The garden at Emmetts Garden

An image looking out over the rose garden at Emmetts Garden in Kent with a dusting of white frost over the ground and a stone fountain in the centre surrounded by pruned rose bushes — The rose garden at Emmetts Garden in Kent covered in a dusting of frost | © National Trust Images/Rachael Warren

With different areas of the garden, and far-reaching views, there’s always something new to see here. This Edwardian garden has plenty of secrets to reveal including a Rose Garden, Rock Garden and water features.

Winter at Emmetts Garden

Blow away the cobwebs and enjoy a winter wonderland, with frosty days bringing sparkle throughout the garden. From the surrounding dormant, broadleaf woodland dominating the landscape to far-reaching views out across the Weald of Kent, there’s plenty to see and enjoy during the colder months. Here are some winter highlights to look out for:

Impressive evergreens

Look out for the Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica glauca), Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), and a unique-looking Brewer's Spruce (Picea breweriana).

Snowdrops

These first signs of spring are always a delight to see as the new year settles in.

Winter walks around Emmetts Garden

Grab your winter coat, pull on your boots and enjoy the fresh, crisp air on a walk at Emmetts Garden. Don’t forget to head up to the Old Stables Tea Room for a hot drink to take away – perfect for warming your fingers.

The views from the garden alone are well worth making a visit for. The lack of leaves on the trees means more and more viewpoints open up over winter.

Coppice clearings

If you venture into the surrounding countryside, keep an eye out for the coppice clearings created by the West Kent Ranger team who manage the woodlands surrounding Emmetts Garden and across Toys Hill.

Without the coverage from these coppiced trees the sun can now reach the woodland floor, allowing key indicator plants of ancient woodlands to grow. Keep checking back to see how the woodland under-storey evolves throughout the spring and summer months too.

Seasonal highlights

Don't miss these winter wonders.

Winter roses

See our Rose Garden in its skeletal, dormant state. Our Garden Team will be busy later in the season pruning these plants to prepare them for the year ahead.

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Discover the different parts of Emmetts Garden

The Rose Garden

The Italianate rose garden, with its abundance of pink and white blooms, is the only truly formal part of Emmetts Garden.

Look out for the pink Octavia Hill roses as you step down into the garden; named after a founding member of the National Trust. These were planted in 2012 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of her passing.

Around the fountain you’ll discover a border bursting with Rosa ‘English Miss’. This border was recently replanted with the same varieties chosen for this space by the garden’s founders, Frederic and Catherine Lubbock.

The dainty Rosa ‘Bonica’ and the fragrant Rosa ‘Katherine Zeimet’ are some of the other varieties of roses on show.

A view across the rose garden at Emmetts Garden in Kent covered with a white frost — The rock garden at Emmetts Garden covered in frost | © National Trust Images/Rachael Warren

The Rock Garden

This area is home to a wonderful variety of alpine plants originally laid out as a specimen garden, alongside a lily pond and small cascade fed from the Ram Pump located in the wooded valley below the garden. Winding paths allow you to explore this unique part of the garden.

The North Garden

Discover splashes of colour along the winding paths as you explore this garden. You won’t be able to miss the Wedding Cake tree (Cornus controversa), whose unusual branches grow in horizontal tiers and resemble the structure of a wedding cake.

The South Garden

This part of the garden is home to an impressive collection of hardy exotic trees and shrubs, including four ‘Handkerchief’ or ‘Dove’ trees (Davidia involucrata). These are named for their creamy-white petal-like bracts, which have the appearance of fluttering dove wings or handkerchiefs hanging from the branches. One of these trees is an original specimen introduced to the United Kingdom and is over 120 years old.

The Discovery Cabin

Make your way through Emmetts Garden to the Discovery Cabin to pick up a potted history of this special place. Inside you’ll find quotes, memories and digital replicas of black and white photography from the garden’s early days. This is a great place to learn more about the history of this unique garden and its historic plant collection.