The Sunken Garden at Wakehurst
The sunken garden at Wakehurst is a historically significant, formal English Renaissance style garden. Ernest W. Bowditch was the first to design the landscape surrounding the Wakehurst Estate, including this garden. The layout was later redesigned by Frank D. Mendes, a Portuguese master gardener. The garden was then reconstructed by his son-in-law, Frank Rosa who was the former chief gardener at Salve Regina.
Today, roses are grown in the four corners of the garden in triangular shaped beds, and in eight pie-shaped beds that surround the fountain in the center of the garden. The sunken design of the garden serves as protection of the plants grown from harsh ocean winds.