The spectacular gardens at Hampton Court Palace have evolved and matured over hundreds of years.
Encompassing more than 300 hectares of parkland, the gardens feature formal flower beds, kilometres of box hedging, fine lawns and venerable trees, some more than 300 years old.
The privy, or private, garden has existed on the south side of the palace since it was first created in 1533 and original plant varieties are still grown here, while the enormous kitchen garden, which once supplied the Tudor kitchens, provides inspiration for any gardener.
Hampton Court’s famous hedge maze is situated to the north of the palace in the Wilderness area of the gardens, which began its royal existence in 1531 as Henry VIII’s orchard. Planted in 1690 with almost one-kilometre of paths, the maze is England’s oldest.
The tiltyard where Henry VIII once watched jousting is now a glorious rose garden; the pond garden was a medieval fish farm, holding carp and bream to feed the Tudor court. Today the ponds are planted with bulbs that flower throughout spring and summer.
Around a million bulbs are planted across the gardens of Hampton Court, making for breathtaking displays.
Near the Pond Garden is a glass house containing the incredible Great Vine, which was planted in 1768 for King George III and is thought to be the world’s oldest and largest grapevine.
Grapes were an exotic crop in the past, and the sweet Black Hamburg grapes the vine produces were exclusively for the royal table until the early years of the last century.
This venerable vine still produces around 300kg of grapes every year, which visitors can buy at Hampton Court throughout September.
Henry VIII enclosed Home Park, today known as Hampton Court Park, and used it for hunting. Today the park remains home to a herd of fallow deer.
The 300-hectare park, which lies between the palace gardens and Kingston-upon-Thames, includes The Long Water, a beautiful canal installed by King Charles II in 1660, as well as veteran trees, rare plants and endangered invertebrates.
Hampton Court Park is also home to the annual Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.
First held in 1993, the RHS Hampton Court festival has grown to become the world’s largest flower show.
Around 200 exhibitors from the gardening, floristry, and landscape architecture industries spend weeks ensuring their show gardens are ready for the official opening of the festival, which attracts thousands of visitors.
Marking the 60th anniversary of RHS Britain in Bloom, the UK’s biggest community gardening competition, this year’s festival celebrates the positive wellbeing and environmental benefits of gardening in communities.
This year the garden at RHS Hampton will be packed with native and British-grown plants alongside beehives to increase biodiversity.
Also drawing inspiration from hotter climates, the festival includes The Climate-Forward Garden by Melanie Hick, an Australian garden designer based in London.
In the popular Get Started Garden category, Melanie looks to the Australian bush to reimagine a UK front garden into a stylish yet climate-conscious green space complete with typically Australian gum and crepe myrtle trees.
FACT FILE
The RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival will be held from Tuesday July 2 to Sunday July 7 (July 2-3 is for RHC members only). Tickets from £30.85 ($59.25) adults, more at www.rhs.org.uk.
A Fortnum & Mason’s garden picnic delivered to the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival includes smoked salmon; coronation chicken; salads; summery berries pudding and British cheese. Ideal for two. From £120 ($230.50), see at www.fortnumandmason.com.
At any time, entry to Hampton Court Palace and gardens is from £27.20 ($52.25) adults (off-peak, weekdays), more at www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace.
The gardens at Hampton Court Palace are sometimes open for free, see dates at www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace.