Gardens and medicine are closely intertwined in every culture, and were even more so in the past when most remedies were derived from plants. Yet much of that knowledge has been lost and I suspect few of us these days … Continue reading →| The Garden History Blog
In 1926 a 54 year old woman who had inherited a riverside house decided to create a garden. Nothing particularly startling about that although it was thought at the time by some of her friends …| The Garden History Blog
2 posts published by The Garden History Blog during October 2025| The Garden History Blog
Montreal is home to one of the great botanic gardens of the world. You might be forgiven for thinking that since Canada was once part of the British Empire that the garden was one of the wide network linked or … Continue reading →| The Garden History Blog
What is Niagara doing on a blog. about the history of parks and gardens? Well, if,like me until last week, you thought that Niagara meant only the world famous Falls and nothing else, you might b…| The Garden History Blog
Last week’s post ended on a gloomy note and said worse was to come. And there couldn’t have been much worse than the Great Fire of London of 1666 which burnt 80% of the old walled city. In the aftermath … Continue reading →| The Garden History Blog
Which is the oldest public park in Britain? Most books and websites will tell you that the first funded from the public purse was Birkenhead Park which opened in 1845. Others claim that the honour goes to Derby Arboretum … Continue reading →| The Garden History Blog
Art has always had a place in gardens. Historically statues, columns, obelisks, urns, murals and even gnomes have all been very popular additions but more recently there’s been a trend to cr…| The Garden History Blog
It was here we go round the mulberry bush in my garden recently – or rather here we go under the mulberry tree. Mine is a Black Mulberry grown almost as much for its foliage and shape, as for its … Continue reading →| The Garden History Blog
At one of our open garden days recently visitors were admiring a group of “Buff Beauty” roses which, despite the scorching heat and weeks of drought, still managed to show a few flower…| The Garden History Blog
4 posts published by The Garden History Blog during June 2025| The Garden History Blog
5 posts published by The Garden History Blog during August 2025| The Garden History Blog
Years ago, in another life, I was head teacher of a school in north London. Our playground was on the site of the birthplace of Edward Lear, so the children and I got to know a lot about him when … Continue reading →| The Garden History Blog
August is traditionally the silly season in the media, so in keeping with that the next few posts are going to look at garden-related humour, beginning today with the work of Reginald Arkell. I can…| The Garden History Blog
As regular readers will know I’m very fond of the work of garden writer Beverley Nichols, but until recently I hadn’t really taken much notice of his interest and involvement in flower …| The Garden History Blog
“At 12 o’clock, Saturday May 26th 1792, I had taken the Paddington Road, which the rains of last night had made nice riding, and the face of nature gay” So begins the account by Colo…| The Garden History Blog
These days there’s only one famous Mrs Richmond – my friend the media star Advolly – but I hate to tell her she has, or at least had, a rival! Who was this other Mrs Richmond ? &n…| The Garden History Blog
