Garden Whimsy – Lessons from Ms. Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll, the prolific British designer and horticulturalist, made more than 400 gardens in the United Kingdom, America, and Europe. She served her wealthy clients well, creating dramatic outdoor spaces such as those at Hestercombe, and Lindisfarne Castle…places that
are formal and impressive.
The gardens at Munstead Wood, her home in Surrey, which were nearly 40 years in the making, are, however, unpretentious and utterly endearing. At Munstead Wood you won’t find a single Serious Statue. Instead, at those gardens, which are now privately-owned and still kept as Miss Jekyll meant them to be, wheelbarrows, a whimsical life preserver, and a rusty dinner bell are the only things needed to perfectly ornament her lavishly-colored flower beds.
Jekyll’s home was designed by Edwin Lutyens and built in 1896.
The shady, half-timbered North Court has exuberant swags of Clematis montana, and is decorated with terracotta pots filled with ferns and hostas. Courtesy of nanquick.com
In late April: primula-filled wheelbarrows, near the Potting Shed. Courtesy of nanquick.com
Outside her work rooms over the stables, we find a vintage bell. Courtesy of nanquick.com
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