Gardening at Sissinghurst

Few gardens have acquired such a potent mythology as the one created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, and to this day Sissinghurst is a prime example of romantic gardening at its most successful.Gardening at Sissinghurst unravels, for the first time, the elements that lie behind the garden's horticultural distinction. With invaluable inside information from head gardeners past and present, Tony Lord explores the design, development, planting, and maintenance of Sissinghurst's garden rooms. Each offers a unique lesson in achieving a distinctive style and atmosphere - from the exuberant intimacy of the Cottage Garden, through the abundant romance of the Rose Garden and the enameled brilliance of the spring bulbs in the Lime Walk, to the elegance of the White Garden.With an expert eye, Tony Lord reveals the artful techniques - from propagating to pruning - on which the garden's unrivaled beauty depends. Detailed planting plans of the famous borders illustrate his analysis of the precise use of colors that makes this the most copied flower garden in the world.More than 175 of Tony Lord's magical photographs illuminate his authoritative text and show how the garden, established by the Nicolsons and enhanced under the ownership of the National Trust, represents the pinnacle of gardening excellence.