Landscape · a classic garden, redrawn
Gertrude Jekyll's main flower border
The border at Munstead Wood, Surrey, as Jekyll drew it in Colour in the Flower Garden (1908): about 185 ft of drifts under an 11-ft wall, grey and cool at both ends and burning orange and scarlet in the middle. Below it, the same border replanted so that every plant grows in zone 4a here. Each of its 121 drifts is traced from her plan, and each plant she left in the ground is checked against a published hardiness rating.
FeetWest to the left, the wall to the north
grey and glaucous foliagepure bluegrey-blue, palest bluewhitepalest yellow, sulphurgolden foliagestrong yelloworangescarlet, redblood-red, claretpalest pinkpurplelilac, light purplegreen foliage
The test
A plant she left in the ground has to be hardy in the ground here. This is zone 4a with 3b pockets, so a range that starts at zone 3 passes (✓), one that starts at 4 passes at its limit (⚠), and one that starts at 5 or higher is replaced (✗). A plant she didn't leave out over winter is grown the way she grew it (○): the annuals sown each year, the Dahlias, Cannas and Gladioli planted out in May and lifted in autumn (p. 51), and the Lilies and Hydrangeas kept in pots and dropped into gaps (p. 55). Each substitute keeps her colour and height first, then her plant's form. Of her 84 plants, 25 pass, 15 pass at their limit, 20 are grown as she grew them, and 24 are replaced. All eighteen of her wall shrubs are replaced too: none is rated hardy below zone 5.
What is replaced, and why
| Her plant | Zone | Here | Zone | Why this one | Drifts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yucca recurva Yucca recurvifolia (Y. gloriosa var. tristis) | 6-10 (its page is Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata') | Rattlesnake master Eryngium yuccifolium | 3-8 | as the Yucca | 1 |
| Yucca Yucca gloriosa (est.: her large Yuccas were Y. gloriosa and Y. recurva, p. 50) | 6-10 (its page is Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata') | Rattlesnake master Eryngium yuccifolium | 3-8 | No Yucca here is rated hardy: Y. gloriosa 6-10 and Y. filamentosa 5-10. Rattlesnake master has the same stiff glaucous sword leaves in a rosette and a 4-5 ft head, a prairie plant | 6 |
| Yucca fila(mentosa) Yucca filamentosa var. flaccida | 5-10 | Rattlesnake master Eryngium yuccifolium | 3-8 | as the Yucca | 4 |
| Verbascum Chaixii Verbascum chaixii | 5-8 | Common mullein Verbascum thapsus | 3-9 | the same pale yellow spikes and grey leaves. A biennial: let it seed | 1 |
| Gold Privet golden privet, Ligustrum ovalifolium 'Aureum' | 5-8 | Golden elder Sambucus racemosa, a golden-leaved form | 3-7 | golden leaves at the back of the blue end, as the privet's; cut back each spring to keep it 5-6 ft (est.) | 1 |
| Campanula lactiflora Campanula lactiflora | 5-7 (its page is Campanula lactiflora 'Pouffe') | Peach-leaved bellflower Campanula persicifolia, pale blue | 3-7 | her own pale grey-blue bellflower (pictured facing p. 54), shorter at 1.5-3 ft against 3-5 | 2 |
| Seakale sea kale, Crambe maritima | 5-9 | Blue false indigo Baptisia australis | 3-9 | a mound of glaucous blue-grey leaf all season, as the sea kale is grown for; its blue flowers are over by her mid-July season | 2 |
| Iris pall. dalmat. Iris pallida 'Dalmatica' | 5-9 | Bearded iris Iris germanica, pale lavender-blue | 3-10 | the bearded iris I. pallida belongs to; pick a pale blue one with grey leaves | 2 |
| Thalictrum and Golden Glow Thalictrum flavum with Rudbeckia laciniata 'Golden Glow' | 5-7 (its page is Thalictrum flavum 'Illuminator') | Giant scabious with Golden Glow Cephalaria gigantea with Rudbeckia laciniata 'Golden Glow' | 3-7 | Cephalaria's pale sulphur heads at 4-6 ft take the Thalictrum's colour and height | 1 |
