Episode 253: The Lost Gardens of Loughrigg

Several years ago, Penn Allen inherited a collection of diaries that had been meticulously maintained by her great grandmother. Penn discovered the diaries documented the building of her great grandmother and grandfather’s Arts and Crafts house and the development of the garden that followed. She uncovered an untold story of her family, of plant hunting and of rock gardens - one that has significance to the wider world of horticultural history and in fact, goes some way to rewriting it.   

Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Buddleias and Butterfly Tongues

What We Talk About 

What the book is about and why Penn felt it was important to write it

How the garden helped heal; through providing a space to contemplate, a space to communicate, a distraction…

Alpines and rock gardening

Plant hunters

Reginald Farrer

Will Purdom

What became of house and garden

About Penn Allen

Having spent most of my life in the UK, I moved permanently to the beautiful Lot region in SW France with my husband around fifteen years ago.  I have a passion for my garden and the outdoors and can generally be found either striding over a windswept hillside or upside down in my flower beds, always with a Labrador or two by my side.  The Lost Garden of Loughrigg is my first story, though hopefully not my last!

Links

The Lost Gardens of Loughrigg by Penn Allen 

Tickets to see Penn Allen at the Kendal Mountain Book Festival

Twitter @PennAllenwrites 

Instagram penn.allen

www.modicagardens.com