Open daily until 31 October 11.00 – 4.30
The gardens will be open for weekends only during March
Open Daily from Sat 28th March – 1st Nov – 11.00 – 4.30
Nestled under iconic Hergest Ridge with fabulous view towards the Black Mountains, these critically acclaimed and stunning 70 acre gardens hold national collections of Maples, Birches and Zelkovas. Created and extended by five generations of the Banks family, Hergest Croft Gardens boast one of the finest collections of plants and shrubs in the UK, with many rare and exotic species and over 130 Champion trees.
What's flowering now?
Undeterred by weeks of relentless rain, spring flowers are springing in profusion at Hergest Croft. Snowdrops, of course, offer the first hint that winter is on its way out and we have very many different varieties nestled into corners of the gardens. The neon yellow of thick clumps of aconites followed closely on their heels and right now, as we open for weekends in March, we’re approaching peak bulb. There are carpets of crocuses – look for these around the Croft, but don’t miss my favourite patch at the far easterly end of the Kitchen Garden. Crocuses need to be in a crowd to look their best and a crowd this most certainly is. Daffodils – large, small, strident, paler – are trumpeting along the Entrance Path. We planted thousands of extra daffodil bulbs in the autumn – they’ll take time to get properly established, but can already be seen starting their march across the orchard.
Then the scilla! These little blue Scilla siberica are one of the glories of the Hergest spring. There are carpets of these delicate flowers just above the Croft and around the Potting Shed. They’ve also escaped into several of the rose beds in the Kitchen Garden – there are just so many of them and they are glorious.
The delicate pink and white cherry blossom looks stunning on the otherwise bare branches of many Prunus varieties. Look out for Prunus mume ‘Beni Chidori’ at the bottom of the Orchard (and pictured below). And some of the early camellias and rhododendrons are showing off their magnificent colours. So far, they haven’t been affected by frost – one bonus of all this rain. Fingers crossed for mild weather going forward.
News and Events
Annual Spring Plant Fair
Bank Holiday Monday – 4th May
Hergest Croft Gardens will welcome gardeners, plant lovers and families alike to its Annual Spring Plant Fair on Bank Holiday Monday 4 May 2026, celebrating 30 years of one of the longest-running and most respected plant fairs in Herefordshire and the West Midlands.
Taking place from 10am to 4pm, the fair will bring together more than 65 specialist nurseries from across the UK, offering an exceptional selection of rare and unusual plants, shrubs and trees. From seasoned collectors to enthusiastic beginners, visitors will find expert growers on hand to share knowledge, advice and inspiration.
This year’s fair coincides with one of the most beautiful moments in the gardening calendar. The 70-acre gardens will be alive with colour, with rhododendrons, camellias, peonies, tulips and early summer blooms creating a spectacular backdrop to the event. Admission is £9.50, which includes automatic entry to the gardens for the day.
Austyn Hallworth, Head of Marketing and PR at Hergest Croft Gardens, said:
“Reaching the 30th anniversary of the Spring Plant Fair is a tremendous milestone for us. It’s a wonderful celebration of plants, people and the passion for gardening that brings visitors back year after year. it is testimony to the quality of our exhibitors that sees the fair growing in size and stature year on year”
With its welcoming atmosphere and outstanding setting, the Spring Plant Fair remains a much-loved highlight of the gardening year and a perfect Bank Holiday day out – Under 16’s are free too!
Hergest Wins National Tourism Award!
Hergest Croft Gardens and Maples Tearoom honoured with VisitEngland Quality Food & Drink Accolade
Prestigious national award celebrates exceptional visitor experience and local hospitality excellence in Kington.
Accolades were awarded to 78 English attractions covering all aspects of what makes an outstanding visitor experience.
Mell Lloyd, the franchisee for Maples Tearoom, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to be the recipient of this prestigious award. The hospitality industry is facing huge challenges at present and therefore this accolade is a real ray of sunshine for us! We have a wonderful team at Maples and this award is a true reflection of their hard work and dedication in serving the very best local produce and providing genuine service with a smile. Well done, Team Maples!
New Artist in Residence for 2026
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Miranda Whitten-Walker as our new Artist in Residence for the 2026 season.A Kington-based contemporary artist and printmaker, Miranda will undertake a twelve-month residency from March 2026, working in the gardens throughout the seasons and drawing inspiration from Hergest Croft’s celebrated landscape, champion trees and rare plant collections.
Specialising in nature and landscapes, Miranda is particularly known for her complex, multi-layered linocut prints, which explore British hill ranges from unusual perspectives. Her work typically begins as plein-air sketches made outdoors, before being developed in the studio into prints with a distinctive painterly quality, blending abstract and realistic elements. Strongly influenced by the textures and erosive forces shaping the rural environment, her practice reflects a deep engagement with landscape and place.
An emerging figure in the UK art scene, Whitten-Walker was the 2025 recipient of the h.Art Emerging Artist Bursary Award, having shifted to full-time art in 2024 from a career as a biologist. She is a self-taught artist, a Fellow of the RSA and a member of Aberystwyth Printmakers. Her work has been exhibited widely across the Welsh Borders and beyond, including in Ironbridge and at Liverpool’s Bluecoat, and has featured in publications by the BBC and Oxford University Press.
Austyn Hallworth, Head of Marketing and PR at Hergest Croft Gardens, said: “Miranda’s work speaks beautifully to the spirit of Hergest Croft – it is rooted in landscape, shaped by observation and enriched by time spent outdoors. Her residency will offer visitors a deeper, more reflective way of experiencing the gardens, while strengthening our commitment to creativity, heritage and community.”
Capture the moment for an enduring memory!
We are delighted to announce a commercial partnership with Laura Shepherd Photography
Whether it is a special occasion, celebration or just a memory, record that intimate moment using Hergest Croft Gardens as a stunning location or back drop. We have over 70 acres of gardens and parkland with a huge variety of beautiful photographic scenery to choose from!
Contact www.laurashepherdslensphotography.com
Well done team Hergest – again!
We are delighted to announce that Hergest Croft Gardens have been shortlisted in the Visitor Attraction of the Year category for the send year running.
Last year, we battled it out with some of the finest in the County and narrowly missed out to our friends at the Small Breeds Farm also in Kington.
However, this year, we will be up against our friend Roy Strong of The Laskett Garden which is extremely tough opposition.
“To be shortlisted twice in two years is indeed a tremendous achievement when you consider the fabulous number of attractions within the County” said Austyn Hallworth, Head of Marketing and PR for Hergest Croft Gardens.
“It really is testimony to the hard work, enthusiasm and passion that is generated by our loyal and established staff on a daily basis.” he said.
A second round of judging will take place September and the winners will be announced at a glittering awards dinner in February 2026. So all of our fingers are tightly crossed to win!
Horticultural Highlights from Hergest with award-winning Senior Gardener, Rowan Griffiths.
Welcome to our new Hergest Croft Gardens video channel where each month we will be discussing various seasonal elements of the gardens – Enjoy