Roses of Sissinghurst

We are delighted to announce the return of Café Botanique with a talk by Michelle Cain to be held on

Forget everything you know about traditional rose pruning and training! Embrace the Sissinghurst method and be rewarded with an abundance of flowers.

Of all the plants at Sissinghurst, the romance of old roses most captured Vita Sackville-West’s heart and imagination. They are central to the lavish and romantic feel of the garden and Vita’s exuberant style of planting. She wrote: ‘There is nothing skimpy or stingy about them. They have a generosity which is as desirable in plants as in people.’

Michelle will talk about the history of the rose collection at Sissinghurst and how their unique approach to pruning (now much copied) is used to achieve far more prolific flowering than traditional methods. She will talk through the different types of pruning and training, step by step, in the hope that you will be inspired to try the methods yourself at home.

Michelle is a gardener, garden designer and horticulturalist with a wealth of experience as a head gardener, most notably at Sissinghurst Castle Garden and Ventnor Botanic Garden.  She will round off her talk by sharing some of her favourite pictures and anecdotes from her time at Sissinghurst.

email – hornettsnest@aol.com

  or telephone –  07958 114019

 There are limited numbers – please book early to avoid disappointment