Honda and Lullingstone Castle

A historical estate, a kidnapping, and plants from every corner of the globe. Buckle up, because today we’re taking you on an adventure to Lullingstone Castle. Here we’ll be joining Tom Hart Dyke, the ‘Plant Hunter’, as he shows us how he looks after the estate with his trusty Honda Lawn and Garden equipment.

It's not every day that you get to spend time with someone who is as passionate about plants as Tom Hart Dyke. Tom, a modern-day ‘Plant Hunter’, is heir to Lullingstone Castle, home to one of Britain’s most outstanding gardens. He’s part of the 20th generation of Hart Dykes to reside at the estate (and that’s only the beginning of his extraordinary story).

Planting a seed

Tom’s passion for horticulture began at the early age of three with a packet of carrot seeds and a trowel given to him by his grandmother, Mary Hart Dyke. ‘I've never looked back’ says Tom. ‘Without a doubt my life’s inspiration is my horticulturally endowed granny who gardened away here at Lullingstone well into her 90s!’.

This tiny seed of curiosity grew into a thirst for botanical adventure, taking Tom from studying tree surgery at Sparsholt College, to travelling the world in search of rare orchids and plants.

His fascination with orchids developed during his primary school days. “I came across the wonderful bee orchid and was hooked – the bee orchid mimics a randy female bee by emitting pheromones to attract the bee – ensuring pollination”.

Dangerous discoveries

Tom is also well-known for more than just his family heritage. In 2000, his passion for orchids led him to the jungles of Colombia in search of a rare species. Ignoring all warnings, the route took him trekking through ‘The Darien Gap’ – a dangerous strip of jungle between Panama and Colombia. Here, his voyage turned into a nightmare when he and his fellow travelling companion, Paul Winder, were held at gunpoint and kidnapped by Colombian guerrillas.

For over nine months Tom and Paul were held hostage by FARC, continuously marching through the jungle not knowing whether they would live or die. It was during this time that Tom’s plan for the World Garden sprouted.

About three months into captivity, Tom and Paul were told they would be executed.

“I decided that the best course of action would be to spend my final day on earth designing my dream garden! It was a way of me dealing with the terrifying situation.”

He spent the entire day drawing plans for a garden containing all the plants he’d collected from across the globe, planted out in their respective countries of origin.

Around the world in 80 minutes

If you're looking to be awestruck by nature, Lullingstone Castle is a must-see. After his release, Tom began converting the castle's 2 acre walled gardens into the World Garden, to raise funds for the upkeep of their estate and ancestral home.

The garden opened to the public in 2005 and “pays homage to the amazing achievements of Victorian and Edwardian plant hunters who brought back the plants and flowers we now cherish and grow in our gardens in the UK”. It is laid out like a map of the world, allowing you to experience the planet’s most fascinating plants in under 80 minutes.

Amongst these plants you will find:

The world’s rarest Gum Tree (Eucalyptus Morrisbyi), a species that Tom collected in South East Tasmania in 1999

Penstemon ‘Crac’s Delight’, an orchid discovered by Tom in 1999 and named after his beloved granny

An example of the Dinosaur Tree (Wollemi Pine), the oldest tree in the world

The world's most dangerous plant, ‘stinky Dog Pooh’ (Hoodia gordonii)

The Dorset naga chilli – the hottest chilli on earth!

Keeping acres and acres of grounds and lush gardens looking great requires a little bit of help – even for the most adventurous of gardeners! That’s where Tom’s favourite tools from Honda come in.

Here’s how he keeps the grass looking greener on his own side.

MIIMO

We all love our lawns, but some of them are just too much to handle, and having a ‘friendly helper’ like the Honda Miimo can make all the difference. This intelligent robotic mower is big on performance, allowing you to mow areas up to 700m2 with zero effort on your part.

“My Honda Miimo is intuitive, reliable and very very impressive.” Itʼs also “therapeutically quiet”, and can be used near visitor areas without causing any disturbance.

BRUSHCUTTER

Not far from the World Garden, Tom maintains a nature reserve known as an SNCI, a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. This is home to a collection of very rare plants and must be kept in a more natural state.

His Honda brushcutter is “essential” for getting through all the woody plants and removing the cut vegetation to encourage a much more biodiverse, indigenous flora and fauna to return.

It’s tough, extremely manoeuvrable and comfortable, making enormous jobs like this one a breeze.

MOWER

For the entrance leading to the World Garden, Tom trusts his Honda Mower, and its roller, to give him the perfect stripes every time.

“The collecting box is a gardener’s dream. It’s not just massive, but fills to the brim AND you can undo and pull through the handle – I’ve never seen that in any lawnmower.”

Effortless, hard-working and a “crucial part of the Lullingstone family”.