Category: Garden History

Met buskruit boomstobben verwijderen

English summary ↓HGimages: Georgengarten Hannover HGmap: Germany , , , 0

Just read about this today: an odd way of removing tree stumps and unwanted big root systems. By blasting them out with gun powder. In Hanover, 1777. The garden’s owner was raised in England. Was this common practice in Germany or England, halfway the 18th century?

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Summary

Just read about this today: an odd way of removing tree stumps and unwanted big root systems. By blasting them out with gun powder. In Hanover, 1777. The garden’s owner was raised in England. Was this common practice in Germany or England, halfway the 18th century?

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De oude bruggen van Den Alerdinck

Summary in English ↓HGimages: Den Alerdinck HGmap: Den Alerdinck , , , 3

Two postcards of Den Alerdinck show bridges (or just one of them from different angles) that once adorned the garden. The postcards are roughly dated 1949-1969, whether the photo’s were taken in this period is uncertain. The bridge(s) are probably built in the late 19th century, but that is a (my) wild guess. In stead, there is now a bland bridge that merely serves to get you to the other side -minimalist and dull.

The location where this bridge (or bridges) was, is currently private property and can only be used by the owners and their guests. If the chance of vandalism is this small, why not recreate these bridges in the spirit of the previous owners of the estate?

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Summary

Two postcards of Den Alerdinck show bridges (or just one of them from different angles) that once adorned the garden. The postcards are roughly dated 1949-1969, whether the photo’s were taken in this period is uncertain. The bridge(s) are probably built in the late 19th century, but that is a (my) wild guess. In stead, there is now a bland bridge that merely serves to get you to the other side -minimalist and dull.

The location where this bridge (or bridges) was, is currently private property and can only be used by the owners and their guests. If the chance of vandalism is this small, why not recreate these bridges in the spirit of the previous owners of the estate?

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Corten steel aesthetics: still questionable, but here to stay

Korte samenvatting ↓HGimages: Het Loo HGmap: Paleis Het Loo , , , , , 4

In de Benedentuin van Paleis Het Loo wordt op dit moment de laatste hand gelegd aan de recreatie van de parterres. De figuren zijn gelegd in corten-staal, en op basis van nieuwe kennis over de oorspronkelijke situatie worden de haagjes lager en smaller dan voorheen het geval was.
De corten-stalen randen zijn wat mij betreft veel te goed zichtbaar, en helaas heeft dat ook praktische redenen: ze dienen als rails voor het vrijwel geheel gemechaniseerde knipproces. Wat mij betreft had die stalen rand minder zichtbaar gekund, maar de praktische voordelen zijn onmiskenbaar.
Toch jammer.

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Summary

In de Benedentuin van Paleis Het Loo wordt op dit moment de laatste hand gelegd aan de recreatie van de parterres. De figuren zijn gelegd in corten-staal, en op basis van nieuwe kennis over de oorspronkelijke situatie worden de haagjes lager en smaller dan voorheen het geval was.
De corten-stalen randen zijn wat mij betreft veel te goed zichtbaar, en helaas heeft dat ook praktische redenen: ze dienen als rails voor het vrijwel geheel gemechaniseerde knipproces. Wat mij betreft had die stalen rand minder zichtbaar gekund, maar de praktische voordelen zijn onmiskenbaar.
Toch jammer.

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Methode voor het planten van een magnolia (1771)

English summary ↓HGimages: Huys ten Donck HGmap: Huys ten Donck , , , , , , , , , , 0

A bill concerning the delivery of two trees in 1771 for Huys ten Donck reveals a specific method for the planting of magnolias. They had to be planted in the pot they were delivered in. After one or two years this pot should then be broken, while in the ground.

Philip Miller originally suggested to keep the plant in pots for the first two years (after sowing), so the tender young plants could be brought in when necessary during those first years. After that, they went into the ground, pot-less.

Apparently the succes rate of newly planted magnolias had been below expectation. Magnolias ranked under the most expensive garden plants of the time, so losing one of those was a costly and frustrating affair. Twenty-five years after the Dutch translation of Miller’s work was published, their planting method in the Netherlands had changed -probably as a result of that.

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Summary

A bill concerning the delivery of two trees in 1771 for Huys ten Donck reveals a specific method for the planting of magnolias. They had to be planted in the pot they were delivered in. After one or two years this pot should then be broken, while in the ground.

Philip Miller originally suggested to keep the plant in pots for the first two years (after sowing), so the tender young plants could be brought in when necessary during those first years. After that, they went into the ground, pot-less.

Apparently the succes rate of newly planted magnolias had been below expectation. Magnolias ranked under the most expensive garden plants of the time, so losing one of those was a costly and frustrating affair. Twenty-five years after the Dutch translation of Miller’s work was published, their planting method in the Netherlands had changed -probably as a result of that.

