The Ghost Of Miss Willmott

This foto was taken off the internet, it is not my plant.

Ellen Wilmott was a world famous garden specialist in the early part of the 20th Century, a contemporary of Gertrude Jekyll.
She was born in 1858 and when older, she bought Warley Place, in Essex.
Independently wealthy, she at one time employed 80-85 people to keep her gardens in order, tolerating no weeds at all. She also owned properties in France and Italy, where she also had gardens.
I mentioned her being a contemporary of Gertrude Jekell, well in 1858 she shared an very prestigious award, the RHS's Victoria Medal of Honour with Gertrude Jekell. In horticultural circles at the time, this was an extraordinary accomplishment and recognition of her ability.

Later she was known to have sponsored expeditions to discover new plant sorts--such as Earnest Wilson. Mr. Wilson found a blue-blooming bush in China which he names for her--Ceratostigma willmottianum.
Miss Wilmott was loose with her money and rewarded various expeditionists, horticulturists and nurserymen and as a result many plants bear her name to this day.

Now for the "Ghost" bit: The story goes that she was so jealous of the gardens of others that when she visited them she would discreetly scatter seeds of the Sea Holly (Eryngium giganteum) amongst the plants and in the borders.
When spring rolled around, strange green rosettes of leaves would appear here and there which would eventually produce a silvery stem with spiky thistle-like flowers.
I have never found any actual proof for this legend, although you can find the story in many places. Perhaps it was simply a story made-up from an enemy that she had made with her sometimes arrogant demeanor.

In Warley Place's hayday, before WW I, The gardens were visited by such v.i.p's as Queens Mary and Alexandra of England and the Tsarina of Russia.
1914 was the year that spelled the beginning of the end for Miss Willmott. When certain english investments went bad, Warley Place was not spared. Her debts were so great that she had to begin letting the garden workers go.
The result was that the beautiful gardens became overgrown and at the deepest point, she had to rent-out rooms in her mansion.
She died in 1934 and a year later her belongings, then her house were auctioned-off.
The house remained empty after its sale and the gardens were plundered. The house was pulled-down in 1939.
The place where her wonderful gardens once were was marked with an array of neglected bulb plants.
Her legacy, or 'ghost' is also found in the form of plants such as peonys, lilies, roses, lilacs and phloxes which bear reference to her in one way or another.
I believe that Warley Place has become a "Wildlife Trust", or wildlife reserve now and can visited by the public. Volunteers maintain the grounds and some aspects of the original place are retained.

 

Thanks for the very interesting bit of trivia...and how appropriate to tell "ghost" stories at this time of year! I personally love the color and texture of sea holly and would love to get some for my garden. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thanks KL--Well, it is a bit early, but it's the right month anyway.
Glad you liked the "ghost story". I like those plants too, although I like the bluer ones better, personally. I have a number of those out in front of my little shed.

EILEEN--Glad you liked the trivia. Those plants always seed out a bit--but only between paving stones, darn it. :twisted: Gurrrrr.
I transplant them and sometimes they make it and sometimes they don't.

 

Wow! Those must have been SOME gardens if it took 80-85 people to care for them! What a sight that must have been

 

Loved your narrative Sjoerd. I wouldn't mind a ghost or two in my own garden. We've also got the bluer ones out there.