politics in the garden

Several years ago while on a visit to Vietnam I discovered a distinctive looking annual bed in a Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) park. While the plants used in this formal bed were far from unusual - red bedding sage and golden marigolds - the design was certainly eye-catching.  At the centre of the planting was the hammer and sickle, the best known symbol of the international communist movement. While I had seen images of the hammer and sickle on my travels in the past I had never seen the emblem replicated in flowers. What made the planting scheme even more bizarre was that above the annual bed was a hoarding advertising Samsung electronic consumer goods; perhaps, a fitting image for contemporary Vietnam.

A bold design for an annual bed 

Reflecting on the hammer and sickle image I thought about other political signs or slogans which had been replicated in nature. One that quickly came to mind was the amazing discovery found in a pine plantation near Berlin in the early 1990s. During a low-level aerial survey a swastika patten was visible in the forest below. It is believed that the trees were planted in the late 1930s by local Nazi Party sympathisers. The golden colour was formed by larch trees - a deciduous conifer - during their brief autumn colouring prior to needle-drop. Shocked by the discovery local authorities removed most of larches in fear of the forest becoming a Nazi pilgrimage site.

While idological symbols in gardens are certainly unusual, politics is never far away from how we live. While nearly all garden writers choose to ignore politics and ideology in their work, British garden writer Martin Hoyles has embraced the theme from a socialist viewpoint. Hoyles has written several books on garden history where political perspectives have been central, most notably in his 1991 Story of Gardening (Journeyman Press, London). While most standard garden histories eulogize the journeys and adventures of plant collectors, Hoyles believes that these developments reflect the plunder of the natural world to serve the interests of colonial expansion and elite western collecting tastes.

An alternative view on garden history

Hoyles' books are highly recommended as they make us challenge our standard views on the history of gardening. Although hard to find they can be sourced at Floreligium (Australia's specialist garden bookshop) in Sydney or (dare I say it) via the internet.

Tools of the trade: Secateurs

As a working gardener I love the tools of my trade especially my secateurs. Several years ago I organised a couple of collectors fairs at historic Experiment Farm Cottage in Sydney for the National Trust and the Australian Garden History Society. The fairs in 2003 and 2005 were known as the Heritage Garden Tool Show and both events received much positive media attention. For the first fair I researched the history of secateurs for a give-away factsheet.

Some of the pruners on display at the Heritage Garden Tool Show

History of Secateurs

Secateurs were invented by the Marquis Bertrand de Moleville. He was a French aristocrat and politician who had to flee his homeland for exile in Britain during the revolution of 1789. Unlike many of his class he escaped the guillotine blade and this may have inspired him to invent the ‘cutters’ known in French as secateurs in 1815.

Prior to Bonville’s invention European gardeners had used scissors, pruning knives, bill hooks and shears to cut and trim foliage and small branches. De Moleville's new secateurs were a versatile and efficient hand tool and quickly became popular throughout continental Europe. English speaking male gardeners were less taken by this new French invention which was marketed in Britain as suitable only for ladies. This changed later in the 19th century when influential garden writers such as William Robinson promoted their use.

Three 19th century secateurs from my collection

Padua Botanic Garden

I'm sometimes asked for a list of my favourite gardens to visit in Europe. One that quickly comes to mind is the Padua Botanic Garden in northern Italy, near Venice. Although I have only visited the Orto Botanico di Padova twice - once in high summer and once in deep winter - this institution ticks all my garden history boxes.

An aerial view of the Orto Botanico 

While the botanic garden at Padua was not the first to be established (Pisa is one year older), it is recognised as the oldest in the world set in its original location. A fine example of the High Renaissance interest in science the garden was set up by Padua University to teach medical students about therapeutic plants used in healing. At the time the study of botany was an essential part of medical training, a coexistence that continued up to the middle years of the 20th century.

I found this early photographic view
of the gardens in a Padua antique shop

Another early view of the gardens this time showing 
the glasshouse surrounding the 'Goethe palm' 

The oldest plant in the garden is a Chamaerops humilis var. arborescens, planted in 1585, commonly known as the 'Goethe Palm', because the German poet and philosopher mentioned it in his essay The Metamorphoses of Plants (1790). This semi-hardy palm is situated in a purpose built glasshouse (see above). Many other trees in the Arboretum date from the 18th,19th and 20th centuries.

During the warmer months of the year
many of the frost tender plants - such
as these succulents - are moved outside

In 1997 the institution was listed as a UNESCO World heritage Site on the following grounds: 'The Botanical Garden of Padua is the original of all botanical gardens in the world, and represents the birth of science, of scientific exchanges, and understanding of the relationship between nature and culture. It has made a profound contribution to the development of many modern scientific, notably botany, medicine, chemistry, ecology and pharmacy.'

Within easy reach of Venice Padua is well worth a visit. Although badly damaged by bombing in World War II the city is filled with many wonderful historic buildings. Personal favourites are the Scrovegni Chapel (also known as the Apollo Chapel) decorated by Giotto, and the 13th century Baptistery decorated with frescoes by Giusto de Menabuoi.

