Constance Spry (1886 – 1960) was a florist, social reformer, teacher and best selling author. She encouraged people to make their homes look beautiful with flowers and foliage picked form hedge rows and scraps of wasteland. She used a unusual assortment of containers for her displays, including gravy boats, baking trays and bird cages.
Her influence as a home maker, social reformer and champion of the D.I.Y aesthetic is as relevant today as it was in the 1930's.
Her fascinating life is documented in the autobiography, The Surprising Life of Constance Spry, by Sue Shephard, which is another one on our reading list.
We recently hear about the Ard Daraich Bed and Breakfast in Scotland, which used to be owned by Spry. Set in eight acres of garden, with views of Ben Nevis and Glen Coe, it sounds beautiful and a must for gardening enthusiasts and walkers.
