Manor House at Upton Grey

The Manor House at Upton Grey started out as a simple endeavor for Rosamund Wallinger and her husband. They bought a derelict house and were ready to revitalize it, when their friend pointed out that it was Gertrude Jekyll garden that could be restored.

“Gertrude Jekyll was the finest of the English gardeners for a good hundred years. Altogether, the project was really exciting…And I just thought ‘Well, this is an exciting adventure, we’ll do it!’”

Rosamund began scouring nurseries for the proper flowers and seeds to bring back the garden to its prime. It took a lot of diligence, but all of their hard work paid off as the Manor House is now considered one of the most authentic Jekyll gardens. 

“You must put it on a parallel, as I always do, gardening with people. The mother has her baby, the baby is a bit of a nuisance…but very soon, it’s the most important thing in your life, and you know it’s going to get better and better.” 

Through the process of restoring the gardens, Rosamund has learned many lessons that she has applied to both her gardening and in other aspects of her life. 

“Lessons I’ve learnt…the importance of simplicity, moderation, and a nice understanding of intent, living with nature and not being too demanding.”

Directed and edited by Camilla Fantinati.

Produced by Camilla Fantinati and Paola Desiderio.

Music by Massimo Fantinati.