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The Scholarship Programme
Find out more about our Scholarship Programme, designed to nurture talented gardeners in the next step of their career.
The Scholarship Programme
The Scholarship Programme is an initiative which nurtures talented gardeners of the future, providing them with opportunities to hone their skills under the guidance of professionals. There are two types of Scholarship under this programme; one to cultivate head gardeners of the future, and the other focusing on kitchen garden skills and propagation.
Although initially based at Sissinghurst, Scholars have the opportunity to visit associated garden organisations, both in the UK and internationally, to broaden their development and learn from a variety of experts.
New to 2025, we are proud to announce that the Programme will expand to Bodnant Garden in Wales, offering successful candidates the opportunity to be based there or at Sisssinghurst Castle.
The Scholarship was originally and continues to be generously funded by donations and legacies. If you are thinking about leaving a gift in will to the National Trust, you can find out more here.
The Sissinghurst Scholar
In June 2022, Sissinghurst Castle Garden opened applications for The Sissinghurst Scholarship offering gardeners the special opportunity to work alongside our Head Gardener Troy Scott-Smith and his team whilst developing practical hands-on experience. This Scholarship is designed to cultivate the Head Gardeners of the future.
Troy commented, “Sissinghurst Castle Garden has been a foundation of horticultural learning for decades. In fact, in 1997, Nigel Nicolson, son of Vita and Harold, wrote that ‘Sissinghurst is a nursery not only for plants, but for head-gardeners'.
“Now, as a leading international garden, we want to embed this legacy as a core principle, creating an informal but world-class training environment to keep the tradition of learning at Sissinghurst alive for decades to come.”
The Growing Scholar
Sissinghurst Castle first opened up applications for the Growing Scholar in 2023 which aimed to provide hands-on practical experience within the Nursery and Vegetable Garden here, under the supervision of expert technicians.
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The Scholarship Programme
Find out more about this initiative and the opportunities it can provide gardeners who are looking for their next step in career development.
Meet our Scholars
Since its inauguration, the Scholarship has taken on five individuals keen to develop their skills.
Claire Margetts, Inaugural Sissinghurst Scholar 2022 - 2024
Upon graduating from the Scholarship in March 2024, Claire accepted a position as Head Gardener at the National Trust's Mottistone Gardens. Claire reflected that "[t]he experience has been enriching, accelerating, on occasion incredibly challenging and the nuance of learnings invaluable and absolutely unexpected. I am honoured to have been able to help with building the profile of the Scholarship internally and within the industry, fundraise for its future and go forth as the first of what I am sure will be an alumni that gives back to the heritage industry as a whole. I want to say a huge thank you to the team at Sissinghurst, the family, the National Trust and all our partner gardens who were involved in bringing this inaugural Scholarship to life."
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