14:00 – 15:00 on Tuesday 29 October – This talk will be recorded
A look at two famous English gardeners and their legacy gardens. Their ideas and passion have inspired many generations of gardeners over years and still have influence on gardeners today.
Ellen Willmott (1858-1934) was fascinated by gardens and plant cultivation from her childhood, and would later achieve fame for her garden design ideas and her horticultural experimentation. A fabulously wealthy heiress, she spent a fortune creating dream gardens in Essex, France and Italy, wrote books and was lauded by the Royal Horticultural Society. But in the early 1900’s financial difficulties struck, and her story became one of riches to (almost) rags.
Lawrence Johnston (1871-1958) was American by birth, but loved England and became a naturalised British citizen, fighting in the British army during the First World War. He created his vision of the ideal gardens at his home at Hidcote Manor, located in the northern part of the Cotswolds, in Gloucestershire, and his holiday home on the Mediterranean coast. An intensely private man who loved to experiment with new ideas for his gardens, it is only in the past 25 years or so that much more has been discovered about ‘the quiet American’. Visitors today can still enjoy the beautiful garden he created in Gloucestershire.
Margaret is a part-time adult education lecturer, having taught in further, higher and adult education for many years. She also gives talks to various different organisations, her degree subjects and specialisms being History and English Literature, (mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries). Margaret also broadcasts a book review slot and a local history slot on community radio, and has contributed to newsletters, magazines and journals of both the Bronte Society and the Jane Austen Centre.
She is always happy to answer questions after the talk, which aims to be informative, entertaining and with a touch of humour.