Penelope Hobhouse

A Life in Gardens

Penelope Hobhouse is widely recognised as the Grande Dame of English garden design from the late 1970s to the late 2000s. This is the first biography of her, written and researched over a period ofthree years and based on interviews with her, her family and her friends and with unrivalled access to her archive.

This biography explores the life and legacy of Penelope Hobhouse, widely recognised as the Grande Dame of English garden design. From the late 1970s to the late 2000s, owning a Penelope Hobhouse garden was the ultimate aspiration for many of the worlds wealthy. But Hobhouses influence goes beyond her status as a designer for the elite: her books on plant and garden history are standard works for gardeners worldwide, celebrated for their historical scholarship. She designed gardens all over the world, including several in the US, such as the one for Steve Jobs in California. Her profile soared in the 199