What should we be planting now if we want our gardens to thrive in the climate of the future?
It’s a question that is becoming increasingly important for gardeners, particularly after another summer of extreme heat and prolonged dry weather. As part of Autumn Colour at Hever Castle, renowned arborist Tony Kirkham MBE, VMH will visit Hever on Wednesday 14th October to share his extraordinary knowledge of trees and some of the remarkable trees that have shaped his career.
Tony is perhaps best known for his 43 years at Kew Gardens, where he was Head of the Arboretum and cared for more than 14,000 trees. He has also travelled the world on plant-hunting expeditions and brought his expertise to television audiences through Channel 5’s The Secret Life of Trees.
His visit to Hever will be his first and he’s looking forward to exploring the gardens and seeing the trees for himself.
“I’m looking forward to walking round Lake Walk, and exploring the trees on site,” says Tony. “Some of the best walks and observations are completely off the cuff.”
Tony’s talk comes at a fascinating time for gardeners. This summer’s heat and drought have highlighted just how differently trees respond to increasingly challenging conditions and some familiar favourites are struggling.
Birches, for example, are particularly vulnerable to heat and are no longer necessarily suited to being planted in exposed lawns. Tony says they need the cooler conditions provided by woodland shade. Sycamores, meanwhile, may look alarming when their leaves turn brown and drop early, but this can actually be a positive sign, allowing the tree to protect itself and potentially bounce back after a wetter winter.
For Tony, the answer isn’t simply to look for a ‘drought-resistant’ tree. Newly planted trees still need water while they establish their root systems, and future planting needs to consider a wider range of conditions, including high levels of UV in summer and potential waterlogging in winter.
His advice is simple: the right tree, in the right place, for the right reason.
It’s an approach that is already being explored in the gardens at Hever. While some familiar species have struggled in recent hot weather, other, more Mediterranean-inspired planting is thriving, including figs, crepe myrtle, Albizia and pomegranates in the Italian Garden.
Tony believes gardeners should also be prepared to look beyond traditional native planting when thinking about the future.
“If we continue only planting native species, we won’t have a resilient treescape by 2050” he says, pointing to the need for trees that can cope with lower rainfall, high summer UV and wetter winters.
Among the trees Tony recommends looking at are Taxodium, which can cope well with winter waterlogging; Liquidambar, which offers both shade and spectacular autumn colour; and red oaks and black walnuts, which can develop into long-lived canopy trees.
For gardeners, it means thinking differently about what we plant and accepting that some of the plants we have always relied on may not necessarily be the best choices for the gardens of the future.
Tony’s visit is part of Autumn Colour at Hever Castle, running from 28th September to 1st November, when the gardens become a spectacular showcase of changing foliage and seasonal colour.
The event also provides an opportunity to look more closely at some of Hever’s own unusual and established trees. Among them is the Tree of Heaven, planted by Princess Alexandra in 1985, which has proved remarkably well suited to recent warmer conditions.
With the trees around Lake Walk beginning to turn and their reflections appearing across the water, October is one of the most beautiful times to explore the gardens and Tony’s talk offers a chance to see them with a fresh perspective.
Remarkable Trees Talk & Tour with Tony Kirkham MBE, VMH
Wednesday 14th October 2026
11.30am & 2pm
Included with garden admission
Join Tony at Autumn Colour to hear stories from an extraordinary career among some of the world’s most remarkable trees, discover what climate change could mean for the trees we plant today, and explore Hever’s own collection with one of the country’s leading tree experts.
Find out more about Autumn Colour here
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Within the grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, there are two opportunities for you to stay the night with us.
Hever Castle has played host to many important events and celebrations for over 600 years. In 1903 when William Waldorf Astor set about restoring Hever Castle to its former glory, he added the Astor Wing, to accommodate his family and guests, before creating a lake and the spectacular Italian Garden to house his impressive collection of ancient Greek and Roman statuary.
There are multiple places to eat & drink across the Hever Castle Estate. Select between the Castle & Gardens and Golf Club below to discover more.
Set in the mature grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, Hever Castle Golf Club is a 27 hole Kent golf course that will encourage and inspire all golf enthusiasts.
Set in the mature grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, the Wellbeing Centre consists of five smart treatment rooms.
