Now known mainly as a garden designer and plantswoman, Gertrude Jekyll combined creativity and mastery of many crafts. She was described as a ‘pioneer spirit’. Jekyll trained at the School of Art in South Kensington, where she showed talent in painting, metalwork and embroidery. As a true Arts and Crafts practitioner, she studied and mastered every craft thoroughly.

In 1884 she acquired 15 acres of land in Munstead, Surrey where she would build her home and used the garden as a trial ground, experimenting, extending her knowledge of plants and breeding her own improved varieties. The plant nursery followed, from which she was able to supply plants for her clients.

Jekyll was a keen photographer and wrote many books and articles for Country Life and other gardening magazines. She was involved with some 400 garden commissions for clients in America, Europe and the UK. Her legacy continues to this day.

Cherrill Sands is a garden historian with an MA in the Conservation of Gardens, Landscapes & Parks from the Architectural Association, London. She is the Historical Consultant for Painshill in Surrey and is currently acting curator of the archives. Cherrill is a former Chair of Surrey Gardens Trust and is on the Research and Recording team. As a freelance speaker Cherrill presents talks throughout the UK and abroad on garden history and theatre.

This ticket is for this individual session and costs £5 – register on Eventbrite HERE. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.