Tag Archives: citrus

The Golden Oranges and Lemons of the Hesperides

Posted on 17/06/2023 by The Garden History Blog

We saw last week how the story of the Golden Apples from the legendary Garden the Hesperides was adapted by 17thc gardening writers to imply that Hercules didn’t steal apples but golden oranges and lemons  instead.   That switch from … Continue reading →

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The Golden Apples of the Hesperides

Posted on 10/06/2023 by The Garden History Blog

Greek myths are eternally popular, so after a recent post on the story behind aquilegias today I’m turning my attention to another garden-related classical legend , that of the Garden of the Hesperides. The garden  belonged to the queen of … Continue reading →

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London nurseries in the 1690s

Posted on 17/12/2022 by The Garden History Blog

Did you know there were cacti and bananas growing in London at the end of the 17thc?  Or that there were vineyards and commercial winemaking?  Or that the king rarely paid his bills?   Following on from last week’s post about … Continue reading →

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A Trip Advisor’s Guide to London Gardens……… in the 1690s

Posted on 10/12/2022 by The Garden History Blog

In the United Kingdom, garden visiting is an extremely popular occupation. In 2021 Kew had 1.25 million visitors  and RHS Wisley  nearly a million, while Westonbirt, Attingham and Edinburgh Botanic Gardens all also featured in top 20 visitor attractions in … Continue reading →

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On a slow boat from China…

Posted on 20/10/2018 by The Garden History Blog

China has one of the richest flora in the world but many of its plants remained unknown in the west until comparatively recently. While we all know about Chinoiserie as a fashion in  decor and in garden architecture particularly in … Continue reading →

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