In 1930 the family acquired and moved to Sissinghurst Castle, near Cranbrook, Kent.
It had once been owned by Vita's ancestors.
This gave it a dynastic attraction as she was excluded from inheriting Knole and a title.
Sissinghurst was an Elizabethan ruin and the creation of the gardens would be a joint labour of love that would last many decades, first entailing years of clearing debris from the land.
Nicolson provided the architectural structure, with strong classical lines, which would frame his wife's innovative informal planting schemes.
She created a new and experimental system of enclosures or rooms, such as the White Garden, Rose Garden, Orchard, Cottage Garden and Nuttery.
She also innovated single colour-themed gardens and design principles orientating the visitors' experience to discovery and exploration.
Her first garden at Long Barn (Kent, 1915–1930) was experimental, a place of learning by trial and error and she carried over her ideas and projects to Sissinghurst, utilising her hard won experience.
Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.

Sackville-West took up writing again in 1930 after a six-year break as she needed money to pay for Sissinghurst.
Nicolson, having left the Foreign Office, no longer had a diplomat's salary to draw upon.
She also had to pay tuition for her two sons to attend Eton College.
She felt she had become a better writer thanks to the mentorship of Woolf.
In 1947 she began a weekly column in The Observer called "In your Garden", although she was not a trained horticulturalist or designer.
She continued the very popular column until a year before her death, and writing helped to make Sissinghust one of the most famous and visited gardens in England.
In 1948 she became a founder member of the National Trust's garden committee.
The grounds are now run by the National Trust.
She was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society.
In 1930 the family acquired and moved to Sissinghurst Castle, near Cranbrook, Kent. It had once been owned by Vita's ancestors. This gave it a dynastic attraction as she was excluded from inheriting Knole and a title. Sissinghurst was an Elizabethan ruin and the creation of the gardens would be a joint labour of love that would last many decades, first entailing years of clearing debris from the land. Nicolson provided the architectural structure, with strong classical lines, which would frame his wife's innovative informal planting schemes. She created a new and experimental system of enclosures or rooms, such as the White Garden, Rose Garden, Orchard, Cottage Garden and Nuttery. She also innovated single colour-themed gardens and design principles orientating the visitors' experience to discovery and exploration. Her first garden at Long Barn (Kent, 1915–1930) was experimental, a place of learning by trial and error and she carried over her ideas and projects to Sissinghurst, utilising her hard won experience. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.
Sackville-West took up writing again in 1930 after a six-year break as she needed money to pay for Sissinghurst. Nicolson, having left the Foreign Office, no longer had a diplomat's salary to draw upon. She also had to pay tuition for her two sons to attend Eton College. She felt she had become a better writer thanks to the mentorship of Woolf. In 1947 she began a weekly column in The Observer called "In your Garden", although she was not a trained horticulturalist or designer. She continued the very popular column until a year before her death, and writing helped to make Sissinghust one of the most famous and visited gardens in England. In 1948 she became a founder member of the National Trust's garden committee. The grounds are now run by the National Trust. She was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Vita Sackville-West