Gertrude Jekyll: The Queen of Gardens

Described as « a woman of innumerable abilities » and hailed as an icon of English backyard historical past, Gertrude Jekyll would had been 174 on Wednesday.

In her honour, Google is altering its impress to a doodle, or illustration, of her gardens.

« If not for legendary horticulturist and backyard clothier Gertrude Jekyll, the world is seemingly to be a distinguished drabber situation. » Google said.

In her lifetime, Jekyll created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the usa.

Yet, most of her gardens are lost. A tiny quantity had been restored, alongside side her have backyard at Munstead Wood, the gardens of Hestercombe Home, and the backyard at the Manor Home in Upton Gray. 

The next are about a of her impressive gardens.

Hestercombe Gardens

Commissioned by the Hon EWB Portman, and labored on from 1904 to 1908, Hestercombe Gardens is regarded as as to be one of Jekyll most impressive gardens, combining several gardens into one.

Oxford’s Companion to Gardens described it as « excellent for the bold, concise pattern of its format, and for the minute consideration to ingredient in each place to be considered in the vary and imaginative handling of contrasting provides, whether cobble, tile, flint, or thinly coursed native stone. »

Hestercombe Gardens [xlibber/CC]

Hestercombe Gardens, Taunton, Somerset, UK. Designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and established in 1904-08. [Scott Zona/CC] [Unspecified]

Munstead Wood

Jekyll spent most of her existence in Surrey, England, and later, she moved into Munstead Wood, the achieve she established one of her most properly-known gardens.

In 1889, she met architect Edwin Lutyens, who designed a dwelling that fit into the backyard she already created. 

Collectively they labored on many dwelling and backyard initiatives constructing one of doubtlessly the most properly-known partnership in English backyard historical past.

Of those gardens that continue to exist not all are initiating to focus on over with and loads  are in a fragile order.

The Summer Backyard at Munstead Wood (on occasion is called the Three Corner Backyard thanks to its triangular form) [Gardenvisit/Creative Commons] [Daylife]

Medals of Honours    

In 1897, the first 60 Victoria Medals of Honours had been awarded to mark Victoria’s Jubilee.

Simplest two girls had been among those honoured: Jekyll and her contemporary, Ellen Willmott.

She became once influenced by arts and crafts principles. She brought this perspective to her work.

Her designs had been documented in photography over a dozen books, and 1000’s of magazine articles.

Decades later, Miss Jekyll became once awarded but some other of the Society’s honours, the Veitch Memorial Medal.

Lindisfarne Fortress & its Jekyll Backyard This backyard became once designed by Gertrude Jekyll for an even friend of Lutyens [ann young/CC]