And in the Tudor courtyard flowers told the story of Beauty and the Beast, even down to the blood-red rose under a glass dome.
More than 20 displays by designers from around Britain brought 898-year-old Leeds Castle near Maidstone in Kent to life within its state rooms and in the grounds.
Outside was a “Magical Tree” complete with flower-garlanded dream catchers while the moat arch was bedecked with a cascade of colours from roses, purple and white hydrangea, pink chrysanthemums and moonlight carnations.
Even the ruined barbican got the five star treatment with hard-wearing silk flowers hanging before its portcullis.
Many of the flowers are from Colombia in South America, the world's second biggest grower of flowers, and were carried in the bellies of scheduled passenger planes.
The Festival, which runs until Thursday, is the fifth in its current format, and was formally opened by TV gardener Joe Swift.
But the first ever Leeds Castle flower festival was run in 1901 and in the 1930s wealthy owner Lady Olive Baillie was famous for her floral displays at parties attended by Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson and Hollywood stars Errol Flynn and David Niven.
Keeping up the tradition inside the castle was an avalanche of roses tumbling out of a fireplace in the Yellow Silk Drawing Room and a four poster bed of roses and autumn fruits in the Seminar Room.
The Henry VIII Banqueting Hall was given a sumptuous makeover by royal florist Simon Lycett who decorated it from top to bottom with orchids, Chinese lanterns, roses and dahlias.
The winner was declared by Mr Swift to be a vast display of delphiniums and roses on the front lawn called "Once in a blue moon" created by Dennis Kneepkens who had flown in from Beirut the day before to set up the arrangement.
Also in the prizes was the Queen's Bedroom, which was turned into a magical forest by Amy Curtis.
