Troy Scott Smith

Troy Scott Smith was head gardener at Iford Manor and Bodnant before being appointed to Sissinghurst — one of England's most celebrated gardens and Grade I-listed on Historic England's register. A horticulturist, writer, designer and consultant from a family of committed naturalists, he sits on the RHS Floral Committee, and is now guiding Sissinghurst into a thoughtful new chapter.

Head Gardener at Sissinghurst. Garden Writer, Speaker & Lecturer.

Course

The Art of Gardening at Sissinghurst

Filmed over a year, this immersive course follows Sissinghurst Castle’s head gardener Troy Scott Smith as he shares unprecedented access to one of world’s most famous gardens. Troy shares expert techniques, planting insights, and practical advice to help you create beauty and structure year-round. From beds and borders to staking and succession, you’ll learn how to work with annuals, biennials, and perennials to build dynamic displays. You’ll explore seasonal gardening techniques and learn how to time your tasks and plant combinations to bring a touch of Sissinghurst into your own garden.

56 Lessons

Included with membership

Lesson plan — 17 lessons

01 Introduction

01 Meet Troy
02 The history & layout of Sissinghurst

02 In the Orchard

03 Planting bulbs in the Orchard - part 1
04 Planting bulbs in the Orchard - part 2

03 Essential autumn tasks

05 Lifting & dividing perennials in the Rose Garden
06 Reworking a large flower bed
07 How to maintain your lawn
08 Adding biennials to the Cottage Garden

04 In the Rose Garden

09 Pruning a shrub rose - part 1: The principles of pruning
10 Pruning a shrub rose - part 2: Propagation, pests & diseases
11 Bending a rose into shape - part 1: Pruning the rose
12 Bending a rose into shape - part 2: Creating the structure
13 How to train a rose up a wall

05 Late autumn at Sissinghurst

14 Coppicing hazel
15 Protecting tender plants over winter
16 The beauty of rose hips in autumn
17 Lifting and storing dahlias for winter

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Lesson plan — 22 lessons

01 Winter in the White Garden

01 Managing a bed in late winter
02 Planting narcissi in late winter
03 Planting a bare root rose
04 Trained roses in the Rose Garden

02 Winter in the Orchard

05 Planting a pear tree in the Orchard
06 Early spring bulbs in the Orchard
07 Winter pruning a fruit tree

03 Early spring in the Cottage Garden

08 Assessing your beds in spring
09 Adding annual poppies to the bed
10 Planting perennials into gaps in the bed

04 Essential spring jobs

11 Troy’s essential tools for weeding
12 Staking aconites in spring
13 How to prune spring flowering shrubs
14 How to prune a tender shrub
15 How to stake irises
16 Supporting peonies with hazel benders
17 Cutting back pulmonaria
18 Lifting and dividing primulas
19 The Nuttery in spring

05 Clematis at Sissinghurst

20 Using clematis in the garden
21 Tying up a later flowering clematis
22 Clematis montana

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Lesson plan — 17 lessons

01 Assessing your beds in summer

01 The Purple Border in mid-May
02 How to map out a bed

02 Jobs in the garden in May

03 Pottering in the Rose Garden
04 Troy’s take on the ‘Chelsea chop’
05 Tidying up bearded irises
06 Bokashi composting

03 Designing your beds on plan

07 Creating a planting plan from scratch part 1: Layering the planting
08 Creating a planting plan from scratch part 2: Woody shrubs & climbers
09 Creating a planting plan from scratch part 3: Adding the perennial layer
10 Creating a planting plan from scratch part 4: Annuals, biennials and bulbs
11 Working with existing planting plans

04 Sissinghurst in midsummer

12 Adding cosmos to the White Garden
13 The wisteria
14 Lifting and dividing irises
15 Sissinghurst in its surroundings
16 Revisiting the bent rose
17 Final thoughts

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“Troy Scott Smith is an absolute inspiration! I am loving watching his Sissinghurst videos. I've already learned so much and am completely re-thinking my garden.”

Shann Jones

“I have subscribed to access all the courses so have watched one on interior design and this one with Butter Wakefield who specialises in small garden design. She has a lovely personality and comes across as being a ve...”

Louise Brown Apr 10, 2026

“I love CreateAcademy. I came in for the gardening and floristry courses, but am also watching an interior design one at present. And the photography course is an absolute must, best I've ever done.”

Wellesley Apr 1, 2026

“What a great investment, I have learned such a lot from the first three courses. My evenings have gone from not being able to find anything that captured my imagination on TV to learning and expanding my knowledge on ...”

sojojo Mar 30, 2026

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