Dine beside our private Japanese garden in Kent
Adrian designed the The Silk House garden in 2015, starting with an unkempt field and a few mature trees. Adrian, Silke and Hendrik dug out ponds (with a 5 tonne digger and dumper), made large mounds, shifted a lot of rock and laid out the bones of the garden rooms in 2016. It was inspired by our extensive travels around Japan and we wanted an unusual and high class gaarden. We built the outdoor kitchen annexe oak frame building in 2020 and we have plans for a tea house and outdoor dining area as climate change drives some garden redesign thoughts.
Silke, an RHS trained plantswoman (at Hever Castle), did the planting and propagation. She planted hundreds of beech, hornbeam and yews to create hedges and cordon off borrowed landscape and vistas. We harvest and recirculate rainwater and compost absolutely everything. We have a Chelsea Gold Medal winning acer in the zen dry garden (along with about 30 other acers), various pines, giant bamboos, five ponds containing Koi, Tench, Orfe and lots of wildlife. We create Bonsai and Niwaki, and Silke has a huge collection of aeoniums. It's designed as a stroll and water zen garden with many traditional Japanese features and granite scuptures imported from Japan., including some antique statuary. It has been lauded by the Japanese Garden Society who have visited twice, and for several years we opened the garden for charity but it's now entirely private. Many have said it is the best private Japanese garden in Kent; we maintain it entirely ourselves - no gardeners or help. It's a labour of love!
Guests are usually permitted access to the Japanese garden (though not other areas and rooms) at our discretion when the weather is fine. It is outstandingly photogenic for special celebrations and weddings. There is no restaurant service in the garden or on the Koi terrace, except for drinks and cocktails. We do not permit access to the large kitchen garden, but are more than happy to give produce and growing tips. The restaurant itself is three or four steps away from numerous fresh herb beds which we use constantly.
This feature creates a very unusual restaurant setting in the Tunbridge Well and mid-Kent area, providing an oasis of tranquility yet within a few minutes of a direct line railway station to London. The garden remains spectacular throughout the seasons as even in winter there are many evergreen plants and trees. autumn is spectacular with maple leaves changing colour, and spring is blossom season for our cherries.
