Introduction
Emmetts Garden was farmland until 1860 when the present house was built. (The three-storey Victorian villa and garden immediately surrounding it are not open to visitors.) The name 'Emmetts' comes from the old local word for the giant anthills which filled the woodlands until the 1950s. This may have influenced Frederick Lubbock's decision to purchase the garden as his eldest brother - John, Lord Avebury - was a world expert on ants.

The Lubbock years (1890-1927)
In 1890 Emmetts was sold to Frederic Lubbock who came from a family famous in banking, politics and science. Lubbock planted on the six acres of free-draining light soil an important collection of rare trees and shrubs in the informal style of the influential Edwardian garden writer William Robinson who was also his friend. Gertrude Jekyll was also an influence on his work in the grounds. At the time of his occupation, Lubbock and his wife already had five children, and to accommodate his growing family he added a third floor to the house by raising the roof using jacks, a considerable feat of engineering at that date. The garden was extended beyond the old drive in 1900 and about ten years later he created the Italianate Rose Garden and also purchased a number of specimen trees - 282 different species. The cool, moist atmosphere enabled the plants to flourish and by 1917 the number of species had risen to over 500.

The Boise years (1928-1964)
After Lubbock died in 1927, the estate was purchased by Charles Watson Boise, an American geologist. From 1928 until 1964 he carried out several alterations and additions to the house and grounds. In 1954 he began a programme of propagation from the Lubbock plantings which ensured the botanical continuity of the garden. Although new species were added, they were usually of the same genus as those already present in order to preserve the garden's character. He also built the rock garden in 1937 and due to his fear of still water (after catching Malaria in the tropics), he filled in the ponds. In 1961, the camellia garden was planted and the creation of the bluebell dell began.

The National Trust takes over
In 1964 Charles Boise bequeathed Emmetts to the National Trust. Since then the Trust has sought to maintain the botanical diversity of the garden developed by Lubbock and Boise. The Great Storm of 1987 sadly brought down many of the old trees and shrubs planted by Lubbock, with the notable exception of the 100ft-high Wellingtonia which has the highest tree top in Kent. However, an active programme of replanting is gradually restoring the character of the garden.