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Home » Film Library » Tim Richardson: The Story of Sissinghurst

Tim Richardson: The Story of Sissinghurst

We are pleased to offer this talk as part of our online Public Programme.

Tim Richardson’s new book Sissinghurst, The Dream Garden, published by Frances Lincoln, tells the story of one of Britain’s most unforgettable gardens. The vision of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson in all its romantic glory, this book guides the reader through each carefully designed aspect.

Join our illustrious host, garden historian Tim Richardson, as he delves into the history of this unique garden, from it’s beginnings after Vita was exiled from her family home at Knole, through the transition into the hands of the National Trust.

During the late 20th Century, the rough and untidy approach to gardening that so marked Vita’s style and gave ‘fleeting moments of horticultural intensity’ were momentarily abandoned in favour of tighter maintenance and high horticultural standards. This talk will explore notions of authenticity, the atmosphere of emotional attachment and the fine line between the public and the private that is so evident at Sissinghurst.

Film length: 1 hour

Image credit: Jason Ingram