Synopses & Reviews
IN VERONICA'S GARDEN is the remarkable true story of a garden and the larger than life personality of its creator. This is a record of the development of the Milner Gardens and Woodland, a stunningly beautiful garden nestled into the Canadian West Coast Douglas-fir forest.
The book traces the life of Veronica Milner, the creative force behind the garden. Born into the Edwardian British aristocracy, she was related to Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales. As a young bride, Veronica moved to Glin Castle, Ireland. Despite an unhappy marriage, she and her husband restored the castle garden and became friends with influential garden experts and artists.
When she was widowed, Veronica married a wealthy Canadian businessman and transformed his summer retreat into a beautiful "wild garden" in the manner of William Robinson. Visitors to the garden included royalty. Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales were luncheon guests. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed at the estate for three days. Once again widowed, Veronica developed many schemes to save the garden from the hands of developers. She juggled her extravagant lifestyle with her passion to preserve the garden for the future.
Synopsis
A Social History of the Milner Gardens and Woodland, the book traces the life of Veronica Villiers, an interesting British aristocrat. Veronica was born in England and spent many years living in an Irish castle. She moved to Canada in 1954 and created a garden in the manner of the famous Victorian garden writer William Robinson. Visitors to the garden included Diana, Princess of Wales and the Queen and Prince Philip. It was gifted to Malaspina University College in 1996. Used by horticulture students and open to public.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 202-205) and index.