In the 16th century Sissinghurst Castle was a grand Elizabethan Manor house and in 1573 Queen Elizabeth the 1st was a guest here for three nights. However, over time it deteriorated until there wasn’t much left standing apart from the dramatic Elizabethan tower which today is the main focal point of the garden. A spiral staircase leads visitors past the room where Vita did her writing and the view she looked out on is one of the most beautiful in this part of England.
English Gardens - Sissinghurst - Creation of the Gardens
Vita and Harold bought the house in 1930 and the restoration began. It was Harold who planned how best to use the the shape of the existing garden, which was somewhat restrained by walls and brick structures. However, he had six acres to play with and he used the existing structures to create a series of ‘outdoor rooms’ with linked walkways.
Harold was a meticulous designer for whom perfect line and measure were very important, whereas Vita was the romantic planter of flowers. As one can see when visiting Sissinghurst, this was a good combination of talents and one that has made it one of the most famous gardens in the UK.
But it was Vita who was the creator of the inovative planting schemes. She was not fond of too much formality or regimentation and her inspirational scheme was to group the plants according to colour, texture and season. The best view of the layout is from the top of the tower.
English Gardens - Sissinghurst -The White Garden
The most popular of the individual gardens at Sissinghurst is the White Garden. It is probably the most famous of all the gardens. Filled with roses, lavenders, clematis, primroses and many more varieties, plus ground cover of silver and grey foliage, it seems to brightly shimmer. It was was designed to be at its best in early July and especially in the evenings when illuminated by a full moon.
English Gardens - Sissinghurst -The Rose Garden
Roses were one of Vita's favorite flowers and this garden is full of and heady perfume.from roses of many different colours. The exhuberant abundance of the place is overwhelming - very romantic. The Rose Garden is richly planted with old-fashioned species which are at their peak in June. This Garden is in the walled space that was once the garden of the Tudor manor
English Gardens Sissinghurst - The Lime Walk
Designed, planted and maintained by Harold himself, it was intended to be a classical garden after the Italian model, with marble statues at each end. It is at its best in spring when the bulbs begin to flower.
English Gardens - Sissinghurst -The Cottage Garden
This was intended to be a private family garden, next to the South Cottage where Vita and Harold lived. On the day they bought Sissinghurst they planted a white rose against the cottage wall. The rose still survives, climbing its way over the cottage.
English Gardens - Sissinghurst -The Moat Walk
The name given to the sunken lawn that leads from the Cottage Garden to the moat which once surrounded the original medieval house on three sides. In June the walls are covered in white wisteria.
English Gardens - Sissinghurst -The Herb Garden
The small, rectangular formal herb garden with its medicinal and aromatic plants contains a mixture of over a hundred varieties of herbs and useful flowers, which not only smell wonderful but also make it very colourful.
English Gardens - Sissinghurst -The Orchard
The orchard is situated where the old medieval manorhouse once stood. The trees are mainly apples and pears and in spring the area is crammed with yellow and white daffodils.
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