Landscape Gardener and Poet

You may have wondered how small-scale landscape gardening began - these days small scale can be a few square metres. It is a subject of recurring interest with TV programmes and many leisure hours devoted it. The surprising answer is an 18th century English poet William Shenstone (1714-1763) who wrote poems and prose on 'ordinary' subjects.  The most noted of his poems is The School Mistress, about a local school and its pupils. He also wrote Unconnected Thoughts on Gardening - and he led by example. He inherited a small estate, the Leasowes and from 1745 began the life long task of shaping the estate to suit his tastes, almost bankrupting him. Leasowes can be viewed today, having been restored by the local authority. Neil Curry, an expert in 18th century English literature has written an engaging little book on the man and his work: William Shenstone Landscape Gardener and Poet.