The garden rooms of Sissinghurst

What it is

The writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband, the diplomat Harold Nicolson, bought the ruins of Sissinghurst Castle in Kent in 1930. He drew the plan, a set of enclosed rooms divided by yew hedges and old brick walls. She did the planting, full and loose inside his straight lines. Each room has its own season or colour. The White Garden, with only white flowers and grey leaves, is the most copied garden idea of the twentieth century. The Rose Garden holds her collection of old roses and is at its best in June. The National Trust has cared for it since 1967.

Before you go

• Mid June is the height of the old roses and the White Garden.
• Paths are narrow and the garden is small. Go at opening or in the last two hours.
• Climb the Tudor tower to see the plan of the rooms from above.

The flowers you will see

RoseWoody perennial plants with showy, often fragrant flowers in many coloursIrisA large group of perennial flowers with striking, six-lobed bloomsDelphiniumTall garden flowers with spurred blooms in blue, purple, pink, and whiteClematisA climbing vine with showy flowers, prized in gardens worldwideLilyTall bulb flowers with large, colourful blooms in many gardens and cultures

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