Sissinghurst, 2016

Sissinghurst is the closest National Trust site to Canterbury and thus the first and last site we visit, coming and going to UK via Dover. Yes, we are members of the National Trust again, Royal Oak division, the special, especially advantageous deal for US citizens. Don't visit the UK for any length of time without joining and enjoying the numerous benefits of membership. Among other things, Sissinghurst Castle and its gardens celebrate the 46 year marriage of Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West, literary luminaries of the past century. Don't go all heart-throbbing. It wasn't exactly your typical marriage. Nonetheless, the grounds and buildings and 20th century gardens are charming, and we have come to view them as our periodic re-introduction to Britland.

Inside the garden wall, a good start

It's mid-May, not quite all abloom yet, but the
bees are out, and they are aggressive

In the library

The classic portrait of Vita

Beautiful ancient chest in the library

Elizabethan towers; which reminds me, see an earlier post,
http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/sissinghurst-castle.html,
for more comprehensive commentary

Earliest blooming camellias almost done

The white garden

View from the towers

Beautiful Kent

More of the grounds, including the Elizabethan barn and the
Kentish oast house, a hops kiln thing...

The oast house

Looking good

Blue Bells at Sissinghurst; and all over the Kent countryside;
very early bloomers we have not seen before

More Blue Bells adjoining the putting green (nyuk, nyuk)

The Lime Walk Vita detested

Sissinghurst blue

Never ever miss the head gardener's notes!

The oast house was given over to a celebration of Vita and Harold's
marriage

At Sissinghurst in the early years; probably not
thinking of each other...