Tag Archives: Gardener’s Chronicle

How Orchids became a Librarian’s Nightmare

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

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George Glenny grumbles on…

Last week’s post left George Glenny bankrupt in 1839. But, horrible though this must have been, in some ways this was the making of him. He had to sell the Gardener’s Gazette and his exhibition hall and turn back to the one … Continue reading

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George Glenny- perhaps the most cantankerous Victorian gardener imaginable

If you were asked to name a great Victorian garden writer I bet John Claudius Loudon, William Robinson, or Shirley Hibberd would spring  to mind immediately- but what about George Glenny? He was as prolific as the rest of them, started … Continue reading

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Mr Loudon & a second-rate suburban villa

As I am sure regular readers will have noticed I’m a great fan of John Claudius Loudon, the energetic Scotsman who  tried to bring information about gardens, horticulture and agriculture [and indeed everything else!]  to the widest possible audience in the … Continue reading

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Menageries 4: Knowsley and the mad botanicals

More on menageries….real and imaginary. The early 19thc saw a shift from menageries as showcases for curiosities to the beginnings of the zoological garden as a base for science. At the same time that the royal menagerie in the Tower was … Continue reading

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