Women Who Shaped Garden History
Rosemary Verey created the celebrated gardens at Barnsley House in Gloucestershire and became one of the best-known garden designers in the world, advising clients including Charles, Prince of Wales, and Elton John.
Verey came to gardening in her forties, inspired by her husband David's collection of rare gardening books. She taught herself garden history and design and gradually transformed the grounds of their 17th-century house into a garden that attracted international attention. The laburnum walk at Barnsley House, with its tunnel of golden laburnum underplanted with alliums, became one of the most photographed features in English gardening.
Verey's design style drew on English garden history, particularly the formal gardens of the 17th and 18th centuries. She used box hedging, potagers (ornamental kitchen gardens), and carefully structured planting to create gardens that were both beautiful and productive. Her books, including The English Country Garden (1990) and Good Planting (1990), were widely read and translated into multiple languages.