Ladew Topiary Gardens, My Lady's Manor Steeple Chase Awaits, photo: CarlisleFlowers

Barbara Paul Robinson delighted the audience today with a talk about her book entitled, “Rosemary Verey, The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener.”  Ms. Verey, an author of 18 garden books, began her gardening career after a bad riding accident in the Cotswolds, England.  She wrote her first book at age 62; Ms. Robinson gave hope to her audience that a good gardener is not constrained by time. The jacket cover of Ms. Robinson’s book shows the classic view of Rosemary Verey’s garden, through five trellised laburnum (golden rain tree) reigning down and purple alliums reaching high.  Ms. Verey believed that the garden should look good all year round said Ms. Robinson, and Verey’s knot gardens in the winter, reminiscent of Elizabethan times, looked lovely, their greens intertwined with a dust of snow.

Barbara Robinson had the good fortune of gardening with Rosemary at her estate, Bornsley House in the Cotswolds.  The author showed the audience pictures of American gardens that Verey designed.  She was frequently inspired by other gardens which lead her to create The Becks Gardens in Lexington, Kentucky, and a potager garden for the New York Botanical Garden which is still in the design stage.  Prince Philip and Sir Elton John sought the advice and designs for their respective gardens.  Rosemary Verey’s name invokes herbaceous borders and the author was quick to point out that in order to plant in layers Ms. Verey ripped much of her plant material out to constantly plant again. Like Rosemary Verey whose husband was an architect, Barbara Robinson’s lovely gardens in Northern Connecticut are built with the follies, bridges and trellises that her husband designed and crafted.

A book signing by the author, Barbara Paul Robinson of, “Rosemary Verey, the Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener” followed with light refreshments in the Ladew Studio filled with pictures of Harvey Ladew, his books and window views of the hunt country, indeed a fine venue for a fine book.