Dear readers of Carina’s Botanical heART Blog,

I’m absolutely delighted to share this guest article with you today, diving into the inspiring world of English gardens.

When we think of English gardens, we often picture lush flower borders, neatly trimmed hedges, and that timeless, natural beauty that feels like something out of a dream.

But there’s more to these gardens than just visual delight - they’re living, breathing works of art. Carefully composed, yes, but always just wild enough to speak to the soul.

For this article, I’ve chosen three very special gardens - each one not only a botanical treasure but also a creative sanctuary for writing and painting.

What connects them is something quite magical: each was once home to remarkable individuals who lived for words and colours.

Why these english gardens are truly special

English gardens often feel gentle, lovingly designed, and maintained with astonishing beauty, imagination, care - and a touch of humour.

They never fail to enchant me, whether it’s a grand estate maintained by a team of horticultural experts, or a tiny patch of earth lovingly tended in front of a private home.

It’s not just the climate - rain, sun, soil - that makes them thrive. It’s also the atmosphere of shared, passionate dedication that seems to hum in the air across the British Isles.

From the abundance of magical places I’ve discovered during my yearly travels to Britain, I want to introduce you to three gardens that are not only botanically brilliant, but also brimming with art and inspiration at every turn.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Perhaps the most famous of the three, Sissinghurst Castle Garden lies in the county of Kent, in southern England.

Its origin is tied to an unfair twist of fate - young aristocrat Vita Sackville-West was not allowed to inherit her ancestral home, Knole (also beautiful and open to visitors), simply because she was a woman. (A theme also echoed in the TV series “Downton Abbey.”)

And so, Vita and her husband, Harold Nicolson, created their own paradise - Sissinghurst. He designed the structure and layout, and she filled each “garden room” with carefully curated plantings in artistic colour harmonies that feel like walking through a living painting.

There’s the blue garden with soft tones of blue, lilac, and pink - a nostalgic, gentle, almost melancholic space. Step behind a tall hedge and you’re suddenly in the red garden, bursting with fiery reds, oranges, and yellows - bold, dramatic, energising.

But the highlight for me is always the white garden - its shimmering, serene atmosphere never fails to cast a spell.

Vita also created a very special writing space in the tower - “a room of one’s own,” just as her dear friend and love, Virginia Woolf, once recommended.

Monk´s House

Located in Sussex, Monk’s House was Virginia Woolf’s refuge, garden, and writing haven.

You can still walk through the rooms of her cottage, shared with her husband Leonard Woolf - simple, unconventional, and deeply soulful, just like Virginia herself.

Not far away lived her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell, another member of the famed Bloomsbury Group.

Nestled in the romantic garden, there’s a small writing lodge that Leonard built for Virginia - a magical space surrounded by roses, apple trees, and a sea of blossoms.

It was here that she reflected on women’s roles in literature and wrote her life's work with green ink, accompanied by the quiet rustle of leaves and birdsong.

Chartwell

Chartwell was the retreat and family home of Winston Churchill.

Here, he not only wrote (yes, he was a Nobel Prize winner in Literature!) but also found great joy working in the garden.

What touches me most is the story of how he created a special rose garden for his beloved wife Clementine on their golden anniversary - 50 golden rose bushes, one for each year they’d shared.

It was also Clementine who encouraged him to start painting during a dark time in his life, when political pressure and depression weighed heavily on him.

This late-blooming passion became a true lifeline.

In his garden studio, Churchill painted hundreds of paintings - some of them right there, where the flowers whispered peace back into his soul.

“If it weren’t for painting, I could not live; I could not bear the strain of things.”

- Winston Churchill, 1921

Why these locations are more than just travel tips

These three gardens aren’t just botanical gems or historic landmarks. They are reflections of the souls who lived there - spaces where thoughts could grow and creativity could flourish.

They show us how deeply we need nourishing spaces that allow us to breathe, wonder, and create.

These gardens blend a love for plants with a love for the arts - writing, painting, dreaming.

Personally, Churchill inspired me to reconnect with my own “Botanical Art”.

If it was helpful to someone like him, with all his responsibilities and struggles, it surely does me good, too.

Writing - especially journaling in the garden - is always something special, deeply grounding and quietly powerful.

More for you

If you’d like to learn more about the dazzling Vita Sackville-West, the brilliant Virginia Woolf, and other inspiring women—and write alongside me, inspired by their voices - come join “Phenomenal Women Write!”

It’s my online writing format where you can gift yourself a creative break each month.

Each module introduces an extraordinary woman and invites you to connect with her thoughts, her courage - and your own voice.

With loving journaling prompts, this is self-care through writing, your way, at your pace.

"I took the Vita Sackville-West module and it showed me again just how well an online course can work - especially when you have little time.
The access was simple, Gudrun structured the module clearly and beautifully, and I could follow it at my own pace.
No literary knowledge needed - the themes are timeless, accessible, and spark deep reflection and writing - without pressure, but with plenty of inspiration."

- Carina (Botanical heART)

Curious? You´ll find all the details here:

More about "Phenomenal Women Write"

I’d also love for you to visit my blog (click here) - where I share all about “soulful SPA offerings”: Scribbling, Planning, Awakening.

It’s a space to nurture your inner garden - with words, colours, or simply with wonder.

Keep writing – keep painting – keep shining.

Warmest wishes, Gudrun Hermann

My Favorite Gardens in England