Sissinghurst Castle Garden

About the garden

When poet and writer Vita Sackville-West and her diplomat and author husband, Harold Nicolson, fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle in the early 1930s, it looked quite different from what we see today. At that time, the buildings housed farm workers and the garden was mostly used to grow vegetables. The surrounding farm cultivated cereals and there were also well-established orchards and hop gardens.

Created over 30 years, Harold’s architectural planning of the garden rooms and Vita’s colourful, abundant planting reflect the romance and intimacy of her poetry and writings. After conducting extensive research into Vita and Harold’s original design, the National Trust is taking steps to recapture their vision. Look out for the changes made around the garden in 2024, and don’t miss the vast panoramic views from the top of the tower, the working farm and the 450-acre wider estate.

From 2020 to 2023, an RHS Hemerocallis trial was conducted at Sissinghurst Castle Garden to assess, compare and redefine which plants were worthy of the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in the current climate and weather conditions.