JEKYLL 3   |   Gertrude Jekyll and the Arts and Crafts Garden

Now that we’ve learnt a little about the Arts and Crafts movement, let’s turn our attention to Arts and Crafts gardens and the most famous garden designer of the period – Gertrude Jekyll.

Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) was an important gardener, garden designer, and writer whose work still influences garden design today. During her career, she designed about 350 gardens in Britain and other countries. She played a major role in shaping garden design in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jekyll believed that gardens should be carefully planned to fit well with the house they surround. She thought a garden should be a natural extension of the home, matching the house’s style, materials, and mood. She also felt that gardens should blend in with the local environment, considering the climate, land, and plants of the area.

Jekyll’s designs focused on creating gardens that looked beautiful and were in harmony with nature. She was known for using colour, texture, and plant choices in new and creative ways, helping to define the English country garden style. Her ideas influenced garden design around the world, making her a significant figure in modern gardening and landscape design.

Photo credits

• Top left: Gravetye Manor by Alessio Bragadini https://www.flickr.com/photos/abragad/1925070310/in/photostream/
• Top centre: Munstead Wood by Amateur with a Camera https://www.flickr.com/photos/homemadewebsites/52925497680/in/photostream/
• Top right: Lindisfarne Castle by Matthew Hunt https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LindisfarneCastleHolyIsland.jpg
• Bottom left: Munstead Wood by Amateur with a Camera https://www.flickr.com/photos/homemadewebsites/52907675843/in/photostream/
• Bottom centre: Lindisfarne Castle by Mike Finn https://www.flickr.com/photos/mwf2005/50244683937/in/photostream/
• Bottom right: Gravetye Manor by Rictor Norton and David Allen https://www.flickr.com/photos/rictor-and-david/9029427002/in/photolist-eKUb4U-NU4yA9