Historical Gardens

In April 2008 the group called Historical Gardens on photo-sharing site flickr begun collecting photos of both famous and obscure historical gardens from photographers around the world. The goal is ofcourse to enjoy gardens in all seasons.
But an imporant aspect for me is that over a longer period of time, the collected photographs visualise the (gradual or sudden, small or big) changes and alterations that take place in these gardens and parks. It will take a few years of building a broad portfolio, but ultimately this group can serve as one of many online sources for historical garden research. The fact that many people now scan and upload older or even vintage photographs is a great help in that respect.

The group now spans all continents and many countries. In the past four weeks (21-24) photos of the parks and gardens shown on this map have been added.

Click on the image to open the map and zoom in. The map opens in new page or tab.

For maps containing all gardens that are featured on Historical Gardens, please click here.
A big thank you to all contributors who make this selection possible and up to date.

Steel has become a popular gardening material in recent years, as for instance gardenvisit.com noted during the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show. Sculptures, seats, anything can be done in steel (a few months ago I saw an original early 20th century agave-in-pot, completely made of zinc).

Corten steel.
In Chelsea corten steel (also known as weathering – or COR-TEN steel) was also used for sculptures, but the material has been around for a while in gardens -with a different use. Many parterres de broderie have in recent years been (re)created within the curves of narrow strips of corten steel, dividing the planted areas from the ones containing gravel. Plant box hedges within the boundaries, pour gravel in the remaining areas and hey presto: we can still see the steel.

• Box at Het Loo in Apeldoorn in 2007.

  http://www.historicalgardensblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P9220326.jpg

  The corten steel strips are almost invisible.

  

• Box and corten steel strips at Het Loo in Apeldoorn.

  http://www.historicalgardensblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P9220325.jpg

  The steel fits tightly around the hedges (2007).

  

• Dutch garden in Het Park in Rotterdam.

  http://www.historicalgardensblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P5150385.jpg

  Restored in 2009, the steel is prominent.

  

• Corten steel and box in Het Park in Rotterdam.

  http://www.historicalgardensblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P5150386.jpg

  This can not have been the intended result.

  

All photos by HvdE.

The fact that the steel strips are often clearly visible irritates me, because it is ugly and unnecessary. The only funcions of the steel in these layouts are: divide the areas and contain materials. Skilled gardeners should be able to mask the divider by keeping it hidden, just under ground level. And thus create the illusion that what we see is the result of meticulous maintenance.
I do not need to be shown how the parterre was created, I just want to see and enjoy the combined materials this garden element is supposed to be made of: plants and gravel.

The parterres at Het Loo show that it is possible to use corten steel and achieve an aesthetically acceptable picture -although they probably could clip the hedges a bit less harsh. The high edges of steel that are clearly visible in the parterres of the ‘Dutch Garden’ in Het Park in Rotterdam (created in 1960, restored in 2009) again show how bad execution can ruin a good idea.

Broekhuizen near Leersum is currently owned by Delta Lloyd and Staatsbosbeheer and has now been put up for sale for the second time in a few years. That news caused me to take a look at the restoration of the house  and reconstruction of the garden that have been going on since 2006.¹ My last visit was in September 2008, before the small islands in the pond behind the house were (partly) cleared from their outgrown trees and replanted.
Seeing the results there has not made me entirely happy.

The trees on the smallest island have all been chopped away, but no replanting has taken place here. The result is an eery blob, sticking out of the pond like an outgrown pimple. Continue Reading »

1. Adding this footnote because I stumbled upon the website of the last private owner of Broekhuizen. He has a lot of pre-restoration photos and photos of the interior that are usually not easy to find. According to the sales brochure, the interior has remained relatively intact, so this way we can see what the interested parties will see tomorrow, Thursday May 27th. [back]

In April 2008 I started a group called Historical Gardens on photo-sharing site flickr, in which photos of both famous and obscure historical gardens are collected by photographers around the world. The group has been growing continuously over time and now spans all continents and many countries.
The weekly updates I wanted to do earlier were a ridiculous plan, so I now have a four week update -which results in a ridiculously huge list. I’ll find some kind of optimum one day

In weeks 17 to 20 pictures of the following gardens have been added:

• Australia:

Royal Botanic Gardens (Sydney).

• Belgium:

Kasteel Gaasbeek (Gaasbeek).

• China:

Canglan Pavilion Garden (Great Wave Pavilion) (Sozhou).
Couple’s Retreat Garden (Ŏu Yuán) (Sozhou).
Guo’s Villa (Guo Zhuang) (Hangzhou).
Lion Grove Garden (Shi Zi Lin) (Sozhou).
Master of the Nets Garden (Wang Shi Yuan) (Sozhou).
The Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhou Zheng Yuan) (Sozhou).
Tiger Balm Garden (Hong Kong).
Yuyuan (Shanghai).
Zhan Yuan Garden (Chan Yuan) (Nanjing).

