First World War and Jekyl /Lutyens

[Joy Lynch]

I did not realise until viewing a programme on Garden History that Jekyl and Lutyens were instrumental after the First World War in the design of memorial gardens where plants were used to ofset starkness of memorial stones. In the topic description ( which is just a mention !) I placed Jekyl first as apparently she was neglected afterward until later history described the collaboration ! I think so far as I can recall from the Programme, they were thereafter instrumental in influence of such gardens and memorials worldwide. Programme was - Garden History.Friday 9pm

Josephine -

[Malcolm]

A super programme.

Aye

Malcolm

[Guest Brummy]

A super programme.

Aye

Malcolm

As far as the references to the war graves and memorials I'me afraid I have to totaly disagree. I think that the program ignored the differences between the design styles of both Jekyll and Luytens pre war work and their work in the cemeteries and memorials. Mainly for Jekyll that the cemeteries where and are still planted in the 'Carolien' repeat planting herbaceous style rather than her normal drift planting and for Lutyens note that in the program much was made of his non symetrical design style yet you can see that as far as his designs for memorials goes there is definately a lot of symetry in evidence. I do not know why they decided to deviate from their norms (although the result works very well) but the program totaly ignored this fact.

Also it was stated that all war cemeteries have a stone of rememberance, where in fact only the larger cemeteries have these. This section of the program just was not factualy correct.

Brum