I would love to hear from readers who share my enthusiasm for this garden and city.


Further reading in English: The Botanical Garden of Padua 1545-1995, edited by Alessandro Minelli, Marsilio, Venice, 1995

Gnome lover

The first garden I truly admired was a gnomery I saw in the early 1960s. As a little boy I was awestruck by the hundreds, literately hundreds, of brightly coloured little figures looking at me behind one Welsh gnome-garden fence.  Perhaps this early memory left me with a lasting affection for these fun-loving ornaments as I have since acquired several examples which populace parts of my house and garden. My interest led me to writing a brief history of the gnome for the Oxford Companion to Australian Gardens in 2002. There have been many, so called, jocular studies of these ornaments so I was pleased to discover a serious work by the respected English garden historian Twigs Way, titled Garden Gnomes: a History. 

A Sydney gnome garden

As well as looking at the mythic origins of the gnome the author discusses the different manufacturers in Britain and around the world. One of the leading makers in the UK was Major Garden Ornaments, a firm founded by the parents of former 1980s British Prime Minister John Major, which was in operation from 1930 until 1962. These were the boom years of gnome sales, which reached its peak after the release of the 1937 Disney film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 

The author of this blog with
 one of his larger garden companions

By the late 1960s the gnome was perceived as vulgar and 'low-rent' and became a symbol of derision. In recent years cement constructed figures have been partially replaced by cheaper plastic constructed versions, and there has been a nostalgic revival of appreciation for these fun, somewhat kitsch, ornaments. Despite this, the Royal Horticultural Society in Britain maintains a long-standing ban on the gnome being exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show.

One of my more refined gnomes
 which dates from the late 19th century

Appropriately for the subject of Twig Way's book this work is diminutively sized. It is also well-illustrated and gives an excellent overview of the history of gnomes from their mythic origins in Germanic folklore through their early high-quality production years up to the time of mass-sales in the twentieth century. This book is a must have for all garden historians and for all those with a true interest in garden ornamentation. 

Garden gnomes:  a history, by Twigs Way, Shire Books, Oxford, 2009, UK, RRP £5.99, ISBN 978-0-7478-0710-0

Elizabeth Farm

Regarded by many as Australia's oldest surviving house, Elizabeth Farm, near Parramatta, was built by Elizabeth Macarthur in 1793 and is surrounded by a distinctive garden which will appeal to many.

Front of the house

After nearly two centuries of private ownership the property was acquired by the New South Wales State Government in the 1970s and was later put into the care of the Historic Houses Trust (HHT). The HHT restored the house and deliberately decorated it with reproduction period furnishings so visitors could sit on the 'colonial' furniture as well as touch objects, something unheard of in most historic properties

Informal hedge of plumbago on the drive

While the original  estate had originally been 250 acres, when the Government acquired the property it was little more an an acre. Little has survived of the original garden plantings apart from several mature hoop pines, a Chinese elm and an ancient olive (believed to be the oldest surviving specimen in Australia). The HHT expertly restored the garden using evidence from many historical sources, including watercolours, photographs and diaries. All the added plants used in the garden were available in the area in the 19th century. The result today is a largely restored colonial period garden.

The vegetable garden is used as a teaching tool

Like the house, the garden is incorporated into teaching programmes organised by the HHT. During term time school groups learn about Australian history and how people lived in the past. Dressed as servants the children learn, through role-play, about the life of the Macarthurs and the day-to-day  toil of colonial life. For many children the recreated vegetable plot is an incite into where are food comes from.

There are many cacti and succulents in the garden

For many years the garden has been under the care of Ann who in the company of her giant poodle keeps the property in fine fettle. One of my favourite parts of the garden is the cactus garden at the end of the driveway, and here we find a mature collections of Aloes and Opuntia all of which date from the time of restoration.

Elizabeth Farm. 70 Alice Street, Rosehill, Sydney, NSW. Tel (02) 9635 9488
http://www.hht.net.au/museums/elizabeth_farm

An arresting image

Several months ago I came across an unusual etching of a street scene in an antique market.  Divorced of any cars or people the main subject in the print was the power lines and the mature hoop pines growing at the edge of a park. The work was untitled but was signed Christine A. Pecket and dated [19]35. I didn't buy the work at the time, but regreted not doing so as soon as I left the building.

Etching by Christine A. Pecket

Luckly two months later the etching was still for sale on my next visit to the market. The image was too striking to ignore, so, this time, I purchased the work. Captivated by the unusual composition I immediately wanted to learn about its creator. I soon discovered that Ms Pecket was not mentioned in the New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art (the standard general reference on Australian artists) or Heritage: The National Women's Art Book (the main reference for Australian female artists).

The signature had a clumsy youthful feel as if written by a hand not used to writing her name. Perhaps Christine Pecket was a school girl when she made the etching, this might explain the absence of a title and edition numbers. Despite the crude signature the image was most arresting and deserved further enquiry.

Despite the lack of knowledge in the standard art history references, I soon discovered that there were a few interesting paintings by her as well as some pieces of pottery illustrated on the internet. I also discovered that she had written an autobiography in the 1970s. Further research on some on-line sites revealed that she had lived for many years in Sydney, close to where I live.

