The Garden History Blog

These days we’re all used to the idea of gardens, exercise and sport as being good for our health and well being but I recently discovered the same thing had been recognised over 200 years ago when I found a … Continue reading →

I was tidying up my treasure trove of old magazines when I was distracted by the colourful image above of an elaborate swing seat under a chinoiserie shelter.

In 1568 a young Flemish merchant arrived in London to seek opportunities for his family business.

The Tale of King Mu, Son of Heaven is an ancient Chinese text which was found written on strips of bamboo in a royal tomb dating to 296BC.

“Botany, an elegant and interesting study, has lately become a favourite pursuit among the higher classes of the community; and the attention to forcing of plants, flowers, and fruits, for the table, has increased the demand for Horticultural Buildings of…

I’ve written several times before about the International Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire but not since 2021 so I thought it was about time for an update after this year’s visit.

Did you know that plants move?

Many people are passionate about plants but today’s post is about a 19th gardener, author and editor who went one stage further, gave up his promising career as an academic and devoted much of his life to writing about plants … Continue reading →

After last week’s post about William Wrighte and his Grotesque Architecture today I’m going to look at his contemporary, and almost namesake, Thomas Wright for whom he’s often mistaken and not just because of their names.

I often write pieces on here about obscure or forgotten figures but usually when I say something like “very little is known about their life” there is actually just about enough information to construct a mini-biography before looking at their … Continue…