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Whale bone garden structures

Korte samenvatting ↓HGimages: collection HGmap: overview , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6

De walvisbank die ooit in de tuin van Groenendaal in Heemstede stond, was een van de bekendste uit kaakbeenderen van walvissen opgebouwde tuinornamenten. Als datering wordt het begin van de 19de eeuw aangehouden, op het moment dat Adriaan Elias Hope eigenaar was van zowel Bosbeek als Groenendaal.
In de late jaren 1780 zien we aanwijzingen voor een hechte band tussen de moeder van Adriaan Elias Hope, de uit Rotterdam afkomstige Philippina Barbara van der Hoeven, en de eveneens in Rotterdam gevestigde familie Groeninx van Zoelen. Die laatsten kopen tussen twee bezoeken aan Bosbeek in, 6 walviskaakbeenderen.
Hier wordt de vraag gesteld of die beenderen misschien voor Bosbeek bedoeld waren?

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Summary

De walvisbank die ooit in de tuin van Groenendaal in Heemstede stond, was een van de bekendste uit kaakbeenderen van walvissen opgebouwde tuinornamenten. Als datering wordt het begin van de 19de eeuw aangehouden, op het moment dat Adriaan Elias Hope eigenaar was van zowel Bosbeek als Groenendaal.
In de late jaren 1780 zien we aanwijzingen voor een hechte band tussen de moeder van Adriaan Elias Hope, de uit Rotterdam afkomstige Philippina Barbara van der Hoeven, en de eveneens in Rotterdam gevestigde familie Groeninx van Zoelen. Die laatsten kopen tussen twee bezoeken aan Bosbeek in, 6 walviskaakbeenderen.
Hier wordt de vraag gesteld of die beenderen misschien voor Bosbeek bedoeld waren?

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‘op den donck gewerk aan de gabinet genaam Rouina’

English summary ↓HGimages: Huys ten Donck HGmap: Huys ten Donck , , , , , , , , , 12

The designer and builder of the ruin in the park of Huys ten Donck, near Ridderkerk, has been discovered. Two bills -which I found last week in the Rotterdam Municipal Archives, or Stadsarchief Rotterdam– reveal the identity of the architect as the Rotterdam-based Italian Giovanni (Jan) Giudici (1746-1819). The title of this post is a direct quote from one of these bills mentioning the work, in Dutch mixed with Italian influences.
That bill also leads to the conclusion that the ruin, now basically a screen of brick and stone, was originally covered in plaster when it was built in 1777.

This find adds at least one item to this architect’s portfolio, whose legacy was so hard hit by the 15 minute bombing of Rotterdam by German forces on May 14, 1940. This tragedy all but devastated the inner city, including what was left there of the architect’s work.
Luckily some of his work done outside that city can still be seen. We now know that part of his legacy is at Huys ten Donck near Ridderkerk. The house itself may contain more of his work, these same bills reveal. Architectural historians can chew on that piece of information.

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Summary

The designer and builder of the ruin in the park of Huys ten Donck, near Ridderkerk, has been discovered. Two bills -which I found last week in the Rotterdam Municipal Archives, or Stadsarchief Rotterdam– reveal the identity of the architect as the Rotterdam-based Italian Giovanni (Jan) Giudici (1746-1819). The title of this post is a direct quote from one of these bills mentioning the work, in Dutch mixed with Italian influences.
That bill also leads to the conclusion that the ruin, now basically a screen of brick and stone, was originally covered in plaster when it was built in 1777.

This find adds at least one item to this architect’s portfolio, whose legacy was so hard hit by the 15 minute bombing of Rotterdam by German forces on May 14, 1940. This tragedy all but devastated the inner city, including what was left there of the architect’s work.
Luckily some of his work done outside that city can still be seen. We now know that part of his legacy is at Huys ten Donck near Ridderkerk. The house itself may contain more of his work, these same bills reveal. Architectural historians can chew on that piece of information.

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Liebermann’s birches

HGimages: Liebermann Villa HGmap: Liebermann Villa , , , , , , , 3

Two months ago I stood in front of this:   It was framed, of course, and hung fairly low against the red (if memory serves) backdrop of a wall at the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum in Hannover. The painting is one of  a series that artist Max Liebermann made of views in…

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Schloss Herrenhausen rebuilt

HGimages: Herrenhausen HGmap: Herrenhausen , , , , , , 0

Ever Ssince the Herrenhauser Schloss was bombed in 1943 (and consubsequently burnt to the ground), the question what should come in its place has been on people’s mind in the north-German city of Hannover. 1The original Schloss had been a late 17th century structure, which was mostly upgraded on the outside…

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