Troy Scott Smith
A tale of three gardens
EAGG LECTURE SATURDAY 4 MARCH 2023
Yet more chairs had to be laid out for today’s talk on the career of Troy Scott-Smith - not surprising, as Troy has been head gardener at 3 of the most prestigious National Trust gardens.
Starting his career at Sissinghurst in 1992 he moved in 1997 to be head gardener at The Courts, a 20th century English country garden in Wiltshire. Garden rooms of different styles containing herbaceous borders, topiary, a water garden were tended and the kitchen garden laid out and restored. During his time at The Courts Troy was able to further his knowledge with stints at Sydney Botanical Garden, Giverney and Kew. The improvements to the gardens at The Court greatly increased visitor numbers to the property.
The next move was to Bodnant Garden with 130 acres set in the foothills of Snowdonia with spectacular mountainous views on one side and seascape on the other. European funding of £1.4m enabled renovation of the 55m long laburnum arches, the terraces in front of the house and the building of a tunnel under the road to assist access. The long view was taken in the future planning to expand the roses, shrubs, existing 340 cultivars of rhododendrons and the, now complete, creation of a spectacular winter garden.
In 2021 Troy made a final move back to Sissinghurst which he describes as “a garden for beauty and romance”. The gardens created between the years of 1930 and 1960 by Harold Nicholson and his wife Vita Sackville-West, with the former planning the layout and the latter the planting, have, sadly altered over the years with changes having to be made to accommodate the huge rise in visitor numbers. Troy is determined to reestablish Vita’s vision as much as possible, consulting her treasured former head gardeners, Sibylle and Pam, the couple’s grandchildren and the diaries and letters of Harold.
Troy feels the gardens have become too tidy and wants a more natural look. Turf has been replaced with a wildflower expanse and the steps leading from the dining room to the phlox garden towards her white garden, which had been removed and blocked, are now reinstated.
On their travels Vita and Harold were enchanted by the Greek island of Delos which they attempted to replicate at Sissinghurst. Sadly their lack of knowledge of Mediterranean plants, Kentish climate and soils led to failure and the NT later replaced the area with lawn. Enlisting the help of garden designer, Dan Pearson, the grass has now been removed, the aspect changed, free-draining soil implanted and sympathetic Mediterranean planting installed.
Troy has the support of numerous NT advisers and garden historians. As well as his staff, he has 50 garden volunteers and students. A scholarship has been instigated using the sale of a house from a bequest and the chosen scholar will be in place soon.
In the past all 3 of the properties Troy has worked at were able to raise and keep their raised funds, including visitor income. The NT system has changed and each property has to bid for funding of specific projects.
During questions following the talk, no-one asked Troy if being head gardener at Sissinghurst was his final goal, but we rather thought and hoped it was.
Karen Murdoch
EAGG Member