Emmetts Garden, Sevenoaks

Emmetts Garden

Emmetts Garden is an informal Victorian garden set on Ide Hill, at 700 feet one of the highest spots in Kent. Here you will find rare trees and shrubs from across the world. Full of interest in spring, with profusely flowering shrubs and flowers, and in autumn for vibrant colours.

History

Emmetts was created between 1890-1927 by an Edwardian gentleman named Frederick Lubbock as a weekend retreat for his family. Lubbock was a friend of influential garden writer William Robinson and shared Robinson's enthusiasm for new and unusual plants. At Emmetts he decided to create a garden featuring exotic plants in a natural landscape.

The Alpine rock garden

Weald and Downland Views

Much of Emmetts is laid out on a sloping hillside, with views across the Kentish Weald and the North Downs. On a wooded slope you can walk through a small pinetum, an Alpine garden, and a south garden with exotic shrubs.

There are woodland walks through hillsides covered in bluebells in spring, and a longer walk brings you to the nearby National Trust property of Toy's Hill, one of the first Trust purchases. One of the prize trees at Emmetts is a giant Wellingtonia which is thought to be the tallest tree in Kent.