| Foxglove and Mullein Digitalis purpurea with a tall Mullein (Verbascum olympicum est.) | not found | Foxglove and common mullein Digitalis purpurea with Verbascum thapsus | 3-9 | her foxglove stays; the wild mullein takes the tall mullein's place | 1 |
| White Lily Madonna lily, Lilium candidum (est.) | not found | Regal lily Lilium regale | 4-8 | a white trumpet lily rated to 4; the Madonna lily isn't in the Plant Finder | 1 |
| Iris orientalis Iris orientalis (I. ochroleuca), a spuria iris | 5-9 | White Siberian iris Iris sibirica, white | 3-9 (Illinois Extension) | the spuria irises are rated 5-9; a white Siberian iris has the same tall narrow leaves | 1 |
| Eryngium Oliverianum Eryngium × oliverianum | not found | Alpine sea holly Eryngium alpinum | 2-8 | the same steel-blue Eryngium, rated to 2 | 2 |
| Helianthus tall single Helianthus × multiflorus, single | not found | Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani | 4-9 | a tall single perennial sunflower of the prairies; H. × multiflorus isn't in the Plant Finder | 1 |
| Helianthus double Helianthus × multiflorus, double | not found | Double ox-eye Heliopsis helianthoides, a double form | 3-9 | the double golden sunflower look, rated to 3 | 1 |
| Tritoma red-hot poker, Kniphofia uvaria | 5-9 | Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis | 3-9 | no Kniphofia is rated below 5. Cardinal flower keeps the upright red spikes at 2-4 ft. It wants moist ground, so on sand it needs the drip line (est.) | 4 |
| Monarda and Senecio artemisiaefolius scarlet bee-balm, Monarda didyma, with alpine groundsel, Senecio artemisiifolius | not found | Monarda and threadleaf coreopsis Monarda didyma with Coreopsis verticillata | 3-9 | her bee-balm stays; the coreopsis takes the groundsel's yellow | 1 |
| Dwarf Tritoma a dwarf Kniphofia | 5-9 | Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa | 3-9 | low orange heads at 1-2.5 ft | 1 |
| Lilium croceum orange lily, Lilium bulbiferum var. croceum | not found | Tiger lily Lilium lancifolium | 4 (its cold limit) (Cornell Botanic Gardens) | the orange lily of the hot middle; L. bulbiferum isn't in the Plant Finder | 1 |
| Rudbeckia Golden Glow and Helianthus laetiflorus Rudbeckia laciniata 'Golden Glow' with Helianthus × laetiflorus | not found | Golden Glow and Maximilian sunflower Rudbeckia laciniata 'Golden Glow' with Helianthus maximiliani | 4-9 | her Golden Glow stays; the prairie sunflower takes the hybrid's place | 1 |
| Euphorbia Wulfeni Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii | 6-8 (its page is Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii) | Cushion spurge Euphorbia polychroma | 4-8 | the same yellow-green bracts over grey-green leaves, but 1-1.5 ft against 3-4: a smaller incident | 1 |
| Lily a Lily, kind not given (Lilium candidum est.) | not found | Regal lily Lilium regale | 4-8 | as the White Lily | 1 |
| Cineraria maritima Senecio cineraria, now Jacobaea maritima | 7-10 | Dusty miller Jacobaea maritima, raised each spring | 7-10 | the same plant; it isn't hardy here (7-10), but makes its silver leaf in one season, so it is bedded out each May as the northern Dusty miller is | 3 |
| Santolina lavender cotton, Santolina chamaecyparissus | 6-9 | Silver mound Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana' | 4-8 (its page is Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana') | a low silver edging, as the lavender cotton | 1 |
Every plant on her plan
✓ hardy here · ⚠ hardy at its limit · ✗ replaced · ○ grown as she grew it. Zones are from the Missouri Botanical Garden's Plant Finder (read 2026-10-16) unless the row names another source. Where the Plant Finder's only page is a cultivar's, that cultivar's range stands for the species.
