For 125 years, the weekly magazine Country Life has enjoyed worldwide renown for its coverage of English country houses and gardens. Notably, from its launch in 1897, the magazine recorded the changes and dramatic events which took place during the first half-century of its existence. Alongside, it revealed corresponding changes in garden tastes and ambitions. This Gardens Trust online talk on January 19 gives us an insight into some of the horticultural highlights of the first 50 years, via a cast of characters involved with, or championed by, the influential magazine. Between the last years of Queen Victoria’s reign and the close of the Second World War, English gardens reflected changing priorities in design and upkeep as well as the broadening interests of the readership. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days (and again a few hours) prior to the start of the first talk (If you do not receive this link please contact us), and a link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week. £5 Register HERE
Kathryn Bradley-Hole is a lifelong gardener and inveterate traveller and was for 18 years the Gardens Editor of Country Life magazine. She is the author of numerous books, including the acclaimed English Gardens from the archives of Country Life (Rizzoli International Publications, 2019), Villa Gardens of the Mediterranean from the archives of Country Life (Aurum Press, 2006) and, recently published, The Naturally Beautiful Garden (Rizzoli International Publications, 2021), which explores contemporary naturalistic gardens across the world. For some 30 years a popular writer for the national and international press, she enjoys growing food and herbs for the kitchen and flowers for wildlife enhancement.
