THIS SEPTEMBER Hever Castle will be celebrating all things home-grown and reared. The week-long event will highlight how rewarding it can be to ‘grow your own’ and how simple it is to get started.

The Italian Gardens will be showcasing a wide variety of edible plants and flowers all grown at the castle. Visitors taking a stroll beside the Pompeiian Wall will be treated to the sight of grapes, citrus fruits, olives, chillies and aubergines and a children’s factsheet will help families identify the different types of produce.

In Lavender Court the Head Gardener will be on-hand with hints and tips on growing your own fruit and vegetables and even those who are short on outdoor space can learn about container gardening and discover how to grow plants like aubergines, chillies and sweet peppers from seed.

In the shade of the pergola over the terrace of the Guthrie Pavilion restaurant*, visitors will be able to taste an array of delicious dishes made using home-grown ingredients.

There will also be a plant swap stall where visitors can bring their unwanted potted plants and exchange them with those provided by fellow gardeners and the team at Hever.

During the weekend, smallholding experts The Ark Birds and Bees will be hosting a mini exhibition to educate visitors on the history and benefits of beekeeping and how we can save the honey bee. They will be demonstrating observation and display hives, protective suits and smokers and selling honey products including handmade soaps.

The Ark will also be bringing along several rare varieties of geese, ducks and hens including Max and Hazel the Chinese Geese and some Indian Runner Ducks that can lay up to 200 blue eggs every year. Visitors will get the opportunity to meet these unusual varieties and learn what is involved in rearing poultry.

The events will be set against the glorious backdrop of Hever Castle, best known as the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. With a double moat and drawbridge, the 13th century castle also houses fascinating collections of Tudor treasures, from portraits and paintings to furniture and tapestries. There are four acres of award-winning formal gardens to discover, from the giant topiary chess set and herb collection of the Tudor Garden and the traditionally designed yew maze to the celebrated walled rose garden.

visit www.hevercastle.co.uk