At Sissinghurst Castle Garden, a 16th-century tower stands with a stained-glass saint in its turret, evoking a sense of timelessness.
The garden, once tended by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson, is home to over 100 species of iris, including the rare ‘Three Oaks’ iris.
Climbing the stairs to the roof, the view of the surrounding land is breathtaking, with the irises blooming in every direction.
Sackville-West, a nocturnal writer, would often work by lamplight in her room in the turret, where a single primrose-yellow ‘Sahara’ iris has been placed in a vase.
Irises are often described as ‘the shooting stars’ of the garden, due to their brief yet striking display of color.
Many of the Sissinghurst irises bloom in May and again in September, making them a periodic delight.
The ‘Three Oaks’ iris, in particular, is a rare and stunning variety, with a comma-shaped bloom of copper fire and a beard of yellow, trailing into a tail of blue and ember orange.
This iris was bred by Agnes Whiting of Iowa, known for her spectacular array of bearded irises.
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They are emblematic of Sackville-West’s fondness for the many cultivars produced in the 1930s and 40s, including those reared by her friend, the painter and plantsman Cedric Morris.
Irises are said to symbolize wisdom, charm, ecstasy, and valour, according to Mandy Kirkby’s book The Language of Flowers.
Vita Sackville-West alluded to this knightly quality in her writing, describing the iris as saluting with its broad green blade.
The iris also holds a special significance as a manifestation of extreme beauty, as seen in Leonard Woolf’s act of rebellion against Hitler’s speech by planting irises instead of listening.
The ‘Three Oaks’ iris is a masterclass in genetic manipulation, with its burnished, chalice-like domed standards and lively colors.
It stands ochre red, like the dust that collects on cars in its ancestral home of the Midwest, and like the walls of Sackville-West’s room, where she wrote about the mystery and truth of nature.
After searching the garden, the ‘Three Oaks’ iris is finally found at the foot of the turret, its beauty and rarity a reflection of the garden’s charm.
For more information visit nationaltrust.org.uk.
