The sap is rising and our gardeners have got an extra spring in their step as the daffodils hand over to the tulips, the trees continue to blossom profusely, and bluebells begin to promise in the woodland.
As April brings longer days and sunny afternoons (that tempt you to remove your fleece), Hever Castle & Gardens is hosting a colourful fortnight that we’ve called ‘Celebration of Spring’. And if there’s ever a season to celebrate, spring is definitely the one.
With thousands of tulips, spring bedding, cherry and apple blossom galore, magnolias, early rhododendrons, hyacinths, primulas, camassias and bluebells, there’s much to celebrate in the garden.
As part of this event, the gardening team will be offering lively workshops, including a ‘Scratch & Sniff’ hanging basket tutorial. A herbal hanging basket needs to be packed full of aromatically important and stunningly visual plants that will produce blooms through the summer as well as important culinary treats for the pot!
Some fantastic flowering herbs like chives with their delicate purple flower heads, the lemon-yellow of dill, orange-headed nasturtium, purple comfrey, borage, rosemary or the daisy-flowered camomile really add to the aesthetic of the basket.
Make your own
A ‘scratch and sniff’ culinary hanging basket is easy to assemble. All you need is:
- A sturdy wire hanging basket
- A collection of your favourite flowering herbs
- An organic liner for your basket (you’ll need to cut a couple of holes in this)
- Potting compost
To make your basket:
- Cut some holes in the bottom of the liner and cover the bottom with horticultural grit.
- Fill your hanging basket with good potting compost to about three inches from the top.
- Place trailing herbs towards the edges of the hanging basket so they can cascade down the side of the basket.
- Place your taller herbs (like mint or chives) in the centre of the basket.
- When you have finished planting the herbs, fill around them with some potting compost, then water your basket.
Make sure you position your basket in a bright sunny position. Ensure you keep the hanging basket watered and feed the plants with nitrogen feed after six weeks. Trim any herbs that start to outgrow their space, and ensure you cut herbs like parsley that will grow profusely.
Pop in to Hever Castle & Gardens this month to see the tulips, blossom and bluebells. Come find me – I’ll be in the garden – and let me know which herbs you planted in your ‘Scratch & Sniff’ basket!
Hever Castle & Garden’s Celebration of Spring runs from 15 – 28 April 2024.
Week 1: From Monday to Friday there are two garden tours a day at 11:30 and 14:00 (just one on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30am).
Week 2: Two workshops will be running daily.
From Monday to Sunday at 11:30 at the Garden Exhibition, florist Emma will be giving an eco, seasonal foam-free flower arrangement demonstration.
At 14:00 the gardening team will give a demonstration on how to create a ‘Scratch & Sniff’ hanging basket of herbs.
For more information, visit Hever Castle & Gardens.
