The History of the English Garden with Tim Richardson

Join acclaimed garden historian Tim Richardson for an illustrated tour of the English garden and discover the people, politics and artistic movements that have shaped it.

From eighteenth century politicians to modernist poets, Tim entertains us with stories of England’s great gardeners. You’ll find out about Whig and Tory gardens, meet Gertrude Jekyll travelling around Surrey’s gardens with her friend the architect Ned Lutyens, and glimpse the unconventional life of Vita Sackville-West as she creates Sissinghurst in Kent.

As Tim talks we journey through five pivotal eras that have shaped Britain’s garden design.

Opening with Arts and Crafts gardens and travelling via eighteenth century politics, twentieth century modernist and maverick art gardeners to contemporary guerrilla gardening, each of Tim’s five lessons highlights significant shifts in style, ideology, and cultural context.

Find out how the English garden has evolved into the world-renowned art form it is today.

About the Tutor

Tim Richardson is a long-time Idler contributor who specialises in gardens and art, and the point where they intersect. He was professor of landscape art at Vienna University (Arts) and course tutor on the landscape history MA at London University. His online course on English landscape history is taught via the University of Oxford. He is the author of a number of books on garden and landscape subjects including The New English Garden, Avant Gardeners, English Gardens in the 20th Century and Sissinghurst: The Dream Garden. He has also written a volume of poetry and a world history of sweets and confectionery. He writes about art for Country Life, the Daily Telegraph and Apollo. He is the founder and director of the Chelsea Fringe Festival.

What you Get

On-demand videos: five video lessons to watch any time

Audio: listen to the lessons in podcast form

Exclusive course forum: chat and share your thoughts on the course with fellow Academy members

Quiz: test what you’ve learned with our fun multiple choice quiz

Certificate: when you pass the quiz you will be sent a beautiful personalised Idler Academy Certificate of Completion