Home and Garden; Notes and Thoughts, Practical and Critical, of a Worker in Both ...

by Gertrude Jekyll

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ...summer advances, and larger things are to be had, the flower arrangements grow bolder. Tea-Roses and many of the free-growing kinds are cut three to four feet long. The Eryngiums are fine in a cut state, the bluish E. oliverianum grouping delightfully with long branches of the white Everlasting Pea, while the still bolder and more silvery E. giganteum not only lives long in water, but is a handsome object if kept dry, lasting well for several months, and losing but little of its form and lustre. In the earlier part of the year, unless there is an old-established shrubbery to cut from, it is sometimes difficult to find good greenery to go with flowers. In March I make a good deal of use of the leaves of the wild Arum, so abundant in hedges, pulling up the whole sheaf of leaves and preparing it by standing it deep in water. It goes capitally with Trumpet Daffodils. The later Daffodils look well with leafy twigs of Birch, which comes just in time to accompany them; and later still, in the end of April and beginning of May, Poet's Narcissus and Sweet-brier branches go happily together. Many of the flowers of May and June--Lilac, Ouelder-Rose, Rhododendron, and Pseony--are well furnished with their own greenery, and from then onwards there is plenty to choose from. Still for Eryngium And White Everlasting Pea autumn I find it useful to have a line or patch of one of the maize-like Sorghums or Millets; the one I use is the Sorgho & balais of the French. If when half grown the main stem is cut out, it branches into a number of side shoots, good to group with Oladiolus, or to wreathe about with the white clusters of the late-blooming Clematis Flaminula of September and the still finer C. paniculata of October. And with late autumn what a wealth...

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

68 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2013

About the author

Gertrude Jekyll was an influential British garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the USA and contributed over 1,000 articles to Country Life, The Garden and other magazines.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book to dip into rather than read straight through. I've been reading two or three chapters a day. Jekyll shares her thoughts on everything from house design to the best plants for dry soils, via articles on potpourri making, spring walks and pet cats! This book has really deepened my appreciation for Jekyll as a person, not just a garden designer. She was clearly a woman of many talents, thoughtful, intelligent and kindly too. I loved her description of the 'cats' tea party' she arranged to entertain a small niece. She must have been a wonderful auntie, although I expect she didn't have much patience with fools!

[Ruth Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look into English gardening a century ago. The author has no qualms about sharing her strong opinions about certain plants and planting methods. I really liked her idea that certain places need certain plants. She also likes to see large swaths planted in the same plant. The chapter on her cats was delightful!