Terrain in England

Seeking a fresh perspective from new landscapes, members of our creative team recently took a late spring trip to England. Arriving just as the country's gardens reached full bloom, they explored Great Dixter, Sissinghurst Castle, and Hidcote before heading to London for the acclaimed Chelsea Flower Show. The trip proved inspiring and surprising, with hidden gems around every corner.

Laura T. says, "The best part of the trip was discovering how much gardening is integrated into English life, from the historic gardens we visited to the smallest spaces in towns, where climbing plants and containers take the place of grass lawns." Danielle P. agrees, "Gardening is so central to the culture in England-- even the garden centers feel very welcoming and inspiring. I loved visiting Daylesford Organic Farm and seeing how they had blended shopping, restaurants, and even a spa with the gorgeous backdrop of a working farm."

Laura adds, "In our visits to the historic gardens, it was amazing to see how the spaces were still evolving and changing. Every garden has a cafe and many places to sit back and enjoy the landscape, so they feel very inviting. Great Dixter was a favorite for the whole team because it's such a creative space. We heard about it through their partnership with Chanticleer, outside of Philadelphia. Great Dixter feels experimental, playful, and wild; many of their plants are self-seeding, so the plantings are very surprising and natural. After the atmosphere of the gardens, the Chelsea Flower Show felt very different, but it was interesting to see flowers in a more experimental, unusual applications."

Though not pictured in the video above, an unexpected visit to Dungeness was a highlight for the team. Laura says, "While staying in Rye, we drove through Dungeness and saw the garden of filmmaker Derek Jarman. Right on the coast, Dungeness is a fairly hostile environment, so Derek's garden is filled with found objects from the sea as well as plants that can withstand tough conditions. It was a really unusual, striking space-- we later discovered that it's a favorite garden of Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener at Great Dixter."

Danielle told us, "Even outside the gardens, the English countryside was incredible. I had always imagined it as beautiful and pastoral, but every landscape exceeded my expectations." Check out some favorite moments from the trip, above.