| On the plan | Her plant | How she grew it | Zone | Drifts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✗ | Yucca recurva | Yucca recurvifolia (Y. gloriosa var. tristis) | in the ground | 6-10 (its page is Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata') · a form of Y. gloriosa; its range stands for it | 1 | |
| ✗ | Yucca | Yucca gloriosa (est.: her large Yuccas were Y. gloriosa and Y. recurva, p. 50) | in the ground | 6-10 (its page is Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata') | 6 | |
| ✗ | Yucca fila(mentosa) | Yucca filamentosa var. flaccida | in the ground | 5-10 | 4 | |
| ✓ | White Pea | white everlasting pea, Lathyrus latifolius white | in the ground | 3-8 | 3 | |
| ✗ | Verbascum Chaixii | Verbascum chaixii | in the ground | 5-8 | 1 | |
| ✓ | Delphinium | Delphinium elatum hybrids | in the ground | 3-7 | 3 | |
| ✗ | Gold Privet | golden privet, Ligustrum ovalifolium 'Aureum' | in the ground | 5-8 | 1 | |
| ○ | White Snapdragon | Antirrhinum majus, white | annual | — | 2 | |
| ⚠ | Elymus | lyme grass, Elymus arenarius (Leymus arenarius) | in the ground | 4-9 (Jelitto, a seed house; it spreads hard by its roots, so it wants a sunk edging) | 2 | |
| ✓ | Spiraea venusta | Filipendula rubra 'Venusta' | in the ground | 3-8 | 1 | |
| ✗ | Campanula lactiflora | Campanula lactiflora | in the ground | 5-7 (its page is Campanula lactiflora 'Pouffe') · the Plant Finder's page is the cultivar 'Pouffe' | 2 | |
| ○ | Lilium longiflorum | Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum, in pots (p. 55) | in pots | — | 1 | |
| ✓ | Clematis davidiana | Clematis heracleifolia var. davidiana | in the ground | 3-8 | 1 | |
| ✗ | Seakale | sea kale, Crambe maritima | in the ground | 5-9 | 2 | |
| ✗ | Iris pall. dalmat. | Iris pallida 'Dalmatica' | in the ground | 5-9 | 2 | |
| ✓ | Iberis | Iberis sempervirens | in the ground | 3-8 | 1 | |
| ✗ | Thalictrum and Golden Glow | Thalictrum flavum with Rudbeckia laciniata 'Golden Glow' | in the ground | 5-7 (its page is Thalictrum flavum 'Illuminator') · the Thalictrum fails ('Illuminator' page); Golden Glow (R. laciniata, 3-9) stays | 1 | |
| ○ | Yellow Dahlia | Dahlia, yellow | lifted each autumn | — | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Helianthus orgyalis | Helianthus salicifolius (H. orgyalis) | in the ground | 4-9 | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Eulalia | Eulalia japonica, now Miscanthus sinensis | in the ground | 4-9 | 1 | |
| ○ | Salvia patens | Salvia patens | lifted each autumn | — · tuberous; lifted like a Dahlia | 1 | |
| ✗ | Foxglove and Mullein | Digitalis purpurea with a tall Mullein (Verbascum olympicum est.) | in the ground | not found · the Foxglove passes (4-8); the Mullein is not found | 1 | |
| ✓ | Spiraea Ulmaria double | double meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria 'Flore Pleno' | in the ground | 3-9 | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Spiraea Aruncus | goat's beard, Aruncus dioicus | in the ground | 4-8 | 1 | |
| ✗ | White Lily | Madonna lily, Lilium candidum (est.) | in the ground | not found | 1 | |
| ○ | Yellow Snapdragon | Antirrhinum majus, pale yellow | annual | — | 2 | |
| ✗ | Iris orientalis | Iris orientalis (I. ochroleuca), a spuria iris | in the ground | 5-9 | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Rue | Ruta graveolens | in the ground | 4-8 | 2 | |
