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Description
Howick Hall was the home of Charles, 5th Early Grey and his wife Mabel and their daughter Lady Mary Howick. Between 1920 and 2001, the family established the gardens and arboretum with an informal and very natural style of planting. Silverwood, the woodland garden started by Lord Grey in 1930, has an extensive collection of rhododendron, sourced from China and the Himalayas, which flower from March into early June.
On arrival, members will be met by Head Gardener Robert Jamieson. Robert will give a guided walking tour of the gardens and arboretum. On our visit, we will see the later daffodils, cammasias and the early flowering wildflower meadows along with the tulips in the meadows. There will be lots to see in the woodland garden with some of the later Rhododendrons and Magnolias as well as many herbaceous woodland plants such as primulas and meconopsis. Herbaceous borders and rose borders may have some early blooms depending on the weather but still plenty to see and talk about if not much colour. The sensory garden is always a highlight and there should be some colour there, along with many shrubs and trees to look at in the arboretum. The tour will last until 11.30am, and members are then free to explore the rest of the arboretum and grounds. The Earl Grey Tea House will be open and refreshments including tea/coffee, cakes and lunch will be available to buy.
The cost of this visit is £15 for members and £18 non-members.
