Garden House Book Week: Part 5
Posted:26 February 2015
Leading up to our special ‘book and stories’ day, Friday 27 February, we’ve asked members of the Garden House’s regular Friday gardening group to tell us about their favourite reading inspirations.
The Wild Garden (by William Robinson and Rick Darke)
Have you ever wondered why the gardens you see today look nothing like the formal, clipped designs you see in history books? The Wild Garden, first published in 1870, issued a forceful challenge to the prevailing garden style of the day and advocated a naturalistic style, in which hardy plants, both native and exotic, are arranged in groupings that mimic wild landscapes. Thanks to Robinsons passionate advocacy, and to the example he set in his own garden at Gravetye Manor in West Sussex, the naturalistic style triumphed even to this day. It would be a mistake, however, to think of The Wild Garden as merely of historical interest. For this newly designed edition, Rick Darke has written an introductory essay that not only underscores Robinsons importance in the evolution of garden design and ecology, but also explains his relevance for todays gardeners, designers, and landscape professionals. In addition, the book contains 100 stunning photographs taken by Darke, including images of Gravetye and of modern wild gardens.
Friday gardener Lil writes: “This book is one that I really enjoyed reading last year after visiting Gravetye Manor. My copy is a facsimile of the book William Robinson originally wrote in 1870 and is beautifully illustrated by the artist Alfred Parsons. William Robinson lived at Gravetye Manor for fifty years, and he used the estate to experiment with his particular design and planting theories. He was an advocate of the use of naturalistic planting, which was very unusual and unfashionable at the time. On the fly leaf to The Wild Garden it says ‘it’s message was revolutionary at a time when formalism dominated and fashion favoured the planting of forced hothouse annuals in geometric designs’.”
Highgrove: An English Country Garden (by Bunny Guinness)
The pioneering demonstration of organic gardens planned and planted by the Prince of Wales over thirty years at Highgrove. The gardens at Highgrove are one of the world’s most celebrated examples of organic gardening, offering inspiration to generations of gardeners by showing that a gorgeous landscape through completely organic and earth-friendly means is truly possible. Like a personal tour through each of the seasons, the Prince of Wales, along with Bunny Guinness, describes the thinking behind each planting, lessons learned from trial and error, the highlights and triumphs, as well as future plans. Lavishly illustrated with photographs that capture both the light and detail of this majestic space, this beautiful book will delight and inspire gardeners of every level. It is an exquisite celebration of garden design, full of passion and inspiration.
Friday gardener Catherine says: “This is one of the most beautiful gardening books I have ever seen. A wonderful monthly reminder of what weve got to look forward to in the garden, in the coming months. Its absolutely stunning, particularly the section on their arboretum.”
Please note: book outlines and images are from Amazon.co.uk