Monthly Archives: February 2019

William Style and his garden…

Posted on 23/02/2019 by The Gardens Trust

I used to think early 17thc portraits were rather dull and dreary, and in galleries would generally walk past them rather fast. They had neither the austere simplicity of many early Tudor portraits, nor the flamboyant excesses of Stuart ones. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged emblem, Jacobean, mannerism | 1 Comment

How Orchids became a Librarian’s Nightmare

Posted on 16/02/2019 by The Gardens Trust

It maybe a strange title but this is really the story of a rich young man and his passion for plants or rather one particular kind of plant. James Bateman was the grandson and son of rich industrialists who had … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged augusta withers, botanical art, conservatory, cruikshank, Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Gardener's Chronicle, gardening books, greenhouse, hothouse, James Bateman, John Lindley, Loddiges, nurserymen, orchids, plant hunters, Queen Adelaide, Royal Horticultural Society, Wililiam Hooker | 2 Comments

Visiting a Duke 18thc style…

Posted on 09/02/2019 by The Gardens Trust

At the end of last year I wrote about the travel journals of John Byng, 5th Viscount Torrington. His diaries are, unlike most 18thc published writing, quite informal in style , probably because he had no intention of putting his … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged antiquarian, grimsthorpe, Humphry Repton, John Byng, John Vanbrugh, monastery, ruins, rustic, Topiary, tourism, travel, William Stukeley | Leave a comment

Arundel Castle and the Collector Earl’s Garden

Posted on 02/02/2019 by The Gardens Trust

I’ve been meaning to write about the gardens of Arundel Castle since I visited last summer with friends from the Birkbeck Garden History Group and discovered the new[ish] Collector Earl’s Garden with [amongst other things] Oberon’s Palace, a floating … Continue reading →