Tag Archives: china

The Chinese Garden in Montreal

It was just about the last thing I expected on a short visit to  Montreal last October: a Chinese Garden.    In Europe we’ve been used to Chinoiserie  for over 300 years but while some examples are genuine imitations [if … Continue reading

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A Walk Around the World

Last week’s post on the Geological Gallery at Biddulph was, I hope, something of an insight in to the mindset of James Bateman its creator in the mid-19thc.  Today’s is designed to look at the gardens he created there, partly … Continue reading

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On a slow boat from China…

China has one of the richest flora in the world but many of its plants remained unknown in the west until comparatively recently. While we all know about Chinoiserie as a fashion in  decor and in garden architecture particularly in … Continue reading

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East comes West

Dr Johnson wrote in 1738 : “There are few nations in the world more talked of, or less known than the Chinese.”  He was reflecting on the latest book about China to be published, one which Patrick Conner in Oriental Architecture in the … Continue reading

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Adam’s weed

An obscure 17thc botanist cleric is very prominent in many  gardens at the moment because of a plant, that as so often in the weird and wonderful ways of botanical names,  he never saw, didn’t even know existed  and had … Continue reading

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