone 01304 619919 to book.)

From August 23 – 30, The Gardens are hosting their annual Sculpture Festival, when visitors can enjoy contemporary art from Canterbury artists Pure Form, and from August 30 – September 12, the Gardens host their inaugural Dahlia Festival – a celebration of all the main Dahlia varieties, with special displays, guest speakers and a Dahlia competition.

For more information contact Jane Shotliff on 01622 870272 or Simon Clubley at The Wow Factory on 01233 713 852.