Camellia Festival 2012

Chiswick House and Gardens Trust will bring a burst of glorious colour to the winter season with the second annual Camellia Festival on now until 18 March 2012.

This year's festival celebrates these beautiful blooms in the setting of the spectacular Chiswick Gardens Conservatory designed by Samuel Ware in 1813. To complement the Festival, the newly restored Italian Garden, created for the 6th Duke of Devonshire in 1814, has been replanted with an early display of Spring flowers in a palette of blues and yellows.

The Chiswick House Camellia collection, housed in the Conservatory, is a national treasure and probably the oldest in the Western world. It includes rare and historically important examples of these beautiful plants, with a fabulous array of blooms; pink, red, white and striped. Many of these are descended from the original planting in 1828. Among these is the unique Middlemist's Red, originally brought to Britain from China in 1804 by Londoner John Middlemist, a nurseryman from Shepherds Bush. It is one of only two in the world known to exist - the other being in Waitangi in New Zealand.

New additions to the Festival this year include a gorgeous exhibition of blooms by Camellia specialist growers Trehane Nursery; elegant new pots on the historic stone shelving introducing the delicious scent of jasmine and hyacinth; lemon trees and the lovely 19th Century marble statue of A Girl (or Nymph) at the Bath, newly returned to the Conservatory from Chiswick House.

Experts will be on hand to advise on Camellias and how to grow them.  Jennifer Trehane, Camellia expert will be holding Camellia lectures on Wednesdays followed by a private tour (see links on right).

To complement the Festival, the shop will be selling a range of varieties of Camellia Plants.  The award-winning café will be serving a delicious seasonal menu.

Opening Times

Conservatory opening hours: Daily 10am - 4pm
Chiswick House: Closed for the season for essential maintenance the House will be open weekends only during the Camellia Festival 10am - 4pm
Chiswick House Café: 10am - 5pm

Tickets

Adults £8.00 including Free Camellia Show Guide

Advance tickets:  Available via Ticketweb (link on right) - or by calling 0844 477 1000. Early pre-bookings is advised as capacity in the Conservatory is limited.

In Person: Some tickets are available on the day at the Conservatory from 10am onwards - last ticket purchase 3.15pm (pre-bookings with Ticketweb is advisable particularly at weekends).

All profits raised help to support Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, a registered charity dedicated to the preservation and continued enhancement of the historic Chiswick House Gardens open free to the public from dawn to dusk every day.