The Gardens of Gertrude Jekyll

by Richard Bisgrove

The English gardens of Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) have influenced good garden design throughout the world. While many of Jekyll's gardens and original plantings have disappeared, and only a handful of her plans are well-known, thousands survive in archives. Richard Bisgrove has selected a representative sample from this remarkable collection, and the designs—including plans for Jekyll's three American gardens as well as for many of her English gardens—have been redrawn by an accomplished watercolorist and relabeled to make them more accessible to the nonspecialist. Together they provide an astonishing record of Jekyll's versatility as a garden designer and of the painstaking attention to detail that she applied to every aspect of her art.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1992

Reviews

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely just a skim read. I got an acquaintance with the legendary Miss Jekyll and her gardening style, but didn't delve deep as the style was a bit formal and (worse for me, but nothing hard on the book) the growing zone focus was warmer than mine. More useful books with some of her principles have been written since then, but this is for those who want to read about the actual places she influenced. I liked the idea of the "gray garden" - definitely describes a tendency I've been developing in our property's sunbaked front, and it's one of my favorite garden looks.

[Joanna Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone into designing a garden should read this book, particularly if you like The Cottage Garden Style.. Fascinating looking at the plans Gertrude Jekyll created..I particularly like the ones that use colour boldly..

[Karen Floyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

"For Gertrude Jekyll gardening was never a matter of style or fashion. The garden was not an end result but a process, a process inevitably involving the making of mistakes but offering in return that serene satisfaction which comes from tireless dedication to a job well done. It is that quality which ensures for her a lasting place in an increasingly makeshift world."