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Inspired By My Pinterest Boards: This Year’s Category is GARDENING
The Famous Lutyens Bench
Where should we start in considering Edward Lutyens? With the famous Lutyens bench he designed for Gertrude Jekyll or his architectural influence upon famous English gardens, perhaps the new lifestyle magazine, Country Life, created by Edward Hudson, which featured many of Lutyens’ house designs and grew his popularity? This famous man gives us endless possibilities, but since I have already written about Gertrude Jekyll (the letter J), I will reluctantly limit the scope of this post to Lutyens’ connection to her.
Sir Edwin Lutyens, 1869-1944 was an English architect who after leaving a firm of architects to set up his own practice, met the landscape gardener Gertrude Jekyll. She taught him the “simplicity of intention and directness of purpose” she had learned from John Ruskin. It was the beginning of a professional partnership that would define the look of Lutyens country houses. At Munstead Wood, Surrey (1896), the house he designed for Jekyll, Lutyens’ style as an architect emerged.
It is the “Lutyens-Jekyll” gardens that I am the most interested in. They overflowed with hardy shrubbery and herbaceous plantings; a combined classical style of architecture, stairs and balustraded terraces, with informal brick paths, softened by herbaceous borders. This look was in direct contrast to the formal bedding schemes planted by previous English gardeners. This new “natural” style has defined the “English garden” to this day; one of the reason that both Lutyens-Jekyll are remembered with such respect.
Wow! Lovely bench, never heard of Edward though.
There are a lovely set of steps designed by Lutyens in Christopher Lloyd’s garden.
Lovely Bench and I also like the house and wish I had a home like that,
Now you will recognize a Lutyens Bench whenever you see one. Probably not an original, but how knowledgable you’ll sound when you point out to a friend, “Oh, look, there’s a Lutyens style bench.”
Loved reading the background on Lutyens-Jekyll. I have a couple of knockoff Lutyens–certainly a masterful design.
A fascinating story worth pursuing if only googling his name for brief snippets. His bench design is classic for your beautiful garden.
I take the bench, the house, and a garden in the Lutyens-Jekyll style. I can’t think of anything better.
Wow! This was a really interesting article, and full of good historical facts! And I love Lutyens’ glasses; I wonder where I can get a pair…
Melanie Atherton Allen
http://www.athertonsmagicvapour.com
Lutyens had an affair with Vita Sackville West’s mother. (See the letter V coming soon.) They were all a fascinating lot, creative on so many fronts. Good luck with the glasses.
I’m not a very good gardener, but I do love a garden. We’ve got a National Trust membership so we can go and look at their beautiful gardens. Great bench. Interesting info! 🙂
I love this style! I love separating with stairs, terraces, and paths. I’m a big fan. 🙂
Random Musings from the KristenHead — L is for ‘Longmire’ and ‘Lost’ (and Loddy)