Summer Festival of Colour at Castle Howard

Added: (Wed Jun 18 2003)

Pressbox (Press Release) - “A Rose by any other a name would smell as sweet” and the roses in the gardens of Castle Howard certainly smell divine this summer. With over 2000 rosebushes, the walled gardens at Castle Howard contain one of the largest collections in Britain.

During the weekend of 28th-29th June, Castle Howard will be celebrating their roses with gardens tours and displays of horticultural equipment.

In addition to the stunning rose collection the gardens possess a rainbow of summer colour from Delphiniums, Lavender and other stunning flora. The vivid hues of reds, blues, pinks and lilacs are a delight to the eye and the intoxicating aroma, which fills the air, is an intensely stimulating experience.

Planted in memory of the late Lady Cecilia Howard, 1922 – 1974, the ‘Old Rose Garden’ includes such varieties as Damasks, Bourbons, Gallicas, English and Shrub roses, while in the ‘Sundial’ and the ‘Venus Gardens’ the roses are those from the famous ‘David Austin Rose Collection.’ The gardens team invest considerable amounts of energy into nurturing the gardens to produce the stunning displays each year.

Brian Deighton, Head Gardener at Castle Howard said: “This is my favourite time of the year. All the hard work that the team put into the grounds throughout the year pays off as we are rewarded with such amazing results”.

The rose gardens are at their best in June and July and there are regular outdoor tours of the gardens. Special guided tours can also be arranged for groups of twelve or more people. The Castle Howard Plant Centre displays and sells many of the plants growing on the estate and is open every day with free entrance. For more information about guided tours please call 01653 648623 or 648621.