| ✓ | Megasea cordifolia | Bergenia cordifolia | in the ground | 3-8 | 2 | |
| ○ | Primrose African Marigold | Tagetes erecta, pale sulphur (p. 68) | annual | — | 3 | |
| ✗ | Eryngium Oliverianum | Eryngium × oliverianum | in the ground | not found | 2 | |
| ✗ | Helianthus tall single | Helianthus × multiflorus, single | in the ground | not found | 1 | |
| ✗ | Helianthus double | Helianthus × multiflorus, double | in the ground | not found | 1 | |
| ✓ | Hollyhocks red and dark | Alcea rosea, claret and blood-red (p. 70) | in the ground | 2-10 | 1 | |
| ✓ | Achillea Eupatorium | Achillea filipendulina | in the ground | 3-9 | 1 | |
| ✓ | Helenium striatum | Helenium autumnale 'Striatum' | in the ground | 3-8 | 1 | |
| ✗ | Tritoma | red-hot poker, Kniphofia uvaria | in the ground | 5-9 | 4 | |
| ⚠ | Coreopsis lanceolata | Coreopsis lanceolata | in the ground | 4-9 | 2 | |
| ✓ | Gypsophila | Gypsophila paniculata | in the ground | 3-9 (its page is Gypsophila paniculata 'Bristol Fairy') · the Plant Finder's page is the cultivar 'Bristol Fairy' | 4 | |
| ✗ | Monarda and Senecio artemisiaefolius | scarlet bee-balm, Monarda didyma, with alpine groundsel, Senecio artemisiifolius | in the ground | not found · the Monarda passes (4-9); the Senecio is not found | 1 | |
| ✗ | Dwarf Tritoma | a dwarf Kniphofia | in the ground | 5-9 | 1 | |
| ✓ | Helenium | Helenium autumnale 'Pumilum' (p. 70) | in the ground | 3-8 | 1 | |
| ✓ | Rudb. speciosa | Rudbeckia fulgida var. speciosa | in the ground | 3-9 | 1 | |
| ○ | Cochineal | Dahlia 'Cochineal', deep scarlet (p. 70) | lifted each autumn | — | 1 | |
| ○ | Dahlia Ly. Ardilaun | Dahlia 'Lady Ardilaun', dark red (p. 70) | lifted each autumn | — | 1 | |
| ○ | Fire King | Dahlia 'Fire King', bright scarlet (p. 70) | lifted each autumn | — | 1 | |
| ○ | Orange Fire King | Dahlia 'Orange Fire King' (p. 70) | lifted each autumn | — | 1 | |
| ○ | Scarlet Canna | Canna, scarlet | lifted each autumn | — | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Tiger Lily | Lilium lancifolium | in the ground | 4 (its cold limit) (Cornell Botanic Gardens) | 1 | |
| ✓ | Double Orange Daylily | Hemerocallis fulva 'Flore Pleno' | in the ground | 3-9 | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Lychnis chalcedonica | Maltese cross, Lychnis (Silene) chalcedonica | in the ground | 4-8 (Jelitto, a seed house; Monticello says 3) | 1 | |
| ○ | Scarlet Salvia | Salvia splendens, dwarf (p. 70) | annual | — | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Phlox Coquelicot | Phlox paniculata 'Coquelicot', orange-scarlet | in the ground | 4-8 | 1 | |
| ○ | Gladiolus brenchleyensis | Gladiolus × gandavensis 'Brenchleyensis', scarlet | lifted each autumn | — | 1 | |
| ✓ | Red Hollyhock | Alcea rosea, red | in the ground | 2-10 | 1 | |
| ○ | Red Celosia Thomsoni | Celosia argentea Plumosa 'Thomsonii' | annual | — | 1 | |
| ○ | Tall Red Canna | Canna, red, large-leaved (p. 70) | lifted each autumn | — | 1 | |
| ○ | Orange African Marigold | Tagetes erecta, orange | annual | — | 1 | |
| ✗ | Lilium croceum | orange lily, Lilium bulbiferum var. croceum | in the ground | not found | 1 | |
| ○ | Yellow Dwarf Tropaeolum | dwarf nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus | annual | — | 1 | |
