£54.50 (Non JG member)
Overview
In the early 1900s, American authoress, Frances Hodgson Burnett discovered an iron gate covered in ivy, and beyond it she saw glimpses of an overgrown walled garden. Peeking through the bars at the neglected blooms and tangled vines, a story began to form – of a secret garden waiting to be discovered… The story which followed, The Secret Garden (1911), has become a much-loved children’s classic. For over 100 years the garden, hidden inside the grounds of the fictional Misselthwaite Manor, has inspired children and adults alike with its young orphan girl finding a home, and a passion for gardening, within its walls. Follow in the footsteps of Frances Hodgson Burnett and her much-loved cast of characters with a walk through the original secret garden at Great Maytham Hall. There are no refreshments at Great Maytham Hall so suggest you bring a flask. We then make the short drive to Pashley Manor where you can get lunch and enjoy the gardens at leisure. As summer turns to autumn the gardens at Pashley, on the border of Sussex and Kent, are ablaze with colour, provided by thousands of dazzling dahlias, during the Dahlia Days event. Over 70 varieties of this diverse perennial are planted throughout the garden; pinks in the Rose Garden, sunny yellows in the Golden Beds, whites in the Elizabethan Garden, purples in the Pool Garden and more. The pièce de resistance is the hot reds and oranges, interspersed with darker burgundy and complemented by the second flowering of roses, canna lilies, late flowering perennials and other annuals, in the magnificent herbaceous borders, which are at their best at this time of year. The café, with terrace, serves locally sourced and homemade cakes, scones and light lunches; the shop has gorgeous gifts, souvenirs and plants, and there are exhibitions of garden sculpture and floral art.