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Sissinghurst - Beyond the Tower and White Garden

It's maintained so well. I saw hedge trimming in progress but otherwise no garden work going on. How do they do it?

Saturated color in the Rose Garden, like geum and poppy, is followed by the White Garden after some hedge hallways.

It makes me so happy that I will be back here again. Chelsea Flower Show and Sissinghurst 2026??

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Sissinghurst - Inside the Walls

No words.

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Sissinghurst - Vegetable Garden and Entry Court

Day 3 on the road. After Hever we decided to skip Hastings, we can go another time hopefully. It was a short but harrowing drive from the Greyhound Inn to Sissinghurst.

Get outta my way I'm looking at gardens.

Hoops with netting seem pretty good but you'd have to remove the netting to harvest or weed, so not perfect. I love the rustic trellises.

What is Agretti? Stringy herb that grows wild in salt marshes. Good source of green vegetable in Mediterranean winters.

A series of arched openings leads to the tower and to the rest of the garden. I think we must be here in peak season because the roses are just AMAZING.

Wire grids on masonry to allow climbers.

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More Hever. Good thing we went back for the Rose Garden.

The most floriferous rose garden ever.

No roses in the urn! I'm outraged.

On the way out, understated but not forgotten spaces under the main staircase from the beginning of the visit.

So impressive.

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More Hever Castle - We missed the rose garden, can we go back?

The castle was restored by an Astor in the 1930s, which is what every castle needs. I love the lawn at the moat and then the climbers on the stone walls. I’d for sure drop the lawn mower in the water!

The windows were remade for Astor’s 20th century renovation. The originals must have been amazing but the remakes are good.

Extended lunch with knitting time. I'm making Selbu mittens for Ann, a perfect take-along project. Good butterfly stalking here.

Beyond the gift shop, through the kids’ swords and armor, there was a museum with models of castles and gardens. A mysterious little place and if the weather was poor maybe you'd wander in and enjoy it. The houses kind of showed tudor life I guess, but some of the scenes were clean and uncluttered like this one.

The stained glass was beautiful. I did wonder about how drafty it would be in the winter.

The series of walled garden rooms had a yew maze, herb gardens, topiary chess set and this opulent rose garden with only Rosa 'Ballerina' and some lavender planted. This was just a small preview of the big rose gardens we missed before lunch.

Dragons fighting at the castle. Souvenirs for Ll and P. The figures are about 3” tall.

I got this sketch at the gift shop to frame for home. Greg is not participating in this photo.

On the way to the rose garden and things are looking interesing. Intense purple/blue pocket garden was magical, very small and packed with contrasting texture and color (colour).

Super sweet tiny roses.

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Hever Castle - Valley and Italian Gardens

Day 2 on the road in Southeast England. Anne Boleyn's family home.

Did not expect what we found here. First there was a stream valley that seemed newly planted (a few years old?) and some Monet-style bridges.

This yellow flower is maybe a poppy? No it is Trollius!! See link below. I bought 3.

At the end of the stream there was a grand staircase that connects to many walks around the grounds and lines up on the castle gate.

and other paths that go beneath the main stair and balcony.

DO NOT be a Hosta hater.

Need to ID these. Heather family on left, wisteria on right that is pink?

Above - Big climbers from just three pots.

Just a nice cafe and amazing wisteria.

Then things started to get grand. Camellias all along the garden walls, a few still blooming.

View to the lake - somehow the stonework didn't quite fit but I like the timber trellis overhead.

The photographer clicking away.

Relic with tracery that seems to have driven the hedge patterns in the lawn.

There was daphne everywhere! Like a bit of home and unusual for the alkaline soils of England.

Below is the sad water maze. It had a lifeguard. There were tippy platforms that made weak spray so that was supposed to make you turn around and find another way to the middle. Definite low point of the visit.

I do not know this shrubby tree but it was planted all along the water's edge. It looked out of place. It may be a type of Cytisus scoparius I think, Scotch Broom, which is invasive on the east coast.

Must end on a high note - butterflies everywhere!!

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More at Wisley - Tropical and Walled Garden - this is the last for Wisley really!!

The garden rooms are always impressive. Climbers and espaliers are my favorite things in the world.

I will be carving into my garden bench someday. First I need to practice more and that will not happen until the winter.

Espaliered pomegranate. I already ordered one to grow at home. Some varieties are hardy to zone 7. This trip is getting me excited about my garden, it's like getting a few new Brio train pieces and playing with the whole set anew.

I'd never think of using evergreens like this but I like it. The one on the Right is not for sale in the US that i found in a 3 minute google search. WHY NOTTTTTTTT? It is hard to see in the photo but it has white on the tips of the new growth, called 'Summer Snow'.

Obelisk with clematis alert! Very serious obelisk.

I always forget this one, it has cool variegation on the tips of the leaves. Good in shade.

