A great English garden created by an American, Lawrence Johnstone. Situated in the Cotswolds. As close to genius as Sissinghurst.
Sissinghurst represents one of the most unique artistic collaborations between a married couple; the writer, Vita Sackville West and her husband, the diplomat, Sir Harold Nicholson. When they bought Sissinghurst, in the countryside of Kent, it was little more than a run down 6 plus acre parcel of land with some ancient buildings and a clock tower.
The genius of the place is the melding of its disciplined, geometric layout as designed by Harold with its exuberant plantings as designed, for the most part, by Vita.
"Lotusland is a unique 37-acre estate and botanic garden situated in the foothills of Montecito to the east of the city of Santa Barbara. The gardens now covering the estate were created by Madame Ganna Walska, who owned the property from 1941 until her death in 1984. Before her death, Madame Walska established the nonprofit Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation, which now preserves this unrivaled botanical treasure." For more information, go to www.lotusland.org
