World Topiary Day to Encompass Tours, Tips and Topiary-inspired Dress

Levens Hall and Gardens near Kendal is preparing for one of its busiest days of the season as it throws open its gates for its third World Topiary Day, on Sunday May 14, 2023, after a wave of national publicity over the past few months, prepares to inspire garden lovers and unveils a special topiary-inspired dress.

The world’s oldest topiary garden takes centre stage as the founding garden of what has now become a globally celebrated event, with gardens across the UK, Italy, USA, Australia, Belgium, Portugal and France, all participating this year.

Head Gardener, Chris Crowder is looking forward to welcoming new and returning visitors, for a day of topiary fun, garden inspiration, and topiary-themed activities. He will be leading three tours of the Topiary Garden, unavailable at other times of the year, at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. 

Chris says: “I love to talk topiary, share top tips and inspire our visitors. The trees are at their totally trimmed best, at this time of year and it will be a real pleasure to be amongst them.”

The European Boxwood and Topiary Society (EBTS) is also supporting the event on the day.  It will be on hand to give some table-top topiary demonstrations, imparting some invaluable knowledge and providing tips on how to care for topiary.

UCLan BA Hons textile design student, Hex Gregson will be showcasing her final-year project on World Topiary Day. The largest-scale project she has ever undertaken, has been inspired by Levens Hall and Gardens topiary garden and sketches she made there in April 2023. This has resulted in her creating a unique Regency-style dress, carrying a motif design, which will be unveiled in the Levens Hall Topiary Garden and on view for visitors to see.

Ahead of the event, a special online quiz, linked to Levens’ history and the hiding of its secret recipe for its special-brew Morocco Ale, during the Civil War, has been devised. Participants who complete the online treasure hunt teaser successfully, will be entered into a prize draw to win a 2023 family season ticket. The quiz can be downloaded at www.levenshall.co.uk

Much garden inspiration awaits on World Topiary Day with the chance to not only see topiary pieces such as the Great Umbrella Tree, Queen Elizabeth I and her maids of honour, the Judge’s Wig and Darth Vader, but to also explore the rest of the gardens. These include the beautiful Fountain Garden, the Orchard, the Pastel and Red Borders, the Bowling Green, the Herb Garden, the Beech Circle and the Labyrinth. 

A range of award-winning food and drink can also be enjoyed in the contemporary café, Levens Kitchen and the Levens Hall and Gardens shop will have plenty of topiary-themed items to purchase as souvenirs.

Gardens-only tickets can be bought online at a cost of £10.50 for an adult, £4 for a child and £26 for a family. Joint admission for Hall and Gardens can be purchased on arrival, costing £14.50, £5 and £36 respectively. This enables ticketholders to book on to a tour to see the stunning Elizabethan home, its amazing décor and items of interest, and various exhibits with a link to the Duke of Wellington.

Ends

Editors notes

Levens Hall & Gardens is a historic house in the South Lakes, Cumbria, close to Kendal and home to the world's oldest topiary gardens, dating from 1694, created by French garden designer, Guillaume Beaumont. The Hall is a stunning Elizabethan house built around a 13th century pele tower and has close links to the Duke of Wellington, as well as various items which once belonged to him and Napoleon Bonaparte. Levens Park is home to the rare Bagot goats gifted to the Bagot family and a place in which to stroll and enjoy nature. Levens Kitchen is the contemporary new cafe, full of delights for cake lovers and foodies alike.