Essential Gertrude Jekyll

Delphiniums

As a colonial gardener I've always known about the great Gertrude Jekyll, without having read any of her writings. I've vaguely associated her with planting herbaceous bordsers with drifts of perennials, and hating the colour magenta.

Finally I've decided to read more, borrowing a book from the local library entitled 'The Gardener's Essential Gertrude Jekyll'. It's a selection from her thirteen books - writings on various topics, ranging from grand sweeping concepts to the tiniest plants described in full frontal detail. And most of all she is very, very quotable.

A Gardening Wise-Woman

I've decided that Miss Jekyll is a genuine wise-woman of gardening. Some of her comments are obviously old fashioned and lack today's requirement for political correctness. But there's still much for the thoroughly-modern, environmentally-aware, quasi-organic, recycling-mad gardener to get his or her gardening teeth (and gloves) firmly into.