• England: Continue Reading »

Three weeks ago I visited the marvelous garden of Weldam, which I’ll discuss another time. After that I revisited a small wooded area nearby, where I had seen something interesting earlier. In October 2008 I stumbled upon a small elevation or hill at the edge of the woods. I immediately recognised it as man-made and probably part of a park layout, but couldn’t link it to an estate or garden. Somewhat later on that trip I passed the house of Wegdam, but couldn’t piece the two together. Continue Reading »

In April 2008 I started a group called Historical Gardens on photo-sharing site flickr, in which photos of both famous and obscure historical gardens are collected by photographers around the world. The group has been growing continuously over time and now spans all continents and many countries.
The images have always been accessible through the HGimages page, but updates have always been preserved for flickr itself. Starting now, I will present a regular (I hope weekly) update of all additions to that group here.

In week 16 pictures of the following gardens have been added:

• China:

Couple’s Retreat Garden (Ŏu Yuán) (Sozhou).
Lion Grove Garden (Shi Zi Lin) (Sozhou).
Master of the Nets Garden (Wang Shi Yuan) (Sozhou).
Yuyuan (Shanghai).
Zhan Yuan Garden (Chan Yuan) (Nanjing).

• England:

Cleary Garden (London).
Waddesdon Manor (Aylesbury).

• Netherlands:

De Tempel (Rotterdam).
Kasteeltuin Hemmen (Hemmen).
Wilhelminapark (Sneek).

• Spain:

Parque de El Capricho (Madrid).

• Tasmania:

Brickendon Estate (Longford).

• USA:

Grey Towers (Milford).

A big thank you for everyone sharing their photos.

In recent years the Stadspark (designed in 1917) in Schoonhoven has been renovated. A central feature in the park is a path crossed by a small bridge: the underpass. This feature is created by the architect of the park, Leonard A. Springer (1855-1940). The local ground levels, though untypically undulated because the park was laid out on the former bulwarks of the town, did not make this crossing necessary.

The underpass in Stadspark Schoonhoven (photo HvdE).

So we’re talking about a deliberate design decision by Springer. And a successful one at that: this bridge alone makes it worthwhile to make a circular walk through the rectilinear and narrow Stadspark. It is no secret that Springer did not invent this feature. The most famous example in The Netherlands is the 18th century large Swiss bridge at Elswout, but there are more.

Reason for this post is that a less known example must have directly influenced Springer, even before his long career took off. It is not mentioned in the booklet that was published on the occasion of the reopening of the renovated Stadspark.¹ Continue Reading »

1. WErkgroep SPringerpark, Het Stadspark in Schoonhoven (Schoonhoven 2008). Constance Moes briefly mentions the existence of this that bridge in the monography of Springer, but does not make the connection with later occurances of such underpasses in his later work; in: Constance D.H. Moes, L.A. Springer, Tuinarchitect, Dendroloog (1855-1940) (Rotterdam 2002), p94, note 25: “In de tuin waren elementen van de landschappelijke aanleg uit het begin van de negentiende eeuw intact, zoals de vijver met eiland en de hoge Zwitserse brug.” [back]

The description of Powerscourt in Ireland by its owner turns out to be a vital source of information for anyone interested in how (the garden of) a late 19th century estate was created over a period of decades. Mervyn E. Wingfield mentions many names of gardeners, sculptors, companies that sell or auction statues and seeds, etc. It clearly shows how some choices are very deliberate, and how at the same time some other garden elements are there just because they were available at the right time.

But Wingfield hardly mentions the plants he used. Almost at the end of his description of the terraces he writes:

The pleasure grounds are filled wih many kinds of rare plants and shrubs, many of which would not be hardy in England, but which thrive in the temperate climate of the Green Isle. Rare conifers as well as deciduous trees are scattered through the grounds, and those which I have myself planted are now growing to a considerable size, Wellingtonias, araucarias, and others having reached a height of fifty and sixty feet, and even more, (…).¹

He then goes on to talk about a few specific plants and species, but I would like to zoom in on the araucarias he mentioned. A few pages earlier he writes about the terrace walk, which he extended to a lentgh of 800 yards (730 meters), running outside the garden at the (south)western end ‘as far as the level ground permitted, to the edge of the slope at the oak-wood called “The Dead Man’s Bank”‘. He placed a statue of Ajax at that end and

(…) planted an avenue of araucarias and abies Douglasii from the part where the garden terminates to this statue.²

I know Wingfield was proud of the variety of plants that thrived in his garden. But combining Araucaria araucana and Pseudotsuga menziesii (‘abies Douglasii’ is a synonym) seems like stretching things to their limit. I would at least never have thought of this combination if I were asked to plant an avenue of mixed evergreens in a period garden, and know of no other examples.

1. Mervyn E. Wingfield, A Description and History of Powerscourt, London (1903), p95. The araucarias he planted himself were in a grove further from the house, near Bahana and Onagh Bridge (op. cit. p107). He planted 100 of them, ‘thinking that in future times his would make a remarkable feature of the place’. [back]
2. op. cit., p90. [back]