Sparkles and Shoes

A Fashion, Travel, and Lifestyle Blog

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
  • My Style
    • Spring Style
    • Summer Style
    • Fall Style
    • Winter Style
  • Fashion
    • Really Love My …
    • Shop My Instagram
    • Style Icons
    • Trending
  • Travel
    • Africa
      • Egypt
      • Kenya
      • Morocco
      • Southern Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Indonesia
      • Qatar
      • Singapore
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Cyprus
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • England
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Scotland
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Vatican City
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Central America
      • St Lucia
      • US: East Coast
      • US: West Coast
    • South America
  • Favorites
    • Beauty
    • Delicious Eats
    • London
    • Sparkle Sessions
  • wedding
    • Engagement Story
    • Planning My Day
    • Wedding Inspo

The Hever Castle Tulip Festival

04/28/21 | Castles, Kent, London Day Trip

Purple Prince Tulips at the Hever Castle Tulip Festival

On Sunday morning Mark and I jumped in the car and headed out of London to Hever Castle.  IF the name rings a bell it is the same castle where Mark and I got engaged.   While that was over 10 months ago I still have two dozen photos of the gorgeous property sitting in a folder to upload but that never happened.  Well, better late than never – here is an extremely delayed tour of Hever castle with a special twist, the Hever Castle Tulip Festival! Every year the property plants thousands of tulips and when I read about this last year I flagged the rough dates on my calendar.  Thus, when I checked that their website earlier this Spring and saw that the peak blooming period this year was supposed to be from April 19th to 30th I booked tickets. 

Hever Castle and Gardens Spring SignsHever Castle Tulip Festival 12Mondial Flowers at the Hever Castle Tulip FestivalHever Castle Tulip Festival 16Hever Castle Tulip Festival - the Darwin Hybrid Tulip in the Italian GardenApeldoorn Elite Tulip Darwin Hybrid TulipHybrid Red and White TulipsTulip Boxes in the GardenAffaire Tulips at Hever Castle Tulip FestivalHever Castle Tulip Festival 05Statue in the Italian Gardens at Hever CastleAcropolis Tulips in Spring

The weather forecast said overcast but as you can see it was mostly blue skies which made for an enjoyable stroll around the gardens.  Plus with 20mph winds and a cool temperature we needed every ray of sunshine we could get.   The leaflet about the Hever Castle tulip festival shared that every year the head gardener selects the palette for the season and mixes the bulbs to create different patterns and color combinations.   While it may be a hard to see in the photos  the most common tulip this year was the Apeldoorn Elite and over 3,500 tulips alone were planted around the castle crating a gorgeous crimson and bright yellow barrier between the moat and the stone walls. 

Hever Castle and Gardens in KentPurple Prince TulipsApeldoorn Elite Tulips at Hever Castle Tulip FestivalMark at the Castle GateHever Castle Tulip Festival 09

I am not a flower expert but besides the Apeldoorn Elite there were apparently many more varieties of flowers including parrot, Darwin, peony and triumph tulips.  According to the official map over 25,000 tulips were planted around the castle and gardens and we had a great time exploring the ground, diving into our picnic, and enjoying the fresh air.   You can read more about the Tulip festival here and if you get the chance, I suggest you head down for a visit!

Signature

Subscribe

« Tiered Dresses for Spring
Just Eat the Ice Cream »

Related Posts

  • Wonderful Week - Travel Bloggeer Sparkles and Shoes at Dover CastleA Wonderful Week with Lockdown Lifting
  • Fountain in the Arundel Castle GardensExploring the Arundel Castle Gardens
  • Past Adventures: Hearst CastlePast Adventures: Hearst Castle
  • Christmas at Kew 2020 LightsChristmas at Kew, A Magical Evening

Comments

  1. Tori says

    April 29, 2021 at 6:10 pm

    Mark proposed at such a gorgeous place, I can see why you love it so Much.

    Very romantic ❤️

  2. Elly says

    April 29, 2021 at 9:09 am

    Never thought of a castle as a place for a tulip festival. What a terrific way to get two of your most favorite things to do in the same day.

  3. Jeannie says

    April 28, 2021 at 8:58 am

    Your Instagram stories from Sunday looked gorgeous.

    Glad you got such a spectacular day!

Hi, I am Kelly and welcome to Sparkles and Shoes, a fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog.  I am a New York City girl at heart but I moved to London in the Spring of 2018!

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search

Newsletter

POPULAR POSTS

  • Qatar Sand Dunes - Cars The Sand Dunes of Qatar
  • Eliza J Embellished Floral Print Chiffon Gown and Print Crêpe de Chine Mermaid Gown Eliza J Dresses
  • Outside the Rosenborg Castle Rosenborg Castle and the Danish Crown Jewels
  • 2016 Golden Globes Best Dressed Jennifer Lopez in Giambattista Valli The Best Dressed at the 2016 Golden Globes
  • Drinking Coffee at Cafe Lava Java in the Galapagos Travel Diaries: An Organic Galapaogs Coffee Plantation

WHERE I SHOP

Amazon (US)

Amazon (UK)

Beauty Pie

Nordstrom 

Sephora

Wayfair



Archives

  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012

Fine Print

Sparkles and Shoes is a part of several affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms (including Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest), I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase. All opinions are my own.

© Kelly Donlin and Sparkles and Shoes, 2012-2022 Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kelly Donlin and Sparkles and Shoes with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Get the latest

Receive Sparkles and Shoes right to your inbox!

Connect with me

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · Designed by High Note Designs, LLC

Copyright © 2023 · Tasteful Theme on Genesis Framework