01
Remember the gardener
Ellen Willmott was an influential plantswoman, photographer and garden-maker whose work helped shape horticulture around the turn of the twentieth century.
Her story →A living horticultural legacy
Keeping Ellen Willmott’s plants and story alive.
A growing collection of plants named after Ellen Willmott and Warley Place — preserving the legacy of one of Britain’s most remarkable gardeners for future generations.
Plants can outlive people. This collection keeps Ellen’s horticultural story growing.
1858–1934Ellen Willmott’s lifetime
1897RHS Victoria Medal of Honour
Warley PlaceHer celebrated Essex garden
Living historyPlants preserving her name today
The collection, simply explained
What is this all about?
The original website made visitors work to understand the purpose. Here, the story is broken into three clear ideas.
02
Find the plants
Many plants were named for Ellen, Miss Willmott or Warley. The collection brings surviving examples together so they can be recorded, shared and protected.
See the plants →03
Keep them growing
Gardeners, growers and collectors may still hold plants or seed that matter to the collection. Sharing information can help preserve varieties at risk of disappearing.
How to help →
Why Ellen matters
A gardener with an extraordinary reach.
At Warley Place, Ellen created one of the most admired gardens of her era. She funded plant-collecting expeditions, bred plants, photographed gardens and published major horticultural work.
Her reputation was recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society, and her influence survives not only in books and archives but in living plants that still carry her name.
“A collection is more than a list of names. It is a way of keeping horticultural memory alive.”
Featured plants
Names that still grow.
From sea holly to roses, bulbs and sweet peas, Ellen’s name continues to appear across garden plants.
IconicMiss Willmott’s Ghost
Eryngium giganteum
The silvery sea holly most closely associated with Ellen Willmott’s name.
RoseRosa ‘Ellen Willmott’
Rosa
One of the cultivated plants that carries Ellen’s name into gardens today.
FlowerMiss Willmott sweet pea
Lathyrus odoratus ‘Miss Willmott’
A named sweet pea linking present-day growers to Ellen’s horticultural legacy.
Can you help?
You may be growing a piece of Ellen Willmott history.
If you have a plant, cutting, bulb or seed named after Ellen Willmott, Miss Willmott or Warley Place, the collection would love to hear from you.