This looks like jasmine but I couldn't find a label. Also, through the gate, check out the yew cones with a burgundy sumac. In the small urn is Rhododendron 'Wren' which I went online and purchased for the trough planter outside the sunroom door.

This climbing hydrangea is a beauty.

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More at Wisley - Fruit and Vegetable Displays, Knot Garden Rooms

Inspiration for the food gardener and all. I ordered a dwarf pomegranate already.

Pow! This Lavender Cotton is amazing.

These arches for epaliered fruit are genius. There's room to get in to harvest and prune.

I'll get some seeds to grow this Sorrel. It is a nice gray that is useful in pots and then can be used in salads.

I ordered a dwarf pomegranate and a cold-hearty type.

Wow this is Virginia Creeper in a variegated form?? Let's gooooooo.

It is available here, Monrovia sells it even, but out of stock everywhere. Is it native if it is a cultivar? I think so.

Three nice knot garden shrubs, unusual. Not easy to grow in these forms. The Patagonian groundsel is stunning in bloom.

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More at Wisley - Piet Oudolf Garden, Lavender Hill, Rose Garden

The Oudolf Garden was just planted last year so it is not at full glory. Still good. Some interesting perennials: Lithrum salicaria 'Blush' invasive in the US purple loosestrife, Hylotelephium 'Red Cauli' stonecrop, Salvia sylvestris 'Dear Anja' wood sage, Nepeta govaniana yellow or Himalayan catmint, Saruma henryi upright wild ginger, Geranium x oxonianum 'Rose Clair', Sidalcea 'Little Princess' North american native Miniature Hollyhock, Limonium platyphullum broad-leaved statice or Sea Lavender. Bold = available and want to try

The lavender hill was disconnected from the rest of the design and the railings were disasterous. The view of the fruit espaliers was magnificent though.

The Rose Garden had tunnels of roses and wisteria.

Good texture and color combinations. I can see that rose gardens are trying to be more than just roses and I imagine some people don't approve but it's good.

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More at Wisley - Alpine House and Rock Garden Plants

These are called crevice gardens. Alpine and "rock garden" plants like these conditions. I'd like to try this https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/for-places/sink-and-trough-gardening. Zdenek Zvolanek designed these gardens.

These are good conditions for growing saxifrafa!

An Alpine House Is always stunning. I could make one of these haha.

Below, from Wikipedia:

Calochortus plummerae is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name Plummer's mariposa lily.

It is endemic to Southern California where it is found along the coast, inland hills, and some Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges.[4][3] It is a member of the chaparral, grasslands, and lower montane coniferous forest plant communities.

The species is named in honor of American botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon (1836 – 1923).

I've tried to grow Lewisia. I will try again in a crevice garden.

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More at Wisley - Waterfall Hill Garden

Dry sunny rock garden. This made me think I should redo the slope to the side yard at home with a waterfall. The sound of water is good.

Can not find in US...but love the gray spineyness of this.

Erodium is a type of geranium. These are alkaline-loving and long summer bloom time. Typically they like alpine conditions so that is why I love them, I cannot grow them here.

Incised Fumewort or Corydalis decipiens is "a spring-blooming, tuberous perennial with attractive purple flowers and ferny foliage, typically found in woodland settings" and is available in the US and it is adaptable. Below left is Galanthus which I forgot, is Snowdrops. I don't have any of these and I won't start now because they are so aggressive.

Above right, available at Brent and Becky's bulbs and one I will get: Often misnamed ‘Autumn Crocus’, cup-shaped flowers on naked stems; poisonous and tastes bad to critters that may be tempted to eat them; flowers appear in the fall and foliage, which resembles hosta leaves, appear in the spring; prefers rich, well drained soil and partial shade to full sun; many are species and are variable in their color and growth habit. Bloom mid-late fall; can bloom without being planted in soil; 3 per sq. ft; WHZ 4–8; 13/+ cm unless otherwise noted. Colchicum are long term perennial bulbs that get better each year.

Persicaria (below) is a weed here so I'd hesitate to plant this but it is super interesting leaf color and shape. It is for shade.

Andromeda polifolia is Blue Ice Bog Rosemary and I LOVE IT. "A very small shrub for detail use in gardens, icy blue needle-like foliage and pink urn-shaped flowers in spring; very fastidious as to growing conditions, needs ample consistent moisture and highly organic soils, will not tolerate alkaline soil." The bloom photo is from the internet search. Available by mail order and I think I'll try it if it can handle the heat in MD. More good GRAY foliage that I need! Really expensive and fussy.

This leaf color is so cool for a peony. It is a Majorcan Peony, for rock gardens in Mediterranean climate. I'll keep an eye out for it but not easily found in the US.

This was fun to explore and I needed more time...maybe another visit.

