Gertrude Jekyll's Lost Garden

by Rosamund Wallinger

The garden at the Manor House, Upton Grey in Hampshire, England, was designed by Gertrude Jekyll for Charles Holme, the founder of 'The Studio'. Having fallen into disrepair it has been accurately and painstakingly recreated over a period of sixteen years to embody Gertrude Jekyll's original vision. It now contains the only fully restored Jekyll wild garden still in existence. The recreation was made possible by the discovery of Jekyll's original plans at the Reef Point Collection in the United States, secured for posterity by the great American landscape architect Beatrix Farrand. Rosamund Wallinger, the current owner of the Manor House, personally undertook the restoration of this Edwardian masterpiece. Meticulous records and photographs kept throughout the restoration have enabled Rosamund Wallinger to produce a beautifully illustrated and historic document. Full of fascinating horticultural details, and tinged with a very necessary sense of humour, her account makes fascinating reading for an

Genres: Gardening

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 30, 1999

Reviews

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, and you will love it too, if you'd love a jumbled, somewhat random, diary of restoring a truly beautiful garden.

One of the best things about this book is the author's voice--she's very humble, for someone who has put together something so beautiful--and she's charming.

Also, I want her garden.

[Lanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great Winter Read. I had a hard time getting through Jekyll's "Colour in the Flower Garden" because the few pictures were black and white. As a visual learner, the descriptions in that one were hard for me to devour. This one, however, was a joy. The many pictures were in full color, the author's voice was fantastic, and it was a lovely escape from reality (cold and wind!)

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Wallinger was not a gardener when she bought the manor house at Upton Grey, but she soon became one. The gardens there had originally been designed by Gertrude Jekyll but had lost their luster due to neglect. Ms. Wallinger set about putting the gardens just as Jekyll had planned them. Her story makes me glad that I have a smallish garden to tend. The amount of labor she put in the first several years was all consuming and she did it mostly herself. Only when she was able to afford a full-time gardener down the road did gardening turn from chore to pleasure.

During these years Wallinger kept a journal and this book re-traces that journal with the perspective that comes from a gardener looking back. Like all gardeners, Wallinger has her peculiar peeves and prides, and usual amount of ups and downs. You get to see a novice gardener get her bearings and grow in confidence.

The book is highly illustrated and you get to see the property in various stages over the years, from its early glory, to later ruin, and then back again to it former self.

I liked the photos, but I have seen better (many seem taken in bright sun), and Wallinger's eccentricities grate me at times, but all in all it was good to walk in another gardener's shoes.

[Lindajean · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite gardening books -- a compelling, well-written narrative with gorgeous photographs of the restored Jekyll garden.