| ○ | Tall Yellow Snapdragon | Antirrhinum majus, tall yellow | annual | — | 2 | |
| ⚠ | Eryngium giganteum | Eryngium giganteum, biennial | in the ground | 4-7 | 1 | |
| ✗ | Rudbeckia Golden Glow and Helianthus laetiflorus | Rudbeckia laciniata 'Golden Glow' with Helianthus × laetiflorus | in the ground | not found · Golden Glow passes (3-9); Helianthus × laetiflorus is not in the Plant Finder | 1 | |
| ✓ | Clematis recta | Clematis recta | in the ground | 3-9 (its page is Clematis recta 'Purpurea') · the Plant Finder's page is the cultivar 'Purpurea' | 1 | |
| ✗ | Euphorbia Wulfeni | Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii | in the ground | 6-8 (its page is Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii) | 1 | |
| ✓ | Peony | Paeonia lactiflora | in the ground | 3-8 · colour not given; drawn white, est. | 1 | |
| ✗ | Lily | a Lily, kind not given (Lilium candidum est.) | in the ground | not found | 1 | |
| ✓ | White Hollyhock | Alcea rosea, white | in the ground | 2-10 | 1 | |
| ✓ | Soapwort | double Saponaria officinalis (p. 72) | in the ground | 3-8 (its page is Saponaria officinalis 'Flore Pleno') | 1 | |
| ○ | Hydrangea | Hydrangea macrophylla, in pots (p. 55) | in pots | — · colour not given; drawn pink, est. | 2 | |
| ✓ | Dictamnus | Dictamnus albus, white (p. 50) | in the ground | 3-8 | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Stachys | lamb's ears, Stachys lanata (S. byzantina) | in the ground | 4-8 | 1 | |
| ✗ | Cineraria maritima | Senecio cineraria, now Jacobaea maritima | in the ground | 7-10 | 3 | |
| ✓ | Sulphur Hollyhock | Alcea rosea, pale yellow | in the ground | 2-10 | 2 | |
| ✓ | Echinops | globe thistle, Echinops ritro | in the ground | 3-8 | 2 | |
| ⚠ | Clem. Jackm. | Clematis 'Jackmanii' | in the ground | 4-8 | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Camp. latifolia | Campanula latifolia | in the ground | 4-8 | 1 | |
| ✓ | Aster umbellatus | flat-topped aster, Doellingeria umbellata, white | in the ground | wild here (grows wild here: a specimen from the Brule River State Forest, Douglas County (UW-Extension)) | 1 | |
| ✓ | Achillea | Achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl' (est., p. 72) | in the ground | 3-9 (its page is Achillea ptarmica 'Gipi Whit' GYPSY WHITE) · the Plant Finder's page is the cultivar 'Gypsy White' | 1 | |
| ○ | White Dahlia | Dahlia, white | lifted each autumn | — | 2 | |
| ✓ | Aster Shortii | Short's aster, Symphyotrichum shortii | in the ground | 3 (its cold limit) (Cornell Botanic Gardens) | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Aster acris | Aster sedifolius (A. acris) | in the ground | 4-7 (its page is Aster sedifolius 'Nanus') · the Plant Finder's page is the cultivar 'Nanus' | 1 | |
| ⚠ | Geranium ibericum | Geranium ibericum var. platyphyllum (G. × magnificum est.) | in the ground | 4 (its cold limit) (Digging Dog, a nursery) | 1 | |
| ✗ | Santolina | lavender cotton, Santolina chamaecyparissus | in the ground | 6-9 | 1 |
The wall's shrubs
A 3-ft border at the foot of the wall, behind an alley that isn't seen from the front (p. 49). The wall faces south and sheltered them, and every one of them is a plant of milder climates. Here they become hardy shrubs and climbers of the same role: evergreen bulk, flowering shrubs and a climber with red autumn leaves.
