West Dean Gardens

During the Summer months we like to go exploring in open gardens and National Trust houses so as a late Fathers day treat I took both my parents out for the day to West Dean Gardens. We chose this garden simply because of the walled gardens and they didn’t disappoint!

After paying the admission price and having a must needed tea break in the cafe we headed out to the walled fruit garden, this just so happened to be my favourite part of the entire gardens and you can see why… There were so many fruit trees, some traditional, some trained up the walls and some trained on beautiful metal frames. Hidden white bee hives and a stunning herbaceous border with plenty of benches to sit and enjoy the peacefulness and beauty. And the most beautiful part of the orchard by far? An old brick fruit store hut with the prettiest windows, thatched roof and climbing flowers outside. I was in love!

Next we walked through to the walled kitchen garden and we were greeted by lots of old Victorian greenhouses, all gleaming in the sunshine. We peeked inside the little potting shed, walked through a few of the greenhouses which were all jammed packed with flowers, succulents, fruits or vegetables and then headed into the heart of the gardens… the vegetable patch.

There was just about everything growing here as well as more fruit bushes growing up the walls. Brassicas, onions, asparagus, rhubarb, fruit bushes, sea kale, carrots, celery, beans, squashes, courgettes… Everything!! It was so immaculate and well presented, with old boot scrapers on the corners of each bed to save getting the paths muddy. There were metal archways, a little pond, beautiful old rhubarb forcers and mini hedges around each bed. It really was the best kitchen garden I have ever seen.

In the next walled garden were the flowers including perennial borders and cut flower beds. I especially loved how the cut flowers were sown in rows just like the vegetables were and all neatly supported. An idea for the allotment!

After we finally ventured out of the kitchen garden we stopped for a quick picnic on the lawn, homemade traditional pasties, half lamb and half rhubarb, and not forgetting a glass of last years homemade elderflower champagne! Then we headed off to walk around the sunken garden and the pergola, a beautiful structure covered with so many climbing flowers and plants with a pretty little pond in the middle. Then we went on a little walk by a stream and came across a wildlife pond before calling it a day. One last look around the kitchen garden and then we headed back to the cafe for another cup of tea, it was the most perfect day!

I thoroughly recommend West Dean Gardens and had the best day exploring. There’s not many Victorian kitchen gardens left in the UK and this is by far one of the best gardens we have been too… We left with so much inspiration, ideas and a little bit of jealousy!