The Haslemere Gardening Society kicked off its Autumn series with a lecture on Hampton Court Palace Gardens by Graham Dillamore, head gardener at both Hampton Court and Kensington Palace. Dillamore took the audience through the garden’s transformation over centuries.

Originally a floodplain of the River Thames, the site hosted a 13th-century manor built by the Knights Hospitaller. In the 16th century, Cardinal Wolsey expanded the area into a grand palace. Later, Henry VIII added hunting grounds, fish ponds, and a small privy garden.

Elizabeth I introduced elaborate knot gardens, while Charles I brought in Dutch-inspired water features and tree-lined avenues. After his execution, Oliver Cromwell occupied the palace but showed little interest in the gardens.

The true makeover came under William and Mary, who expanded the gardens with exotic plants, vegetable beds, clipped hedges, and the famous maze. They developed hotbeds for tender plants, marking the garden's peak in grandeur.

During the Georgian era, Capability Brown reshaped the landscape into a more natural look, removing most topiary. Queen Victoria later opened the gardens to the public, adding carpet bedding and more accessible layouts.

The palace and gardens endured the great fire of 1986 and the storm of 1987 but were carefully restored. During lockdown, new wildflower plantings were introduced to support climate-conscious gardening.

The evening ended with tea and biscuits, as members thanked Dillamore for his talk. As they say, thyme flies when you’re having fun! The next meeting is on October 23, featuring Philippa Bensley on "Climbers."