Great women gardeners

A charcoal drawing of a lady in her mid-30s, with curled hair and a benevolent look on her face — Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Lady Londonderry | © National Trust Images/John Hammond

Women have long been owners and creators of some of the most famous gardens in the UK. Discover more about the gardening pioneers from the past 170 years and the celebrated gardens that carry their legacies, from the romantic planting of Vita Sackville West to the Celtic symbolism of Edith, Lady Londonderry.

Remarkable women in garden design

Until the early 20th century it was virtually impossible for any woman, regardless of her social background, to enter the world of professional horticulture and garden design. However, the following women broke with convention and created beautiful gardens that are still being enjoyed today.

Gertrude Jekyll (1843–1932)

Jekyll’s drifts of herbaceous planting faded from cool colours to hot and back again. This was in stark contrast to the prevailing fashion for formal bedding schemes. Her partnership with the young architect, Edwin Lutyens, lasted nearly 25 years and their collaboration produced over 100 houses and gardens at the pinnacle of Edwardian garden design.

Jekyll authored ten books in as many years, alongside thousands of articles. Her style of gardening remains popular even today.

Laura McLaren, Lady Aberconwy (1854–1933)

Bodnant’s acclaimed gardens owe much to Laura McLaren, Lady Aberconwy, who inherited the house and garden from her father, Henry Ponchin, in 1895. She followed in the footsteps of her mother as a leading Liberal suffragist, but her other passion was horticulture.

Alongside her eldest son Henry, Laura expanded and developed the garden. Her influence can be seen in the ambitious Italianate terraces they planned in the early years of the 20th century. In later life, in recognition of her horticultural achievements, she was awarded the prestigious RHS Victoria Medal of Honour.

View of Priest's House from the White Garden in August at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent — The White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent | © National Trust Images/John Miller

Norah Lindsay (1873–1948)

Norah Lindsay was the preeminent society garden designer of the interwar years, yet she may have been remembered foremost as a socialite, had her marriage not collapsed in 1924. Aged 51 and needing an income, she used her talent to make beautiful gardens for the titled and wealthy across Britain and Europe.

Without horticultural training but with a great eye for design and colour, Norah borrowed Jekyll’s style, often adding more exuberant and looser planting alongside formal hedging and topiary. You can see Lindsay's work at Cliveden, Blickling Hall, Chirk Castle, Hidcote and Mottisfont Abbey.

Edith, Lady Londonderry (1878–1959)

Visionary garden designer, suffragette and society hostess, Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Lady Londonderry, created one of the most original gardens of the 20th century at Mount Stewart in County Down, Northern Ireland.

After the First World War and in her 40s, Edith channelled her energies into the garden, filling it with rich symbolism inspired by her Celtic upbringing and Greek myths. She amassed an unrivalled collection of rare and tender plants, taking advantage of the mild climate of Strangford Lough and experimenting with bold planting schemes.

Vita Sackville-West (1892–1962)

Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent is one of the most famous and influential gardens in the world. Purchased in 1930, Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson restored the collection of neglected Tudor buildings and farmland. First and foremost a writer and poet, Vita was not a professional gardener, but her planting and originality are a hallmark of the garden.

She filled the formal structure of garden rooms and vistas with romantic, billowing planting. Vita also defined colour schemes including the White Garden, which has inspired thousands of imitations.

The west front and Sunk Garden on a sunny day in autumn at Mount Stewart, County Down — The west front and Sunk Garden at Mount Stewart, County Down. | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Kitty Lloyd Jones (1898–1978)

Kitty Lloyd Jones had neither the social connections nor financial security of the women gardeners before her. One of the first women to train as a professional horticulturalist, she graduated from Reading University in 1925.

Despite her exceptional ability, she struggled to find work in her chosen profession. A chance job led to Kitty’s first commission and an important entrée into the world of the wealthy. Her style of gardening wasn’t radical, but her chosen profession was. She became a true pioneer for the professional female horticulturalist and garden designer.

The Messels (1889–1992)

Three women from the Messel family at Nymans in West Sussex helped to shape this famed 20th-century garden. Ludwig Messel, a successful stockbroker, purchased Nymans for his family in 1890. His daughter, Muriel, inherited her father’s love of gardening and her catalogue of all the plants in the garden was published in 1918 in A Garden Flora.

Her sister-in-law, Maud, had a particular interest in old rose varieties, and the rose garden created in the 1920s became home to her collection. Maud’s daughter, Anne, grew up at Nymans and moved back there when widowed in 1979. She continued her close involvement with the garden’s development until her death in 1992.