Gardens in the Work of Virginia Woolf

Examines gardens, gardening and horticulture in the work of Virginia Woolf through a cultural and historical lens Provides a unique insight into nature and organicism in Woolf’s work Highlights the deeply spatial nature of Woolf's writing Explores the politics of space in Woolf's work, and demonstrates how this was informed by historical events, cultural context, and personal factors Argues Woolf’s literary gardens are inherently modernist Shows that Woolf’s literary gardens were vital to the development of her modernist style This study reads Woolf’s fictional gardens in light of her development as a writer, tracing these spaces alongside elements of her personal life and her changing understanding of nature and space. In the course of this work, these locations are revealed to be emotionally and imaginatively charged, acting as vehicles for powerful sentiments and vital intellectual arguments. Through extensive examinations of texts including The Voyage Out , ‘Kew Gardens’, Jacob’s Room , Mrs Dalloway , To the Lighthouse and The Waves , this book frames Woolf’s literary gardens as expressive and innovative spheres that formed part of wider early twentieth-century attempts to reimagine nature and domesticity as vibrant, even radical, facets of modern life.