120 years of daffodils at Hever Castle
80,000 daffodil bulbs are set to bloom across Hever Castle’s gardens this spring
People in Kent will soon be able to visit the daffodils at Hever Castle, which are in bloom for their 120th year.
At Hever, it’s thought that many of the bulbs in Anne Boleyn’s Orchard are over a century old, and some have links to the first daffodils brought to these shores in the 17th century.
Hever Castle, which dates back to the 13th century, is famous as the childhood home of Henry VIII’s doomed second wife, Anne Boleyn.
But the garden is largely the creation of the British-American billionaire William Waldorf Astor, who bought Hever in 1903.
It is thought the large collection of daffodils were then planted in 1904.
Neil Miller, head gardener, joined the team 20 years ago.
He says "daffodils are like instant sunshine. When you see daffodils starting to open, it’s such a joyful sight.”
Neil and his team look after 80,000 daffodils at Hever
The head gardener said he had inspected the daffodils and, knowing that Lord Astor was a keen buyer of new varieties, believed they were originals.
Hever Castle has set up a dedicated daffodil watch and tours of the gardens so all flower enthusiasts in Kent can keep a watchful eye.