Walled Kitchen Garden

An inspiring area within the Walled Garden, heaving with fruit, vegetables and cutting flowers. Beautifully laid out in a classic Victorian design.

This was the original "top ground" or upper kitchen garden, with the current layout developed in the 1990's. A classic Victorian design is used with two cross paths bounded by a perimeter path producing four central beds and a series of borders at the base of the surrounding walls. The central beds are the main growing areas for annual crops and operate on a four course rotation of potatoes, brassicas (cabbage family), legumes (pea family) and salads and root crops. The potato quarter is manured and double-dug each year as it moves around the rotation. The wall borders accommodate perennial crops with soft fruit in the westernmost; asparagus, rhubarb, seakale, and globe artichokes etc in the easterly; and auriculas, lily of the valley and cordon currants and gooseberries in the southern.

A Vegetable Cornucopia

The warm, south facing border is reserved for bringing on early spring crops, heat lovers like herbs for summer, then late crops in the autumn. The central flower border was a common feature of the Victorian Garden layout, being both decorative and another source of material for the voracious demands of the house. At West Dean it is known as the "hot border" with its full pomp of scarlet crocosmia, orange dahlia and yellow kniphofia in mid-summer.

The pear tunnel and the espaliered apples and pears at the rear of the border give height and structure to the site in the early part of the year.

Gallery

Rows of salad vegetables at West Dean Gardens — Rows of salad vegetables. Image credit Trevor Sims

Walled Kitchen Garden at West Dean Gardens West Sussex — The Walled Kitchen Garden at West Dean

Redcurrants growing in the Kitchen Garden at West Dean — Redcurrants in the Kitchen Garden. Image credit Trevor Sims

Vegetables and parsley in the Kitchen Garden at West Dean — Vegetables and curly parsley growing in the Kitchen Garden

Swiss Chard in the Walled Kitchen Garden at West Dean — Swiss Chard in the Walled Kitchen Garden

Terracotta pots in the Kitchen Garden at West Dean Gardens — Terracotta pots in the Walled Kitchen Garden

Onions growing in the Walled Kitchen Garden at West Dean — Onions growing in the Walled Kitchen Garden

Sweets peas in the Kitchen Garden at West Dean near Chichester — Sweet peas and apples in the Kitchen Garden

Brassicas in the Kitchen Garden at West Dean — Brassicas in the Kitchen Garden

Raspberries in the Kitchen Garden at West Dean — Raspberries in the Kitchen Garden

Espalier crop in the Kitchen Garden at West Dean — Espalier crop in the Kitchen Garden. Image credit Trevor Sims

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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.

Walled Kitchen Garden

A Vegetable Cornucopia

Map of the Walled Gardens

Gallery

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