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,...
top of page
gardenhistorygirl
Feb 1311 min read
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...
175 views3 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Jan 811 min read
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...
108 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Nov 27, 202324 min read
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...
302 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Oct 25, 202310 min read
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...
151 views0 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Oct 10, 202310 min read
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,...
143 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Sep 28, 20237 min read
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. ...
106 views0 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Sep 13, 202311 min read
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...
530 views0 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Aug 28, 202313 min read
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...
293 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Aug 6, 202337 min read
Castlewellan Part 3: Thomas Ryan - a Head Gardener's Story
The story of the 5th Earl of Castlewellan's Head Gardener, Thomas Ryan
331 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Jun 29, 202319 min read
"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...
748 views0 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Apr 14, 202314 min read
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...
300 views0 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Mar 30, 202312 min read
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...
275 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Mar 22, 202314 min read
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...
253 views4 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Feb 28, 202327 min read
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...
785 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Feb 7, 20239 min read
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...
456 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Jan 15, 202325 min read
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...
2,017 views9 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Dec 24, 20229 min read
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...
497 views3 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Dec 4, 20228 min read
"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...
1,998 views2 comments
gardenhistorygirl
Oct 26, 202211 min read
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!...
1,038 views4 comments
bottom of page