lullingstone plant fair

You’d need a wheel barrow to hold all the Chelsea gold medals held by the Kent & Sussex exhibitors making a bee-line for The World Garden at Lullingstone on Sunday 11th May (11.00am to 5.30pm) for Tom Hart Dyke’s Plant Fair.

The Plant Fair is in its second year and Tom hopes to replicate the success of last May when 1,700 visitors made the day a record-breaker for Tom and his family as the highest number of visitors in a single day came to visit his first personal Plant Fair in the grounds of his ancestral home near Sevenoaks.

Tom has even more exhibitors this year, including some of the South East’s most creative and innovative nursery growers, who will pitch their stalls on the famous lawn at Lullingstone Castle scene of BBC2’s popular ‘Return to Lullingstone Castle’.

Local Chelsea gold medal winning nurseries include Dysons from Sevenoaks, The Old Walled Garden from Sevenoaks, Chelsea Gold Medal winners Hadlow College from Tonbridge, Iris of Sissinghurst and Cookoo Box Nurseries from Maidstone will exhibit alongside renowned specialists such as; Sheila Chapman Clematis from Essex, world famous plantsman and Chelsea Gold Medal holder Derek Lloyd Dean and Chelsea Gold medal winning Rotherview Nursery.

Tom is pleased as punch to announce that McBean’s Orchids will also be on site. Tom says: ’McBeans’ remain my horticultural heroes - their orchids are wonderful and their knowledge of this fascinating plant family is second to none. I’ll definitely be spending part of my plant budget at their stand!’

The fair intends to celebrate all that is great about horticulture in Kent and Sussex and act as an annual meeting place for all the independent nursery specialists who have been hit hard by the water shortages, drought fears and trials of running a small business in such a harsh climate for horticulture.

Gates to the fair, World Garden and grounds open from 11am. The house is open from 2pm. Visitors to the Lullingstone Plant Fair will also be able to view Tom’s ‘Hot & Spikey’ collection of 1,000 cacti and succulents in the new hot house, then take a tour around the famous ‘World Garden’ featured in BBC2’s ‘Return To Lullingstone Castle’.

From 2pm visitors to the fair can view the mansion - Lullingstone Castle, home to the Hart Dyke family for 20 generations and frequented by Henry VIII and Queen Anne.

Entrance fee: usual ticket price for Lullingstone, which includes entrance to plant fair, The Castle, World Garden and grounds. Adults £6; senior citizens £5.50; children £3; family £15.00. for further details please visit www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk