Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jane 1939–

PERSONAL: Born February 12, 1939, in London, England; daughter of John Hawdon and Janet Lascelles; married Robert Fearnley-Whittingstall (an advertising consultant), July 14, 1962; children: Sophy, Hugh. Education: Gloucestershire College of Art and Design, diploma in landscape architecture, 1980. Religion: Christian.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, England; fax: 01453-521433. Agent—Grune & Heaton, 37 Goldhawk Rd., London W12 8QQ, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Self-employed landscape and garden designer and consultant, 1980–. Lecturer on garden design and history; guest on television and radio programs.

MEMBER: International Dendrology Society, Royal Horticultural Society, Garden History Society.

AWARDS, HONORS: Two gold medals, Royal Horticultural Society, for an exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show; Civic Trust Award, 2001, for work at St. Hugh's College, Oxford.

WRITINGS:

Rose Gardens: Their History and Design, Holt (New York, NY), 1989.

Historic Gardens: A Guide to 160 British Gardens of Interest, Webb & Bower (Exeter, England), 1990.

Ivies, Random House (New York, NY), 1992.

Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall's Gardening Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning, Preparing, Planting, Maintaining, and Enjoying Your Garden, Crescent Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Garden Plants Made Easy: 500 Plants Which Give the Best Value in Your Garden, Wiedenfeld & Nicolson (London, England), 1997.

Peonies, Harry N. Abrams (New York, NY), 1999.

The Garden, an English Love Affair: 1,000 Years of Gardening, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (London, England), 2002.

The Good Granny Guide, Short Books (London, England), 2005.

Contributor to periodicals, including English Garden and Times (London, England)

SIDELIGHTS: Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall once told CA: "When my children started school, I studied landscape architecture as a mature student. Since graduating, I have built up a successful garden design practice, varying from city backyards to country estates. I specialize in the restoration of historic gardens; for example, Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds. My books show a special interest in the history and mythology of plants and gardens. They are written for the general garden enthusiast, rather than the expert, with the emphasis on design ideas for combining plants in both formal and informal gardens."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 1999, George Cohen and Gilbert Taylor, review of Garden Plants Made Easy: 500 Plants Which Give the Best Value in Your Garden, p. 332.

Horticulture: Magazine of American Gardening, May, 1990, Christopher Reed, review of Rose Gardens: Their History and Design, p. 92; June, 1991, Christopher Reed, review of Historic Gardens: A Guide to 160 British Gardens of Interest, p. 82.

New York Times Book Review, May 31, 1992, Linda Yang, review of Ivies, p. 15.