My daughter had a week off school with a sickness bug. By Friday she had managed to start eating and was on her feet again. The sun was shining. It was time to get out.
We live a fifteen minute drive away from Sissinghurst. It seemed the perfect restorative outing. A half-hour wander around the garden, followed by a cup of tea in the café.
At the entrance to the garden, there is always a little selection of stems of what is looking good right now. Today it was rosehips and Berberis berries and hot-pink-and-orange Euonymus. Glorious pops of colour to wake us up!
The stone troughs come into their own at this time of year. They are at the perfect height to appreciate smaller plants and flowers. Like the delicate stems of salvia.
I have developed a fondness for ‘looking through’ (discovered at The Salutation in the summer). This combination of salvia and verbena, raised up in a pot, is perfect for looking through.
The rose garden is still enticing in the middle of October.
There are clouds of Japanese anemones catching the light.
Verbena rigida is perfect for lining the narrow dry beds alongside the path.
I love the beatific presence of this white borage.
This salvia is another gentle light.
And I completely fell in love with this. I love the pink halo, with its hint of feathering. Does anyone recognise it?
The Cottage Garden is still looking radiant, in its glowing autumn colours.
There were some beautiful velvety textures with the ‘Dusky Maiden’ rose.
We warmed ourselves by the euonymus.
I knew my daughter was recovering because she went off to forage a couple of apples that had been missed at harvest time. She is the squirrel of our family and always manages to find what’s delicious. We ate our scrumped apples under this glorious crabapple.
Then we meandered back up to the top courtyard to indulge ourselves with purple.
To calm ourselves with pelargoniums and salvia,
And contemplate the grace of this pea-flowered climber whose name I don’t know. Maybe the Encyclopaedic brains of Chloris, Cathy or Jude might help me out?
At this point we bumped into my mum. She volunteers at Sissinghurst. She noted that the patient had apples in her cheeks again.
It was time for a restorative pot of tea and buttered scone.
Do you have a favourite place to restore your body and mind?
If you would like to see posts about Sissinghurst at other times of the year, click on the link under the heading of this post.
If you would like to subscribe to regular pops of wonder from my blog, then you can click on the ‘Follow’ button at the bottom of this page. You will receive an email each time I post. I aim to cheer you up through the winter with little reminders that life is still beautiful, if a little chilly.
The Mindful Gardener 
Great start to the day looking through your post. Fantastic photos as usual and how lucky to be so close to Sissinghurst! I think your unidentified plant is one I have grown as Cuphea viscosissima
Thank you so much for that plant id! It is so lovely.
I loved strolling with you and your daughter through Vita-Sackville’s gardens. Now, I’m wondering whether the Verbena ‘Sissinghurst’ will grow over here in the Pacific Northwest, and where I may find either plants or seeds for next year’s garden. Something to “Google” and research, eh?
I hope you find it! Let me know!
A timely post as I wondered how Sissinghurst was looking at this time of year. Might pop down if the weather holds – I’m visiting a niece in Sevenoaks soon so Sissinghurst not too far away. Kent has some lovely gardens!
Oh do. Especially in this sunshine!
Lucky you being able to visit lovely Sissinghurst regularly. Please keep showing us the different seasons there. I agree with Allison, the pink flower is a cuphea. The second mystery plant is Lespedeza. I saw a really dark pink weeping one at Bodnant a few weeks ago. It’s on my Wants List.
Isn’t it gorgeous? It might go on my coveted plants list too!
Still a lovely place even this late date. Love the stone troughs. We made my DnL one years ago for Christmas. She grows herbs in it.
What a lovely present!
Lovely photos. I love Salvia. It is a resilient plant that offers so much to the gardens it is in. Love that you enjoyed some fresh apples, too! Thanks for sharing!
Salvias are wonderful, aren’t they? I am only just getting going with exploring them…
I haven’t been very adventuresome myself with them, but I know they are a a group of plants I really like! They are dependable! (And, pretty, too!)
I simply must get to your country and wander through the lovely English gardens!
I have a feeling you might enjoy Sissinghurst, Laurie!
I have not seen Verbena ‘Sissinghurst’ before – it’s lovely! Glad your squirrel daughter on the mend.
It is a lovely pink, and with slightly glaucous foliage. It helps to have an urn, of course!!
All beautiful! (Is your mystery plant a vetch of some sort?)
It is, Val! They are in the pea family too. The encyclopaedic brain of Chloris tells me it is Lespedeza. It is lovely, isn’t it?
Beautiful!
I’m glad your daughter is feeling better. I must visit Sissinghurst again!
Thank you Clare. x
I just love that first picture of the displayed berries and now wish I could pop to Sissinghurst more often – I’ve only been twice but now want to go again as it looks so lovely. Is it less rigid than a few years ago would you say?
That is the vision; there are a lot of areas being redesigned and replanted.
The pink pea flowering shrub looks like Indigofera to me https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/indigofera-heterantha/
Thank you! It does. I love that plant.