Author Archives: The Garden History Blog

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The Crystal Palace of Paris

Posted on 17/10/2020 by The Garden History Blog

Last week’s post looked at the background to the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition, and in particular at its parkland setting. It was the first world fair to give horticulture a major role with one section of the park covering about … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged aquarium, aquatic garden, aviary, Bandstand, cacti, cascade, conservatory, France, garden buildings, Garden tools, greenhouse, grotto, International Exhibition, kiosk, paris, parterre, rock garden, William Robinson, winter garden | 1 Comment

The 1867 Paris Expo

Posted on 10/10/2020 by The Garden History Blog

I had a lot of comments about the recent posts on the RHS gardens in Kensington which were used as the centrepiece for the 1862 International Exhibition. The concept of a world expo was then comparatively novel. There had only … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged conservatory, France, Great exhibition, International Exhibition, paris, recreation, William Robinson | Leave a comment

Speculation and ‘the Rural Manner’

Posted on 03/10/2020 by The Garden History Blog

Last week I discussed the origins of London squares and looked at the earliest examples. Today I’m going to look at what happened after the Great Fire of 1666 when the balance of the city’s population shifted to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bedford Square, Bloomsbury, Cavendish Square, Charles Bridgeman, City Gardener, covent garden, Golden Square, Gray's Inn, Grosvenor, Leicester Square, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London Square, Marylebone, Nicholas Barbon, Queen Square, railings, Soho, St James Square, Thomas Fairchild, wilderness | Leave a comment

Before the Square

Posted on 26/09/2020 by The Garden History Blog

I’m often asked to talk about the history of London’s squares and I always wonder what causes this almost endless fascination. Of course there’s no doubt that, as the London Gardens Trust says, “squares are one of the defining … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bloomsbury, covent garden, Francis Bacon, Gray's Inn, Hollar, John Summerson, Leicester Square, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London Square, Moorfields, St James Square | 1 Comment

Kensington goes Italian

Posted on 19/09/2020 by The Garden History Blog

Last week I wrote the background story of the Royal Horticultural Society’s magnificent but short-lived gardens in South Kensington, and today I want to follow up with an account of the gardens themselves designed by William Andrews Nesfield. When I sat … Continue reading →