Tag Archives: greenhouse

The Strange Case of Doctor Ward…

Most readers of this blog will be familiar with the Wardian case, the method of transporting plants that transformed the world’s gardens and hothouses from the mid-19thc onwards and which were in regular use by Kew for the international transportation of … Continue reading

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Avoiding sex with Mrs Moriarty

In November 2015 I wrote a post about Augusta Withers, complaining that,  as is the case with many female botanical artists, little was known about her. However by comparison with today’s subject, we had a veritable plethora of biographical information!  Mrs H. … Continue reading

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Crompton and Fawkes

Wentworth Castle in Yorkshire boasts a magnificent Victorian conservatory behind the main 18thc building.   It was built in 1885-6 by Crompton & Fawkes, an Essex-based company who were one of the leading manufacturers of horticultural buildings in Britain at the … Continue reading

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Tyntesfield: the guano palace

My posts on nightsoil and guano [from July 2015,] got picked up by an article in the Guardian online – fame indeed! So here’s a postscript about the house paid for by the vast fortune made by William Gibbs, the owner of the monopoly … Continue reading

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Joseph Knight & his Exotic Nursery

We tend to think of gardeners being poor – unless of course they’re celebs on the box – and it’s hard to think of many gardeners in history who became rich.  But there are exceptions and one such was Joseph … Continue reading

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