Explore the Best Gardens in East Sussex with Keen Gardener Amy Bell
A look at the best gardens to visit in East Sussex with Amy Bell of Hamsey Gardening Club
It is nothing new to say that Brits are passionate gardeners and/or garden enthusiasts. Confirmed through our love of endless gardening TV shows, magazines, the annual Royal Chelsea Flower Show and Britain in Bloom competitions, among countless other gardening pursuits.
However, gardening is now a blooming trend. Our love for beautiful gardens and outdoor spaces has been amplified during the lockdown, with many people inspired to get a little green-fingered for the first time over the past year.
Discussing the growth in popularity, we talk to Amy Bell who runs the Hamsey Gardening Club in Hamsey, near Lewes. Amy talks about the appeal of gardening, along with her top tips for those looking to improve or develop their gardening skills. She also reveals her recommendations for the best gardens to visit in Sussex.
The herbaceous border at Hamsey House
Tell us about the Hamsey Gardening Club, how and why did it begin?
We moved to Hamsey House 5 years ago but the Bell family has been here for almost 40 years. The house was built in 1849. Taking on an established 8 acre garden was quite an undertaking and meant I was on a steep learning curve.
Part of my gardening education was to enrol on a course at The Beeches in Barcombe. Here I met the teacher Laurie and she came to help me with the herbaceous border. She has been at Hamsey House ever since. Together we now run the Hamsey Gardening Club, with Laurie as the teacher. We also have guest teachers like Sandra Hurst Chico who teaches Willow weaving and Caroline Towl teaching the floristry courses.
What do you love about gardening?
The garden really became my happy place last year. It was such a strange year with everything going on in the outside world. I turned to the garden to lose myself in it and forget about everything else for a while. Plus it suddenly seemed a necessity to be able to grow your own food. Now life is getting busy again with the outside world and I have realised I really need my gardening time to switch off. If I have a week without it, I really miss it.
Do you think Lockdown has inspired more people to get into gardening?
Without a doubt. I think there is a mindfulness to gardening that means you can lose yourself in the task at hand and it was such a wonderful distraction during the lockdown. It certainly helped that the weather was so wonderful too and that we all had time on our hands to be in the garden.
What makes a beautiful or interesting garden?
Oooh, that is a hard question to answer because I think it is so personal and also seasonal. I love different parts of the garden and plants in different seasons. So maybe that is the answer, to try to keep it seasonally interesting throughout the year whether that is snowdrops in January, sweet peas in June or dahlias in September. Whatever makes your heart sing and for me, that is always flowers although you also can’t beat the taste of the first tomato that you have grown from seed.
What are your top three tips for those new to gardening?
If something doesn’t grow the way you want it to, or your seeds don’t germinate, the wonderful thing about gardening is that you get to give it another go. Just dust yourself off and try again. Mother Nature is very forgiving so just have another go. Or come on a Hamsey Gardening Club course to learn the correct techniques.
Gardening is about having something to look forward to so you need to do forward planning. For example, planting tulip bulbs in November means lovely flowers in April. I’m still learning about what to plant and when which brings me to my next point.
Keep a gardening diary. It is so useful to look back and see when you planted what and when you harvested what. You can also write down your successes and failures so that you can learn from them.
The Walled Garden at Charleston (Photo credit: Lee Robins via Chaleston)
Amy’s recommendations for the best gardens to visit in Sussex
Firstly, I recommend the best thing to do is get yourself a copy of the National Garden Scheme little yellow book and then you can discover lots of wonderful local gardens. There are so many gardens to explore, so here is just a selection for those visiting Lewes and East Sussex.
For beauty on the doorstep
The two closest to Hamsey House are the wonderful walled garden at The Beeches in Barcombe and the romantic country garden at Offham House – both of which I visited on NGS open days. Town Place Garden is also on my “to visit” list. I follow them on Instagram and it looks so wonderful so I’m keeping an eye out for open days.
The best classic open gardens
For more “classic” open gardens you can’t beat Charleston House and Gardens. The garden is free, you only have to pay to go into the house or gallery but I can highly recommend the café which is run by Caccia & Tails.
Great Dixter House and Gardens in Northiam is also quite an influential garden as it was once home to Christopher Lloyd, an iconic gardener. Now run by Fergus Garrett, it is worth a visit for its fabulous, tumbling borders and wonderful meadows. It also has a great plant nursery where you can find unusual plants that you might not normally find.
The gardens and nurseries to stock up on supplies
Another place on my “to visit” list is the Sussex Prairie Garden in Henfield. It is a garden of ornamental grasses and perennials and I just know I will be inspired there. I also know I will spend money in their nursery. The garden is like a living catalogue of the plants that they stock so very easy to be inspired and walk away with a wonderful plant or two.
Similarly, Marchants Hardy Plants in Laughton is both an inspiring garden and a nursery. You just know you will leave with a car boot full of plants.
For something a little unusual
For something totally different and a little further afield, try Dereck Jarman’s garden at Prospect Cottage at Dungeness. I warn you now, Dungeness is like marmite and you either love its moonscape environment or hate it! But I think you can’t help but be enthralled by the garden at Prospect Cottage and it is very iconic.
The ideal garden for afternoon tea
If cake and gardens are your thing, then can I recommend the Beanstalk Café in Firle. It is not easy to find but it is worth getting lost a few times because when you do find it, it is all the more special! Wonderful afternoon tea in a beautiful garden with a resident peacock. So perfect in every way.
National Trust gardens and villages
Finally, there are many National Trust Gardens, including Nymans, Sheffield Park and Wakehurst. All are very close to Lewes and all with the “wow factor”.
I also love it when local villages have garden open days and you can pop in and out of lots of lovely gardens and there is always cake involved. Fletching and Southease open garden days are always really lovely.
Thanks for reading and happy exploring, Amy Bell
Discover more about the Hamsey House and Garden
To find out more about the Hamsey Gardening Club visit the website hamseybelle.co.uk where you will find details of upcoming courses.
You can also visit the house and gardens as part of the Artwave Festival this September.
To connect with Amy and for more gardening tips and tricks, you can follow Amy’s Instagram account @hamsey_belle
Nature on your doorstep at The Grain Store Lewes
The Grain Store is ideal for those craving some nature connection. We have a large garden that looks directly onto the South Downs National Park where you can access miles of East Sussex countryside.
We have plenty of information to help plan your trip, including hiking itineraries, places to visit and where to eat. For more information visit the Things to do page.
Please contact us for more information or book your stay now.