Filling the frame at Sissinghurst

I didn't plan to join the Abstract Thursday challenge, as I knew I would return from the glorious gardens at Sissinghurst with a huge number of photos, but the astonishing warty surface of the Galeux d'Eysines pumpkin (first extra) begged to be cropped to fill the frame, and I decided I liked the beautiful colour variation in the pompom dahlia even better. Consequently, the views of the gardens are relegated to extras: the inspiring vegetable garden feels wonderfully timeless in its peaceful environment with views out over the Weald of Kent and, in the photo, across to the huge barn and granary of what was formerly a busy estate farm; the granary is now a restaurant, for which the kitchen garden provides all the salads and many fresh vegetables. After much hesitation, I've also chosen a view from the rose garden through an archway in the beautiful old brick walls which divide some of the garden rooms, and a corner of the relatively recently redeveloped Delos garden, which is a dry rock and gravel garden with Mediterranean planting. I had not seen this before, and liked it a lot: it's probably full of colour in spring, but at this time of year I loved the subtle colours and wonderfully varied shapes and textures of the foliage and seed heads. 

It was our third visit to the gardens at Sissinghurst, created by Vita and Harold Sackville-West who bought the castle and its farm and estate in the 1930s. It has a long and interesting history, and is now in the care of the National Trust. We had previously visited in high summer, when the rose garden is wonderful and the famous white garden in full bloom, and in spring when the nuttery and orchard are carpeted with daffodils and crocuses, so it was interesting to see it in its early autumn colours. It was a very overcast day, but the cottage garden was bright with yellow, orange and scarlet flowers, the orchard trees heavy with apples and the grass dappled with vivid patches of magenta autumn crocus flowers, and the kitchen garden is now at its most productive, with enormous pumpkin patches full of a vast and varied array of squashes and pumpkins, lush and healthy brassicas of all kinds, leeks, chard and root vegetables. The picnic area was almost deserted on a late September weekday, quiet and pleasant with tables dotted among young apple trees (though the rough grass was hard to negotiate) and J and I spent a while attempting another digital sketch in the orchard. Sissinghurst is not the easiest place to visit with a wheelchair, with narrow paths, tight turns and lots of detours to avoid the many steps, and the supposedly accessible toilets are a nightmare for anyone who can't turn their own wheelchair on a sixpence and cope without needing to fit a second person into the space, but we knew all that and still went back because it's just so lovely.