THEGARDENOFENGLAND
THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND
insideKENT ’ s guide to some of the most beautiful gardens to visit in Kent
FOR OVER 400 YEARS , KENT HAS BASKED UNDER ITS TITLE AS ‘ THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND ’. CHARACTERISED BY FIELDS OF HOPS , ACRE UPON ACRE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND , THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER , WIMBLEDON ’ S INFAMOUS STRAWBERRIES WHICH ARE GROWN HERE , ENDLESS ROLLING HILLS FRAMING OUR TOWNS AND VILLAGES AND 22 NATIONAL TRUST SITES , AS WELL AS MANY BEAUTIFUL AREAS OF OPEN COUNTRYSIDE IN BETWEEN , IT WOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE TO PRESUME HOW KENT EARNED THE ENVIABLE TITLE . BUT YOU ’ D BE WRONG . THE REAL REASON KENT IS COINED THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND IS BECAUSE OF A BOWL OF CHERRIES !
Legend has it that Tudor King Henry VIII was so impressed with a bowl of Kentish cherries he ’ d polished off , that he coined the phrase which has stuck ever since . He clearly had a way with words , as well as women ! Over recent years , Kent has had to defend its title using its more obvious landmarks and qualities ; fighting off competition from other counties that argued The Channel Tunnel , the rise in housing and the increase in pollution levels made us undeserving of the accolade . But luckily , we ’ ve hung in there and there is no doubt that it ' s thanks to some of the beautiful gardens included here , all of which are not to be missed this summer .
© Marianne Majerus Garden Images
THE WHITE GARDEN IN JULY AT SISSINGHURST CASTLE
Sissinghurst Castle Garden , Cranbrook
The diverse history of the garden at Sissinghurst Castle , from a prison in 1700 to being home to the Women ’ s Land Army and then being bought by the poet and writer Vita Sackville-West and her author and diplomat husband , Harold Nicolson , is almost as interesting and diverse as the world renowned gardens you ’ ll discover here . Bought for £ 12,375 in 1930 by Sackville-West and Nicolson but only using Sackville-West ’ s money , the pair set about creating out of their 450 acres , one of the UK ’ s finest gardens . It took them three years to clear the grounds alone , and from there they began to architect the garden as you find it today . Nicolson was responsible for the design and layout , while Sackville-West , at the head of her team of gardeners , undertook the planting . Bountiful flowerbeds brimming with illustrious flowers and plants characterise her planting and it is felt to offer a direct reflection of the romanticism of her poetry . Amongst the formal gardens , you can now enjoy a mindfulness trail and the cottage garden is currently a carpet of colour as the Mme Alfred Carriere climbing rose unfurls . The early summer flowering rose was the first thing that Sackville-West and Nicolson planted at Sissinghurst , on the day their offer was accepted . Today , there are still many old-fashioned and shrub roses at Sissinghurst , adding to its character and charm .
www . nationaltrust . org . uk / sissinghurst-castle-garden Price : Adult £ 15 / Child £ 7.50 | Garden opens daily 11am to 5.30pm
27