This little grouping was so gorgeous. The white flowers of mossy rockfoil saxifage are sweet. It is an alpine rock garden plant that would not like it here. I think I have tried it unsuccessfully in the past.

Above top middle of photo, the weird needle/leaves caught my eye. It is ridiculous here since it is supposed to be a giant conifer eventually. From Wikipedia:

"Phyllocladus alpinus, the mountain toatoa or mountain celery pine, is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found only in New Zealand. The form of this plant ranges from a shrub to a small tree of up to seven metres in height. This species is found in both the North and South Islands. An example occurrence of P. alpinus is within the understory of beech/podocarp forests in the north part of South Island, New Zealand."

I like artemesia- Dusty Miller - but it never lasts long in the garden.

I wonder if this is true of silver gray foliage in general? I'll try it again. Santolina died out in the sideyard garage garden. It looked really good there so I need to try for that gray again.

This is Common Everlasting, I think. It is a pacific native and the best texture for summer gardens? Lathyrus vernus has a tag but the plant is not present. "Lathyrus vernus is a non-climbing perennial sweet pea. It is a multi-stemmed, clump-forming plant with a bushy habit which typically grows to 12" high. Typical pea-like flowers (3/4") are borne in axillary racemes (5-8 flowers each) in April. Flowers are reddish purple with red veins, becoming more violet-blue as they mature. Pinnate, light green leaves (each divided into 2-3 pairs of 3" long, ovate leaflets) lack tendrils." Worth trying.

Below is another good gray groundcover that will not like the humidity here. Basket of gold is common but nice.

This yellow-green (below) is so good to cut the blue greens. Common name is box-leaved Honeysuckle or Privet and both names are scary.

MOBOT: 'Twiggy' is a compact yellow-leaved sport of 'Baggesen's Gold'. It typically matures over time to only 2-3' tall. This shrub features drooping, twiggy branches clad with tiny, golden yellow, evergreen leaves. White flowers in spring. Purple black berries in fall. Yellow leaves take on bronze tones in winter in areas where plants are evergreen (USDA Zones 8 and 9), but will drop to the ground where deciduous (Zones 6 and 7).

Snow in Summer, ubiquitous ground cover in midwest suburban gardens, Greg makes it look good.

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More at Wisley - Woodland garden

Mountain Laurel bloom below. North American natives are appealing to the Brits, I imagine. There is an old oak forest here that gives acidity to allow for the rhododendrons and acid loving plants like this.

More POI - Plants of Interest. Below is a new tree to me,

Persian Ironwood 'Het Plantsoen', a shrub or specimen tree with good fall color and red winter bloom in the Witchhazel family.

Francoa is "An evergreen perennial to 80cm tall with rosettes of wide, lance-shaped and lobed leaves. Spikes of pale pink-white flowers, each petalmarked with darker blotches, are borne in summer."

Good in dry shade. The bloom is gorgeous but not available in the US.

Greg found a butterfly along the way, resting on the garden sign.

The leaves are super cool on this "Dove Tree". Not found in the US.

This tree is also a new one for me. Eucryphia 'Nyman's Silver'. It is evergreen with an amazing fall bloom. S.America, Australia and Tasmania. NOT found in the US.

I love this perennial!! Heuchera is a good substitute I suppose. Native to China and Japan. Of course it is evergeen grrrrr.

This was not in bloom but I was curious about the leaf and ID.

This is a type of Katsura tree. The leaf variegation is amazing.

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RHS Wisley, first stop 2025 garden tour

We left Annie and Mike's by Underground, got to Heathrow an hour+ later, got a cab to Avis, rented a car, and drove to Wisley. ON THE LEFT and it was not easy but we did it.

This is a demonstration garden, with everything labeled. There's an oak woodland with acid-loving plants, open fields, walled garden and alpine plant houses.

We did not find the lilac blooming but got everything else on the list. Very good specimen trees - this dogwood is amazing.

The birch above is Betula utilis var. Jacquemontii 'Doorenbos' Himalayan Birch, we planted it in Chappaqua and it is beautiful there.

This heather is a nice groundcover. Blooms Jan - March.

I did not know this one (below) and could not find an identification tag in the garden. It is a good gray weeping form, effective with the heather. I did a Google lens search and found it!! Rubus thibetanus 'Silver 'Fern'. I will be finding this and planting it for the silver leaves. So far I'm not finding any for sale in the US. It might be invasive here sad face.

This is an unusual tree that I've never seen before, the common name is Epaulette Tree. Ptero = wings. I found it for sale online and it has a beautiful fluffy bloom. I might get one of these for fun because this leaf is so cool. Asian native.

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Bees as pets.

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Large-flowered Valerian, endangered native in MD, now blooming in the compass garden. I saw it in a garden in Philly and hunted it down to a tiny native nursery, Hungry Hook Farm, outside of Philadelphia.

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Hey you hummingbirds come and drink!!!