The Victorian Gardener

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The Royal Horticultural Society was established in 1804 in London to collect plants brought in from expeditions in the British colonies and other countries. High society funded the society’s work to get seeds of the rare plants in return which they planted on their estates.

What do you do with tree roots? Break them down for firewood, take to the tip, grind down the stumps? A more stylish, ecologically-friendly alternative is proving increasingly popular within gardens large and small: stumperies. What is a stumpery? Modern cast stone ornaments from original designs are ideal and very affordable adornments. To reflect the romantic mood a scantily clad maiden or goddess might be appropriate, or two lovers embracing. Wild gardens as a contrast to the increasingly industrialised world, with bluebell and snowdrop patches and wild flowers It is a rather unusual high-Victorian garden by James Bateman for housing his plants collection from around the world. It has a series of connected ‘rooms’, influenced by different parts of the world. Biddulph has a Victorian vision of bright red pavilion of China, Egypt pyramids, and a Himalayan glen. Bodnant, Conwy Bodnant Conwy Victorian GardensDespite the magnolia being “discovered” in the 17th century, it is one of the most primitive plants in evolutionary history. Fossils have been unearthed showing that it existed in North America, Asia and Europe more than 100 million years ago. The number of people who had a garden was on the increase and more leisure time meant that these people were spending greater time in the garden. New inventions such as the lawnmower began to have a tremendous impact on garden design and, with increased horticultural knowledge, gardeners learnt how to control nature as well as working with it. The burgeoning interest in gardening during the period was not restricted to the middle and upper classes as local authorities for the first time began creating carefully manicured public gardens and parks too. The entrance to the walled garden was through large double gates, known as the Stag Gates. Photograph of ‘Gateway to Great House, Stagenhoe Park’, c. 1846-1869 Statues – at least one statue. Mostly Greek gods. Many were females and not dressed fully due to the times.

With the Museum being closed to visitors, now is a good opportunity to delve into the boxes of some of the lesser known archives we hold. This week, I have been cataloguing the archive of Victorian Head Gardener, Matthew Balls (1817-1905). Since our collecting focus is contemporary and 20 th century garden design, I was excited to see this older material, especially because archives of Victorian Head Gardeners are rare. This species blooms from late January until April or May. When there’s a mild start to the New Year, it flourishes and the flowers bloom early. However, if snow and ice then return and the air is particularly damp, this doesn’t suit the camellia. In 1902, Wilkinson became another female first as principal of Swanley Horticultural College in Kent. She retired to Suffolk and bred prize-winning goats. The building on Shaftesbury Avenue where she lived — likely with her three sisters — is home to a London Blue Plaque. Interest in the camellia waned in the early 20th century, but it became popular again in the 1950s, when new varieties and species were introduced. The camellia has remained on trend, thanks to its ability to bloom early in spring, with the most famous variety being C Japonica.The detailed botanical drawings had been created by Walter Fitch, based on Joseph’s sketches that he had made while in Sikkim. They were made into a widely-read book, Rhododendrons of the Sikkim Himalayas. With the social and economic advances, the British had more leisure time on their hands than ever before, and one result of this was the “Victorian garden.” Beautiful gardens and landscaping weren’t just for kings and queens anymore! In late Victorian gardens rustic and romantic elements like thatched alcoves, pine-pole summer houses or pavilions, bee hives and ponds became fashionable. Bodnant Garden with pond and garden pavilion. Credit: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net).

Wilder and more natural gardens increased in popularity towards the end of the 1800s in a reaction against industrialization. There was a special attraction for the rare plants. There were some popular gardeners who belonged to the Victorian period. These gardeners follow the natural style of growing the gardens. This style is followed even today. On the north side were two servants’ cottages, rebuilt during Rogers’ time, which opened onto the walled garden. By 1851, Matthew was living with his wife and four children (Matthew Henry, Elizabeth Mary, James and Sarah Ann) in one half of the gardener’s lodge. The other half was occupied by William Exton, the butler, and his family. Photograph of the Gardener’s Lodge at Stagenhoe Park, c. 1846-1869 Writing for The Guardian in 2009 during a repeat of the series, Lucy Mangan found that it was the "details that make the programme sing" and concluded by saying: "May it flourish somewhere in the schedules for ever." [5] Providing homes for countless insects, frogs and other wildlife, stumperies are easy to create and can fit into the smallest shady spot within a garden. They look great near a pond.

ARCHITECTURAL GARDENS

The colourful drawings of the exotic plants, with their bright red and white flowers and six-inch trumpets, were produced in a pre-photography era. They were totally different from the more delicate rhododendrons that had been introduced into Britain from Asia Minor and North America prior to 1850.