I love having freshly cut flowers around the house, no matter the time of year, but especially in summer. I have started my own little cutting garden, but there is something extra special about visiting a flower farm and Kent has a lot on offer, from peonies and lavender to beautiful seasonal British flowers. Whether you are looking to pick flowers for an event or to just dress the house, or somewhere to have a magical picnic – I have five flower farms in Kent that you are going to want to visit this summer.
Cherry Gardens Organic Farm, Groombridge
Cherry Gardens, situated on the Kent and East Sussex border, has a little of everything – you can pick your own flowers and delicious fruit like blackcurrants, tayberries, gooseberries and redcurrants throughout the summer months. When it comes to the flowers, I love that Cherry Gardens has rows and rows filled with Cosmos, Dahlias, Sweet Williams, Foxgloves, Stocks, Helichrysum Strawflowers, Scabiosa, and Zinnias in all the colours of the rainbow.
For my top pick your own flower tips – head over to this blog post, where you can see more on Cherry Gardens as well.
Little Budds Peony Farm, Thurnham
Love peonies? Well, there is only one place to really see them, and that is Little Budds Peony Farm near Maidstone. This beautiful farm in the heart of the Kent countryside displays more than 50 varieties of peonies – from coral, pink and blush to white, yellow and dark red. Peony season is a quick one, from mid-May to June, but it is so worth it to see all the frothy beauty and different variations.
While you can’t pick your own, you can buy pre-cut peonies for around £12 featuring some of their popular varieties and potted plants for your garden. I would totally recommend their peonies, I have bought three now and they bring me so much joy when I see them blooming at home.
As the season is short, you don’t want to miss out, so I would sign up for the Little Budds newsletter on their website, where they will let you know when the farm is having its open days. Oh, and did I forget to say – it is free to go, you just need to book. Another top tip, wear sensible shoes – it is a working farm and if the weather has been wet, it can be a little slippery underfoot.
Blooming Green, Maidstone
Want to pick a bucket of seasonal British flowers for £25? Well, Blooming Green every Saturday from late June until October will let you do just that. The flower farm has rows and rows of beautiful flowers, which vary by month, for instance, if you are after Dahlias you might want to wait until August or September for the best blooms. But no matter the time you will be able to craft a wonderful bouquet of flowers, plus they serve drinks and cakes.
Blooming Green also hosts various flower workshops, such as learning how to make a hand-tied bouquet to courses on how to grow and arrange your own cut flower garden. Pre-booking is essential to pick your own flowers and for the courses over on Blooming Green’s website.
The Flower Farm Denstroude, Canterbury
For an affordable and fun flower picking experience, The Flower Farm Denstroude in Canterbury is perfect. Here you can pick seasonal cottage garden blooms and wildflowers, such as cosmos and sunflowers for just £20 per bucket, just don’t forget to bring your own. If you are having an event, wedding or party, you can also get large buckets of flowers for £65.
To growing season varies, so check on their social media when it opens, and keep your weekend free for some therapeutic flower arranging. Trust me, there is something special about cutting your own flowers and taking them home.
Castle Farm, Lullingstone
For all things lavender – from fields of purple to ice cream, lotions, and freshly cut bunches, Castle Farm is the place to go. The lavender season is from late June to late July and Castle Farm operates various experiences. You can book a 45-minute unguided stroll through its lavender fields, which features its instagrammable ready bench for the perfect shot, as well as guided tours around the farm, where you get to see several varieties of lavender and its custom-built distillery where you can learn how the oil is extracted.
For a memorable experience, why not book a 2-hour picnic slot, where you get to sit and relax with your own food and drink in the lovely Ladybird Lavender field with over 80,000 lavender plants. For a magical shot book an evening session between 6 and 8pm.
As well as selling its lavender, the Castle Farm shop sells seasonal produce including fresh cherries and strawberries, jams, honey, cakes, local cheese and meat. The farm also has a coffee cart serving barista coffee and hot drinks, cold drinks, ice creams and snacks. Don’t forget to try the lavender ice cream it is amazing.
Tickets go on sale in June, on a rolling schedule 10 days ahead of the event date, with guided tours starting from June 24, unguided walks from June 28 and picnics from July 1.
