Bloomsbury Gardens, Sussex

Monk’s House Terrace Photo © Alice Joyce

Rodmell, Lewes, East Sussex — The fortunate residents of National Trust properties experience an aspect of history that I imagine to be rarified and wondrous. As an ardent fan of the Bloomsbury Group – writers, painters, creative forces, free spirits – I envy the tenants living in Monk’s House, the cottage once occupied by the writer Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard.

Last year when I toured the property, I encountered a lush landscape with verdant plantings and an altogether inviting layout that we garden lovers on this side of the pond long to experience.

After returning home, I learned via Email that the current tenants planted the herbaceous borders from scratch over the previous decade; ever since the beginning of their occupancy. You may consider the design finesse and horticultural savvy emerging in the beautifully cultivated Monk’s House gardens a well-kept secret!

Roses and Clematis  © Alice Joyce

To literary and artistic types who might be reading this, I recommend a visit should you set out to explore the counties that comprise the ‘garden of England‘ — Kent, Surrey and Sussex. As you can see, Spring displays promise breathtaking delights.

Charleston House Sculpture & Border  © Alice Joyce

Charleston House © Alice Joyce

Charleston, Firle, Lewes, East Sussex: Charleston House is associated with Virginia’s sister, the artist Vanessa Bell, with the painter Duncan Grant, Clive Bell, and with countless Bloomsbury figures who gathered in this idyllic setting: To nurture friendships and creative urges, while moving in and out of love affairs.

When I toured the house, it did not disappoint, as the iconography of the Bloomsbury aesthetic appears in every aspect of the house’s decor, from fabric to ceramics to fabulous patterning on walls and furnishings. And the gardenscape is mesmerizing, with statuary that forms perfect focal points, i.e. a levitating damsel.

Charleston House Levitating Damsel © Alice Joyce

Maintained by The Charleston Trust, the property hosts a yearly festival: Visit the web site for details.

Charleston Gardens Pond Photo © Alice Joyce

Charleston Mosaic Piazza Patio  © Alice Joyce