The beautiful Sunken Garden at West Dean reopened in the Spring
of 2014 after a six year period of restoration and in July 2014 was
awarded a Sussex Heritage Trust Award - Landscape & Gardens
category.
Situated at the eastern end of the spectacular Harold Peto-designed
Pergola, the Sunken Garden gives the area an intimacy and sense of
shelter, in marked contrast to the spaciousness of the surrounding
lawns.
The original Sunken Garden is thought to have been built around the
late 19th century to replace a late Victorian rose parterre. A
complete rebuild was required due to the collapse of the unmortared
walls, uneven paving and steps and the tiered planting being
heavily infested with weeds. The restoration process allowed the
gardeners to expand the proportions of the Sunken Garden so that it
is more in keeping with the grandeur and loose formality of the
Pergola structure to which the Sunken Garden is
linked.
The whole project was carried out in-house by the Gardens team
using the original wall stone and other hard landscape materials.
The garden was completed, turfed and planted up in Spring 2013. The
new planting has been designed to be perennial, to give a long
season of floral interest and fragrance throughout the summer
months and reflect the nature of the space.
A range of small, choice plants was selected for the planting scheme that would be unlikely to survive and be visually lost in the broader landscape. Plenty of bulbs were planted, including Crocus, Scillas, Iris and Puschikinia to hail the arrival of spring as well as plants which provide variety of leaf texture and shape (Artemisia canescens), colour (spring flowers in the pink and purple range such as hellebores and primulas) and fragrance (sages, thyme and other herbs). Low-growing plants such as Snow in Summer and Aubretia will clothe the walls whilst Rosa 'Natalie Nypels' will ensure a display of light pink repeat flowers all season long. A new planting feature is the 'shelter belt' of Box, Buxus sempervirens, around the perimeter of the space which in a few years' time will be a feature in itself as it becomes a manicured green clipped ribbon.
West Dean Gardens is part of a registered charity and its upkeep and care are only possible with the support of generous donors, friends and legacy gifts.
If you share our passion for the gardens and gardening excellence,
please find out how you can help support their upkeep.
