May 2026 talk: Miss Willmott’s Ghosts

We were delighted to welcome Sandra Lawrence, author of an excellent book about Ellen Willmott FLS VMH (1858-1934). The book’s full title is ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghosts: The Extraordinary Life and Gardens of a Forgotten Genius’ and Sandra told us a lot not only about the forgotten Miss Willmott but also why she has been forgotten and what it has taken to bring her life and legacy to light once more.

Ellen Willmott was actually very well-known in her own lifetime, but after her death her name slipped into relative obscurity, accompanied only by increasingly wild anecdotes about her character and actions… only some of which were true. The story that most of us have heard, but which is unlikely to be true, is that Miss Willmott secretly scattered the seeds of Eryngium giganteum (aka sea holly) whenever she visited a garden. The following year, a magnificent and ghostly-looking plant – now known as ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’ – would appear to remind everyone of her presence.

Other tales also alluded to Ellen’s prickly character and eccentric ways, but rarely acknowledged in the years since her death was her considerable prowess as a plantswoman, horticulturalist, photographer and musician, nor her status as one of the recipients of the first RHS Victoria Medals of Honour (VMH) – indeed one of the only two women in the first tranche of recipients. The other was Gertrude Jekyll.

Ellen Willmott’s home was at Warley Place in Essex, where she developed extensive gardens. She also owned villas and gardens in the South of France and at Ventimiglia in Italy. She sponsored plant-hunting expeditions and had many plants named after her. But after her death, her house was inherited by a relative, sold off and subsequently demolished. Her papers were taken to the Spetchley Park Estate (the home of her late sister Rose), packed away and largely forgotten.

Sandra Lawrence’s descriptions of discovering this archive (alongside the Spetchley Park archivist), albeit almost destroyed by damp, mice and mould, formed much of the body of the talk, and what an exciting detective story it is. The work is ongoing, but Sandra is building a fuller picture of this fascinating woman and a life lived at the forefront of horticultural developments.

The audience were captivated by Sandra’s tales and photographs, and many were pleased to take home a signed copy of the book, as well as Sandra’s most recent publication ‘Miss Willmott’s Secret Weapon: The Alpine Garden at Warley Place and its Keeper Jacob Maurer’.

Many thanks to Sandra for a truly enlightening talk.

Ali H