| Hers | Zone | Here | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimson Rambler rambler rose, a Rosa multiflora hybrid | 5-9 | 'William Baffin' rose, a climber | 3 (its cold limit) (Heirloom Roses, a nursery; a Canadian Explorer rose) |
| Robinia rose acacia, Robinia hispida (est.) | 5-8 | Common lilac, Syringa vulgaris | 3-7 (the plant palette) |
| Laurustinus Viburnum tinus | 8-10 | Japanese yew, Taxus cuspidata | 4-7 |
| Nandina Nandina domestica | 6-9 | Red osier dogwood, Cornus sericea | 2-7 (the plant palette) |
| Abutilon vitifolium Abutilon vitifolium (Corynabutilon) | not found | Common lilac, Syringa vulgaris | 3-7 (the plant palette) |
| Loquat Eriobotrya japonica | 8-10 | Northern white cedar, Thuja occidentalis | 2-7 (the plant palette) |
| Bay bay laurel, Laurus nobilis | 8-10 | Japanese yew, Taxus cuspidata | 4-7 |
| Pomegranate Punica granatum | 8-11 | Prairifire crabapple, Malus 'Prairifire' | 4-8 (the plant palette) |
| Japan Privet Ligustrum japonicum | 8-10 | Nannyberry, Viburnum lentago | 3-7 (the plant palette) |
| Pyrus hybrid a hybrid pear (est.) | not found | Allegheny serviceberry, Amelanchier laevis | 4-8 (the plant palette) |
| Chimonanthus wintersweet, Chimonanthus praecox | 7-9 | witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana | 3-8 |
| Fuchsia Fuchsia magellanica (est.) | not found | Ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius | 2-8 (the plant palette) |
| Claret Vine claret vine, Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea' | 6-9 | Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia | 3-9 |
| Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora (est.) | 7-9 | star magnolia, Magnolia stellata | 4-8 |
| Choisya Mexican orange, Choisya ternata | 7-10 | mock orange, Philadelphus coronarius | 4-8 (its page is Philadelphus coronarius 'Romanizam' ROMANTIC KNIGHT) |
| Cistus cyprius rock rose, Cistus × cyprius | not found | Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus | 3-7 (the plant palette) |
| Piptanthus Nepal laburnum, Piptanthus nepalensis | not found | Northern bush honeysuckle, Diervilla lonicera | 3-7 (the plant palette) |
| Carpenteria Carpenteria californica | 8-10 (its page is Carpenteria californica 'Elizabeth') | mock orange, Philadelphus coronarius | 4-8 (its page is Philadelphus coronarius 'Romanizam' ROMANTIC KNIGHT) |
How it was drawn
- The source. Gertrude Jekyll, Colour in the Flower Garden (London: Country Life, 1908), the fold-out "Plan of the Main Flower-Border" facing p. 53. It is public domain in the US and the UK. The scan is the Internet Archive's (leaf n125, 400 ppi), and the text is from Project Gutenberg (#50764).
- The trace. Her plan's scale bar gives 23.41 px to the foot. Her drift outlines form one connected network of ink, and her handwritten names mostly float free of it, so the names were dropped and the regions between the lines taken as the drifts, each named from its label on the plan. The fold-out sags by up to 0.9 ft at its east end, and that is corrected along the border's front edge. Seven outlines the scan broke were redrawn by hand. Positions are good to about ±0.5 ft, and ±1 ft along a redrawn line.
- As drawn, the border is 184.8 × 12 ft. The west part runs 0–132.7 ft and the east part 138.2–184.8 ft, with a cross-path to a door in the wall between them. Her text says "about two hundred feet long and fourteen feet wide."
- The colours are drawing colours for the flower colours she names; they are ours. Two drifts whose colour she doesn't give (the Peony and the Hydrangeas) are drawn white and pink as estimates.
Left out
- Her elevation, the height line of the back plants, isn't redrawn.
- Her own varieties (the Dahlias 'Fire King' and 'Lady Ardilaun', Phlox 'Coquelicot', Gladiolus 'Brenchleyensis') are mostly out of commerce. A replanting would use a current variety of the same colour.