World Topiary Day celebrations are being staged at Levens Hall and Gardens, close to Kendal, in and around the world’s oldest topiary garden, on May 12, and then again, for weekend visitors, on Sunday May 15.

World Topiary Day gives the garden a chance to show off its heritage – dating all the way back to 1694 – and also some of the amazing, carefully clipped and trained trees that have been created by 10 head gardeners over the course of more than 300 years.

Visitors can view ‘stars’ such as the Great Umbrella Trees, Queen Elizabeth and her maids and the Toppling Wedding Cake, whilst also enjoying a plethora of geographical shapes and more unique specimens such as Homer Simpson and Darth Vader. Some topiary specimens are more than 300 years old, whilst over half have celebrated their 150th birthday already!

The programme of activities planned for this celebration includes topiary talks and craft activities, historic displays of images of the topiary gardens over the centuries and topiary-themed food. Expect head gardener, Chris Crowder, to be imparting his knowledge and don’t forget to check out Levens Hall and Gardens’ Twitter feed, as gardens across the world are doing their own thing to celebrate World Topiary Day this year, including the Palace of Versailles.

The whole of the Levens Hall gardens will be there to explore, as will the hall itself, the oldest Elizabethan property in Cumbria and home to amazing interiors, wood panelling and items linked to the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon Bonaparte. The hall even has a bowl said to have been used by Sir Francis Drake, as he played the game on Plymouth Hoe, prior to his meeting with the Spanish Armada!

A visit to the World Topiary Day celebrations at Levens Hall and Gardens is sure to bowl you over, so check everything out at www.levenshall.co.uk/topiary