Derek Jarman's Garden is the last book Jarman ever wrote — a firsthand account of how a filmmaker and artist transformed a stretch of shingle at Dungeness, in the shadow of a nuclear power station, into one of the most singular gardens in Britain.
About This Book
Made from flints, driftwood, found objects, indigenous plants, and sculptures assembled from old tools and stone, Jarman's Dungeness garden defied every convention of what a garden could be. This book traces its evolution from 1986 to the final year of his life, told in Jarman's own words. More than 150 photographs by Howard Sooley document the garden across seasons and years, revealing its geometric plan, stone circles, and the quiet rhythms of daily life at Prospect Cottage. For those interested in landscape design, ecological planting, or the intersection of artistic practice and place, this is a document with no real equivalent — raw, personal, and visually extraordinary.
Key Features
- 144 pages of seasonal documentary photography and Jarman's personal written account
- Photography by Howard Sooley, taken from 1991 onward
- Published by Thames & Hudson, 1991
What You'll Discover
- How Jarman synthesised a painter's compositional instinct with horticultural knowledge to design a landscape of genuine ecological and aesthetic complexity
- The role of found materials — flints, shells, driftwood, discarded tools — as both sculptural and structural elements within the garden's geometry
- How the garden's design responds to, rather than resists, the stark character of the Dungeness shingle landscape
- The relationship between indigenous and introduced planting as a reflection of Jarman's ecological convictions and his approach to place-making
About the Author
Derek Jarman was a filmmaker, painter, and writer whose creative practice spanned film, set design, and visual art. A passionate gardener from childhood, he created the garden at Prospect Cottage, Dungeness, from 1986 until his death, combining ecological conviction with a deeply personal vision of beauty.
Specifications
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 144
- Dimensions: 165 x 230 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9780500016565
- Publisher: Thames & Hudson
- Publication Date: 1991
Perfect For: Landscape designers, garden historians, artists and architects drawn to ecological and place-responsive practice, and anyone with a serious interest in Derek Jarman's creative legacy.