Answer: Myrtle

The first known use of Osborne myrtle in a royal bouquet was at the wedding of Victoria and Albert’s eldest daughter, also Victoria. Since then, flowers grown from the same plant have featured in the bouquets of several generations of royal brides including Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, the Duchess of Cambridge and, most recently, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.

Wrest Park

Among the additions and enhancements to the grounds made by Jemima, Marchioness Grey (1723–97), were these adornments. She also commissioned Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown to work on the estate, but was careful not to compromise the character of the existing elegant gardens.

Answer: A Pear

The story goes that, during the queen’s visit to Kenilworth in 1575, she was presented with a pear tree, which she named ‘Black Worcester’ due to its dark colouring. This variety still grows in the Elizabethan garden today, and is featured on the crest for the City of Worcester.

Answer: Alexander Pope

The renowned poet was among the friends of Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, who built Marble Hill House from 1724. Pope lived just a little upriver along the Thames, and designed his own garden around the same time.

Answer: Cactus

During the day, the ‘orchid cactus’ Epiphyllum looks rather nondescript, but at night some 25–30 large white flowers bloom. Pollinated in its native South America by moths and bats, this species was brought to Walmer Castle by the Lord Warden's wife around 2008.

Answer: Mount Grace Priory

The garden of the Mount Grace Priory cell is English Heritage’s best-preserved example of monastic horticulture. It was replanted for the first time in 1994, following archaeological excavation of the cells. Cell gardens, such as those at Mount Grace Priory, provided monks with the opportunity for manual labour within the confines of their own cell, which was a key part of the Carthusian ideal. 

Answer: B Princess Beatrice

Queen Victoria's youngest daughter was Governor of the Isle of Wight from 1896 until her death in 1944. From 1913, the walled garden at Carisbrooke Castle, her residence on the island, became her private or 'privy' garden. In spring, the beautiful blossom of the Judas tree creates a pink canopy over the blue camassia in the border below.

Answer: Witley Court

The large, ornate fountain, designed by William Andrews Nesfield during his mid-19th-century revamp of the grounds of this now-ruined Worcestershire palace, was recently restored. It now fires daily from April to the end of October.

Answer: Ferns

Ferns were highly popular in the Victorian era, when Brodsworth’s fabulous gardens were largely created. In 2000, after English Heritage took over the property and began restoring its long-neglected gardens, the Grotto was identified as an ideal place to rehome the important fern collection owned by wing commander Eric Baker. Today you can admire more than 100 types of fern here.

Answer: Eltham Palace

The medieval north bridge spanning the old palace moat was first built during the reign of Richard II, and rebuilt towards the end of the 15th century.

Answer: Spuria iris

This bizarre plant, native to the east Mediterranean, grows up to two metres tall. When its lovely blue-purple flowers bloom, its leaves begin to die back – and the mature flower briefly gives off a rotten-meat odour that attracts flies for pollination.

Answer: C 112 acres

Set amid the undulating expanses of Hampstead Heath, in the extensive grounds at Kenwood you can explore ancient woodland, visit a fascinating late-18th-century dairy, and admire beautiful sculptures and a sham bridge.  

Answer: Audley End House and Gardens in Essex

One area of the grounds at Audley End House and Gardens, known as the Elysian Garden, was a space designed for entertaining. It was laid out as an informal flower garden by Audley End’s owner Sir John Griffin Griffin in the late 18th century, and its Palladian ‘Tea Bridge’ was designed by Robert Adam around 1780.

Answer: Earthworms

During extensive experiments on these soil-dwelling invertebrates, Darwin tested their hearing and reactions to vibrations by playing instruments including the piano.

Answer: Arts and Crafts

The gardens and house at Mount Grace Priory in North Yorkshire were remodelled around the turn of the 19th century, in a style that began as a reaction to the structured and formal designs of Victorian gardens. Now, 13 acres of Arts and Crafts gardens have been revived, with borders redesigned by award-winning gardener Chris Beardshaw.

Answer: Walmer Castle and Gardens in Kent

The Queen Mother was Lord Warden of Walmer Castle for nearly a quarter of a century, from 1978 to 2002. In 1997, the walled garden was redesigned by Penelope Hobhouse, and now forms the tranquil Queen Mother’s Garden centred around a pool and arched pavilion.

Answer: They’re carnivorous

Darwin was fascinated by insectivorous plants, and kept a number of specimens in his glasshouse to aid his research – you can still see many examples there today. Sundews secrete a sticky substance that coats fine hairs on their leaves, trapping insects, which are absorbed by the plants.

Answer: Prince Albert

Queen Victoria’s husband was deeply involved in the development of the gardens at the royal home on the Isle of Wight, and began planting on the terraces before construction was even completed.

Answer: Henbane

In the Middle Ages, plants that resemble a part of the human body were believed to provide remedies for diseases that affected that area. The jagged seed pods of henbane look a little like teeth, and it’s thought that this resemblance may have been among the reasons it was used to treat toothache.

Answer: Sir Robert Dudley

The ambitious Earl of Leicester was granted Kenilworth Castle in 1563 by Queen Elizabeth I, and created a private formal garden for her visit in 1575. Neglected for four centuries, this beautiful garden was restored and recreated in 2009.