Rosemary Verey
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Verey, OBE, VMH (21 December 1918 in Chatham
, Kent
– 31 May 2001 in Cheltenham
) was an internationally known English
garden designer, lecturer and prolific garden writer who designed the famous garden at Barnsley House, near Cirencester
.
She was born Rosemary Isabel Baird Sandilands and educated at Eversley School, Folkestone
, and University College, London. In 1939 she married David Verey, whose family owned Barnsley House.
Verey's most famous garden design was that of her own house, Barnsley House near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. In 1970 she opened the garden for one day to the public for the National Gardens Scheme
but eventually it was open 6 days per week to accommodate the 30,000 annual visitors. In 1984 when her husband David died, Rosemary began designing gardens for American and British clients. Most notable are HRH the Prince of Wales
, and Sir Elton John, Princess Michael of Kent
, the Marquess of Bute
and the New York Botanical Garden
.
Rosemary Verey was well known for taking imposing elements from large public gardens and bringing them into scale for the home gardeners use. Her laburnum walk, which has been photographed many, many times, is an example of this technique. The National Trust's Bodnant Garden
in North Wales has a very large laburnum walk that inspired Verey to plant a similar, smaller scale laburnum walk at Barnsley House. Verey is also noted for making vegetable (ornamental potager) gardens fashionable once again. The potager at Barnsley House was inspired by that at Villandry, on the Loire in France.
She was awarded the OBE in 1996 and in 1999 from the Royal Horticultural Society
the highest accolade that Society can award, the Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH)
Chatham, Medway
Chatham is one of the Medway towns located within the Medway unitary authority, in North Kent, in South East England.Although the dockyard has long been closed and is now being redeveloped into a business and residential community as well as a museum featuring the famous submarine, HMS Ocelot,...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
– 31 May 2001 in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
) was an internationally known English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
garden designer, lecturer and prolific garden writer who designed the famous garden at Barnsley House, near Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
.
She was born Rosemary Isabel Baird Sandilands and educated at Eversley School, Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, and University College, London. In 1939 she married David Verey, whose family owned Barnsley House.
Verey's most famous garden design was that of her own house, Barnsley House near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. In 1970 she opened the garden for one day to the public for the National Gardens Scheme
National Gardens Scheme
The National Gardens Scheme, was founded in 1927 in England with the aim of "opening gardens of quality, character and interest to the public for charity". Originally, the money was raised to provide pension support for district nurses; 609 private gardens were opened and £8,191 was raised.Over...
but eventually it was open 6 days per week to accommodate the 30,000 annual visitors. In 1984 when her husband David died, Rosemary began designing gardens for American and British clients. Most notable are HRH the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, and Sir Elton John, Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent is an Austrian-Hungarian member of the British Royal Family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of King George V....
, the Marquess of Bute
Marquess of Bute
Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute.-Family history:...
and the New York Botanical Garden
New York Botanical Garden
- See also :* Education in New York City* List of botanical gardens in the United States* List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City- External links :* official website** blog*...
.
Rosemary Verey was well known for taking imposing elements from large public gardens and bringing them into scale for the home gardeners use. Her laburnum walk, which has been photographed many, many times, is an example of this technique. The National Trust's Bodnant Garden
Bodnant Garden
Bodnant Garden is a National Trust property near Tal-y-Cafn, in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. Bodnant Garden is situated above the River Conwy and overlooks the Conwy valley towards the Carneddau range of mountains.- History :...
in North Wales has a very large laburnum walk that inspired Verey to plant a similar, smaller scale laburnum walk at Barnsley House. Verey is also noted for making vegetable (ornamental potager) gardens fashionable once again. The potager at Barnsley House was inspired by that at Villandry, on the Loire in France.
She was awarded the OBE in 1996 and in 1999 from the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
the highest accolade that Society can award, the Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH)
Books
- The Englishwoman's Garden . Chatto and WindusChatto and WindusChatto & Windus has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House, publishers. It was originally an important publisher of books in London, founded in the Victorian era....
, 1980. Hardcover: ISBN 0701123958 - The Scented Garden. Marshall Editions 1981. Hardcover: ISBN 0718120507
- Classic Garden Design: Adapting and Recreating Garden Features of the Past . VikingVikingThe term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
, 1984. Hardcover: ISBN 0670800635 - The New Englishwoman's Garden . Co-authored by Alvilde Lees-Milne. Chatto and WindusChatto and WindusChatto & Windus has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House, publishers. It was originally an important publisher of books in London, founded in the Victorian era....
, 1987. Hardcover: ISBN 0701132736 - The Flower Arranger's Garden . Conran Octopus Ltd, 1992, ISBN 1850293228
- Good Planting. Frances Lincoln PublishersFrances Lincoln PublishersFrances Lincoln Publishers is a British book publishing company based in London, founded by Frances Lincoln.The company was founded in 1977. It produces illustrated books, especially on art, architecture, design, gardening, landscape, and walking. In 1983, Francis Lincoln also started to publish...
, 1990. Hardcover: ISBN 0711206066 - A Countrywoman's Notes. Foreword by HRHRoyal HighnessRoyal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
: Frances Lincoln PublishersFrances Lincoln PublishersFrances Lincoln Publishers is a British book publishing company based in London, founded by Frances Lincoln.The company was founded in 1977. It produces illustrated books, especially on art, architecture, design, gardening, landscape, and walking. In 1983, Francis Lincoln also started to publish...
, 1993. Miniature edition. Hardcover: ISBN 0-711-20888-3, ISBN 978-0-71120-888-9. - Rosemary Verey's Good Planting Plans. Little Brown and Company, 1993. Hardcover: ISBN 0316899828
- Secret Gardens: Revealed by Their Owners Chosen and Edited by Rosemary Verey. Bulfinch Press, 1994. Hardcover: ISBN 0821220748
- Rosemary Verey's English Country Gardens . Henry Holt & Co, 1996. Hardcover: ISBN 0805050809
- The English Country Garden . BBC BooksBBC BooksBBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
, 1996. Hardcover: ISBN 056338705X - Rosemary Verey's Making of a Garden. Frances Lincoln PublishersFrances Lincoln PublishersFrances Lincoln Publishers is a British book publishing company based in London, founded by Frances Lincoln.The company was founded in 1977. It produces illustrated books, especially on art, architecture, design, gardening, landscape, and walking. In 1983, Francis Lincoln also started to publish...
, 2001. Photographs by Tony LordTony Lord (photographer)Tony Lord is a United Kingdom gardener, photographer and author. In 2005 the Royal Horticultural Society awarded him the Victoria Medal of Honour for his work as a garden photographer, horticultural consultant and writer....
. Plans rendered in watercolour by Hilary Wills. New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
: Paperback: ISBN 0711217912 - The Garden in Winter. Frances Lincoln PublishersFrances Lincoln PublishersFrances Lincoln Publishers is a British book publishing company based in London, founded by Frances Lincoln.The company was founded in 1977. It produces illustrated books, especially on art, architecture, design, gardening, landscape, and walking. In 1983, Francis Lincoln also started to publish...
, 2002. Paperback ISBN 0711220204