During the two months of April and May, when over thirty thousand tulips bloom across the gardens, we have named the two weeks between Saturday 29th April and Sunday 14th May a Tulip Festival, when the bulbs are at their best and you can enjoy wandering around the gardens in a spectacular sea of colour.

It’s an annual delight that started in the Autumn of 2013, when 13,000 bulbs were planted in the herbaceous beds to give an early start to colour in the Park Garden, on the Mount and in the Kitchen Garden. Keen to evolve the tradition of tulips at Forde Abbey, we’ve given Danny, our gardener, carte blanche to design this year’s display, which will include; Fontainebleau, Rem’s Favorite and Queen of the night – some welcome colors to look forward to after the Winter months.

New this year, Danny will be hosting monthly workshops in the kitchen garden focusing on seasonal jobs to do in the garden, with practical tips and advice. It’ll be a very informal couple of hours including a cup of tea or coffee and a guided tour around the beds. Due to the working space available, tickets are limited, so please book ahead to avoid disappointment