For our May lecture we welcomed Rosamund Wallinger, owner of Upton Grey and restorer of the ‘lost’ Gertrude Jekyll Garden.

We heard how the discovery of a full set of plans resulted in what is believed to be the most complete and authentic Jekyll garden in existence, after years of research, traveling far and wide to track down original species of plants and decades of hard work. Rosamund told us about Gertrude Jekyll’s life, the people whom she befriended and influenced, and her philosophy of garden design. The accompanying slides beautifully illustrated the different components of the garden; how Jekyll cleverly softened the formal dry stone walls with drifts of plants and flowers; and the transition to the more natural Wild garden, including the pond. More information about visiting Upton Grey and the books written by Rosamund Wallinger can be found on her website: www.gertrudejekyllgarden.co.uk