Carrie

Part 13 of Report:<BR><BR>DAY FIVE (Friday, May 24, 2002)<BR><BR>The day begins with rain, of course, but over a large and tasty breakfast of scrambled fresh eggs (courtesy of the chickens outside), country bacon, sausages, and french-pressed coffee, the sun begins to peek out. Not that rain would stop me from visiting any gardens, because what’s good for the plants has got to be good for me too! Besides, colorful plants photograph much better when there is no direct sunlight.<BR><BR>Today is my day to visit Sissinghurst, the holy mecca of English gardens. I’ve learned from the National Trust website (the Trust owns Sissinghurst, although Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson’s son still lives in the mansion) -- www.nationaltrust.org.uk -- that opening hours is extended during the summer months. Sissinghurst is open from 11:00 to 6:30 on Mondays, Tuesday, and Friday (Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays -- whatever those are -- the garden is open 10 to 6:30.) The garden is not open on Wednesday or Thursday, so plan accordingly.<BR><BR>I’ve also read that during peak times, the garden operates on a timed ticket; when I arrive at noon, however, the car park is only 1/4 full. I’m surprised, because the gardens ARE at peak. Perhaps it is because everything is two weeks early this year, or at least that’s what the British gardeners tell me. Blame global warming…..<BR>

Carrie

Part 14 of Report:<BR><BR>To say that Sissinghurst is beautiful is an understatement. Harold and Vita laid out the garden design with almost military-like precision. Boxwood hedges are still cut by hand, and for sure, their edges are sharp enough to cut one’s beard with. The famous white garden is indeed just that: white. Probably 95% of the plants are labeled (of course, the ones that are not are the ones I’ve never before seen).<BR><BR>Curiously though, I find that I am not moved. The garden does not touch my soul, or awaken any deep longings in me, like so many other gardens have in my lifetime. Is it the almost fanatical order? Is it the absolute lack of any weed or stray blown leaf? I think not this last question, because many of the Chelsea Flower Show gardens were like that, yet I felt my heart stirred.<BR><BR>To be sure, there WERE some views that took my breath away. In the sunken moat walk, the Wisteria floribunda Alba is dripping with pendulous white mini-globes, and spilling gracefully over the ancient wall. Purple wallflowers -- Erysimum linifolium “Bowles Variety”-- dot the wall beside the wisteria, while thousands of blue Symphytum caucasium sparkle at its feet. Across the walk, vivid orange and yellow azaleas -- most likely Azalea pontica -- bloom their heads off.<BR><BR>Located adjacent to the small cottage in which Vita and Harold lived, the cottage garden is awash in bright red and yellow color. Gay aquilegia with red spurs and yellow centers dance everywhere in the breeze. The yellow grass Hakonechla macra “Akoaurea” provides a small exclamation point. Vibrant red poppies, no label found with the variety name, flutter.<BR><BR>I spend a lot of time on a bench in the rose garden, hoping to take a long lens shot down one certain path unobstructed by any people. Framing this path in the foreground are many white and purple irises, “White City” and “Black Douglas”, and Allium cernuum, while the long view looks toward a white Viburnum sargentii “Onondaga” and a lovely blue Ceanothus dentatus, which sadly I will never be able to have because it will not survive our cold winters.<BR><BR>I wait a long, long time for this shot, but meet and talk with many interesting people: an elderly British woman visiting with her daughter who remembers seeing the garden when Vita was alive and a group from Massachusetts, my home state. We discuss one of our favorite plant nurseries, Blanchette’s in Carlisle. The woman from Swampscott comes back and invites me to her town’s garden tour because after all, if I like to shop at Blanchette’s, I must be a garden-lover. If she only knew!

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BillJ

Thanks for topping. I had not seen this. Carrie, thank you for the report, as I have tickets for May 22 (Thurs) Keukenhoff has restaurants and plenty of rest areas. But at least we are now prepared. Thanks.

Scarlett

<BR>On a cold grey January day,almost a year later- I have discovered this report. What a treat!<BR>Thank you Carrie for taking so much time to post it and I wish that I could tour a couple of gardens with you someday, what a hoot that would be!<BR>

JimSteel

Funny this sould come up, as I have just come back from the weekend in Kent. We went to a wedding at Pashley Manor. We stayed at as fantasic B&amp;B that is a short distance from Sissinghurst / Great Dixter and Pashley Manor and one I would recommend:
www.lamberdenhouse.co.uk
Also near to Rye and a number of very good pubs and villages.

mclaurie

What a fabulous thread to discover on this grey May morning. I'm going to check whether Carrie ever finished this trip report.

CarrieGarden

Hello all -- I am the Carrie that wrote the original report, and sadly, no, I never finished it.

I am very happy that so many people found the original post to be helpful. I've checked the post once or twice over the past year and have been pleased to learn that people are still reading it!

I am leaving for England again next week; I'll be in London for a few days (yes! the Chelsea Flower Show -- this time for TWO whole days!) and then I'm on to the Cornwall area for more gardens, gardens, gardens!

Just to mix things up a bit for myself and indulging in the other passion in my life -- choral music -- I'm also planning on visiting some churches (hopefully those that have great choirs) both in London and in Cornwall.

Perhaps I'll write another trip report, though I am also thinking about a possible book........! At least about the gardens, probably not the churches...unless of course, those churches have some great gardens.....!

PatrickLondon

Churches AND gardens - if you have time in London try the Museum of Garden History at St Mary's (next to Lambeth Palace, not that far away from where the Chelsea Flower Show is held):

http://www.compulink.co.uk/~museumgh/mghidx.htm

You may already know about it, but if you're going to the Chelsea Flower Show, why not try the Chelsea Physic Garden?

http://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/

SoftwareGenius

Kew is newest 'world wonder'
BBC world Report
Kew Gardens is to join the likes of the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China as a modern wonder of the world

The 132-hectare site contains some of the world's largest and most famous botanical glasshouses and historic buildings.

There are also gardens which the more than one million yearly visitors can enjoy.

Lanceolot

Did we ever get Carrie's report on her Kent and Sussex garden hunting? I recently visited Sissinghurst, Iden Croft Herb Garden, Marle Place and Pashley Manor. Old fashioned roses blooming everywhere and pretty countryside too - all these gardens comes highly recommended - Iden Croft and Marle Place are much less known than Sissinghurst, but are excellent English gardens. We stayed at Church Gates (www.churchgates.com) which comes highly recommended too - lovely old house with much historic character.
Anyway I hope Carrie will continue her epic!

jsmith

Gardens lovers should visit this site for some wonderful photos of 4 Irish gardens and 12 English:

http://www.tjhsst.edu/~dhyatt/trip/index.html

Another worthwhile visit is to the Westonbirt Arboretum in Tetbury 14 miles southwest of Cirencester in the Cotswolds. Not strictly a garden but a vaste collection of shrubs and trees from all over the world and maintained by the Forestry Commission. The collection of maples is supposed to be spectacular in the fall, we were there in spring so can't personally vouch for it.

pcheesy

This is a great report. I am leaving for England in 3 weeks and will be in the Cornwall area for a week....would love to read Part II.

SandyBrit

Carrie:

Hello - Yes we are still reading your report. Very well done. Can we expect more?

Sandy