While the previously mentioned reference books were unforthcoming I next turned to the Design & Art Australia Online (DAAO), an excellent free-access website managed by the University of New South Wales. This site has the ambitious goal of documenting every artist who is working or has worked in Australia. So far about 8,000 artists have been documented and I am pleased to have been involved with the project since its launch in 2007.

Christine Pecket's autobiography, Some Facets of My Life, tells of her battles recovering from polio when she was a girl and how she battled with her severe disabilities during her lifetime. Despite being forced to labour in many unglamorous jobs she worked as an artist for over forty years. At the end of her book there are a number of her images reproduced including the street image illustrated above.

For the record, in her book, the illustrated etching is titled 'Ormond Street, Ashfield' and shows the street where she lived during the 1930s when she was studying art in Sydney. The park in Pecket's etching is Ashfield Park, and this fine Victorian-era reserve still has many fine examples of hoop pines (Araucaria cunninghamii) as well as circular beds of canna lilies.

The distinctive shape of the hoop pine

Intriged by Christine Pecket my research into her creative life continues. Hopefully my biography will appear on the DAAO website in the next couple of months.  http://www.daao.org.au/ In the meantime if anyone has any information about her or has examples of her work I would love to here from them.

The Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens, Mt Tomah

The name ‘Blue Mountains’ conjures up exotic images of a mysterious, ancient landscape untouched by the modern world. Such an evocative name for a mountain range seems obvious when you stare out over the blue landscape from the summit of Mount Tomah, 105 kms west of Sydney. Apparently the blue colour is caused by the optical distortion of light through droplets of air-born eucalyptus oil released from the forest below. 

The Blue Mountains

At 987 metres above sea level, Mount Tomah is one of the higher peaks of these mountains. An extinct volcanic vent, the summit’s only reminder of its violent past is the dark basalt rock and the nutrient-rich soil. The depth and quality of the earth is evident in the tall trees growing on the peak when compared with the stunted forest covering the impoverished sandstone soils found lower down the mountain.

Its soil and dramatic position make Mt Tomah a perfect site for a garden. Opened in 1987, the ‘Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah’ is the cool-climate annex of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. This must be one of the most beautifully sighted parks in the world - from the wisteria-covered observation deck you get a panoramic view of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park.

Young cone on a Wollemi pine

In August 1994, ranger David Noble accidentally discovered a colony of ancient conifers growing in a sheltered rainforest gully in the nearby Wollemi wilderness. The tall Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis, named in honour of its discoverer) had somehow survived continental drift, climate change and bushfires. Fossil records suggest that this species dates back over 150 million years and may have once grown in Antarctica, India, New Zealand and South America when they were joined to Australia in the super continent Gondwana.

Both exotic and native trees flourish on the rich soil

The Wollomi pine is arguably the greatest botanical discovery of the second half of the 20^th century. At Mount Tomah, you can see this close cousin of the Norfolk Island pine and monkey puzzle tree growing near the visitors’ centre. It will be interesting to see how it develops in the rich volcanic soil. Offering refuge for rare and endangered plants is a big part of the work carried out here. Education is also important.

Exhibit on fungi in the visitors centre

At Mount Tomah there are some wonderful walks which will open your eyes to the wonders of plants and the discoveries made by earlier plant explorers. From one of these walks you even get a distant easterly vista of the city of Sydney.

The first European to discover Mount Tomah was the botanical collector, George Caley (1770-1829), who accompanied by his dog and three convict servants, reached the summit of Fern Tree Hill (as it was first described) on 10th November 1804. In a letter to his patron, Sir Joseph Banks, Caley wrote: “My journey to the Carmarthen Mountains (an early colonial name for the hills of the northern Blue Mountains region) was a rough one. I was out three weeks which was as long as I was able to abide for the want of provisions. The roughness of the country I found beyond description.”

Caley was by no means the first to discover Mount Tomah. For thousands of years the area was the home of the Dharug Aboriginal people until they were wiped out by diseases introduced by the early colonialists. Although little remains of their language, the word tomah survives – it means “tree fern”. These elegant ferns grow in profusion in the garden and on surrounding mountain tops. Many have been incorporated into the main rock garden, which is also home to high-altitude plants - mainly from the Southern Hemisphere - including the architecturally dramatic protea and giant lobellia from Africa, the Australian banksia and the spring-flowering waratah.

Lobelia giberroa from the highlands of east Africa

Brightly coloured parrots and honeyeaters feed on the nectar-rich flowers. Keep a lookout for the ground-dwelling lyrebird. This shy songbird is one of the greatest mimics on earth. With such prolific birdlife and its magnificent landscape, this 28ha botanic ark is a must-see – as witnessed by nearly 100,000 visitors a year. And now thanks to a recent election promise admission charges have been removed.

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah, Bells Line of Road, Mount Tomah, NSW

Open daily (no admission charge) tel: 02 - 4567 2154

http://www.mounttomahbotanicgarden.com.au/