James Gordon (c.1708-1780): “a most Knowing and Ingenous" gardener, nursery and seedsman
Trade card of 'James Gordon, Seeds Man', c.1770. Gordon’s shop was located at the Sign of the Thistle & Crown near Philpot Lane,...
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gardenhistorygirl
- Feb 13
- 11 min
Apple Stories Part 2: The National Apple Congress of 1883
‘Exhibition of apples in the Great Vinery of the Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick, October 4 to 25, 1883’. From ‘The Gardeners...
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gardenhistorygirl
- Jan 8
- 11 min
Mistletoe: a Christmas Friend or Foe?
'The Mistletoe Seller', by Myles Birket Foster from 'The London Illustrated News', 1854 As I now live in Herefordshire, surrounded by...
97 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Nov 27, 2023
- 24 min
Miss Willmott's Water Lilies
'Lily Pool', Plate 16 from Ellen Willmott's book of her own photographs titled 'Warley Garden in Spring and Summer', published 1909 Those...
239 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Oct 25, 2023
- 10 min
Apple Stories Part 1: 'The Herefordshire Pomona'
Plate XLV from 'The Herefordshire Pomona’, vol. 2, 1876-1885 “There is no fruit, in temperate climates, so universally esteemed, and so...
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gardenhistorygirl
- Oct 10, 2023
- 10 min
Crompton & Fawkes - and the Wentworth 'Winter Garden'
‘Iron Winter Garden for T.W. Vernon Wentworth, Esq., Wentworth Castle, Yorkshire. Designed, Erected, and Heated by Crompton & Fawkes,...
129 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Sep 28, 2023
- 7 min
William Robinson's monthly journal: 'Flora and Sylva' (1903-1905)
‘Group of Hybrid Iris: 1. Psyche, 2. Charon, 3. Iphigenia'. Coloured plate from a drawing by H.G. Moon, of flowers sent from Haarlem. ...
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gardenhistorygirl
- Sep 13, 2023
- 11 min
The Veitch Nursery: A Family Dynasty c.1808-1969
Selection of plants offered for sale in a Veitch catalogue of the 1890's Introduction During the 19th century, plant collecting in new...
361 views0 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Aug 28, 2023
- 13 min
A "perfect bower of beauty": The White House Conservatory
The first Conservatory at the White House by Harriet Lane, built in 1857. From 'Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper', tinted by Hall...
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gardenhistorygirl
- Aug 6, 2023
- 37 min
Castlewellan Part 3: Thomas Ryan - a Head Gardener's Story
The story of the 5th Earl of Castlewellan's Head Gardener, Thomas Ryan
291 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Jun 29, 2023
- 19 min
"Hidden Beauties of the Sea": the Victorian aquarium
Plate I from 'A History of the British Sea-Anemones and Corals' by Philip Henry Gosse, 1860 Introduction If you've read my blog about the...
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gardenhistorygirl
- Apr 14, 2023
- 14 min
A Belgian Botanical: 'Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l’Europe'
"Embothrium Coccineum". From 'Flore des Serres et des Jardins de l’Europe', Vol.13, 1858 Introduction Many of the historic images of...
260 views0 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Mar 30, 2023
- 12 min
The Fruits of America Part 2: The US Department of Agriculture's 'Agricultural Explorers'
'Garcinia mangostana' (the mangosteen), watercolour by Deborah Griscom Passmore, 1909 – said to be agricultural explorer David...
232 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Mar 22, 2023
- 14 min
Miss Willmott's Orchids
One of Miss Ellen Willmott's few existing 'autochromes' c.1908. The plant featured was identified recently by experts at Royal Botanic...
237 views4 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Mar 1, 2023
- 27 min
Castlewellan Part 2: The “long aisles of glass” - Castlewellan's Glasshouses
Castlewellan's Head Gardener, Thomas Ryan, in front of the terrace glasshouses c.1880's. By kind permission of the Ogilvie family...
729 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Feb 7, 2023
- 9 min
The Fruits of America Part 1: The US Department of Agriculture's Pomological Watercolor Collection
Corsican lemon by Deborah Griscom Passmore, 1899. US Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection Introduction: A lucky...
363 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Jan 15, 2023
- 25 min
Castlewellan - Part 1: An Irish gentleman gardener, the 5th Earl Annesley
Profile photograph of Huge Annesley (later the 5th Earl Annesley of Castlewellan) c.1854-55 Introduction This month, I’m writing about a...
1,864 views9 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Dec 24, 2022
- 9 min
The Christmas Cactus: flowers for under "gas light"
'Christmas Cactus', painting by Christian Mollback I was pondering what to write for Christmas, when a friend reminded me that I’d...
443 views3 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Dec 4, 2022
- 8 min
"Flowers That Never Fade": The Blaschka Glass Flowers at Harvard
From The Glass Flowers collection. Courtesy Harvard University Herbaria Introduction An article in a Hardy Plant Society journal from...
1,753 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
- Oct 26, 2022
- 11 min
The UK's first garden gnomes - or "fairy miners"
Painting by Heinrich Schlitt, c.1900, Hungarian National Gallery Do you have a gnome in your garden? If you do, you’re in good company!...
902 views4 comments
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