An Introduction to Garden History: The Victorians to 20th Century Modernism

Immerse yourself in garden history with our brand-new introductory course, led by historian Francesca Murray.

In Part Two of the course we explore gardens from the Victorian era up to the 20th Century, with the help of the RHS Lindley Library collections.

Join us for all three sessions in this course, or sign up for a single session ticket:

Week 1 - 19th Century Picturesque and the Victorians

Week 2 - Edwardian Gardens and World War One

Week 3 - 20th Century Modernism and Media

Want to learn about Medieval gardens, Baroque influence and the English Landscape Movement?

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Monday 11 November 2024: 19th Century Picturesque and the Victorians

Was the view from a Claude glass the earliest garden Instagram pic?

Was the glass in Victorian glasshouses green or clear?

How polite did you have to be to enter a Victorian public park?

‘A really well-made buttonhole is the only link between Art and Nature’ - Oscar Wilde (1854-1900).

Inspired by the writing of William Gilpin, discover the romantic and sublime English gardens that motivated both women and men to get into amateur gardening. Contrast this with the salesmanship of Humphrey Repton and his entrepreneurial followers who sought commercial opportunity in all aspects of horticulture.

How did glasshouses push the boundaries of British science and cultivation and enable the rise of the professional gardener. Plus, lets unpack the establishment of the cheap gardening press. Why the devil not!?

The image in the banner for this session is chromolithograph 'View From the Upper Terrace Walk, in the gardens at Shrublands' from The gardens of England by Adveno Brooke, c.1856. Find more inspiration with the RHS Digital Collections.

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Monday 18 November 2024: Edwardian Gardens and World War One

"Although unable to fight for our King and country on the battlefield, we endeavoured to maintain the British ideal of patriotism, patience, courage and usefulness through four years". - Inscription on the Union Flag presented to King George V at the Ruhleben Exhibition 1919.

Hold the arts and crafts trowel a moment as we dip into the Edwardian craze for all things Japanese in the garden. Discover how the gardening public’s passion for oriental trends and consumable garden ornaments peaked with the Japan British Exhibition in 1910.

Following this, we explore some rich wartime histories about the romance of the WWI regimental rose, the extraordinary horticultural society at the Ruhleben internment camp, and then learn how 'Dig for Victory' and the impressive expansion of the allotment scheme proved the value of horticulture in the war effort.

The image in the banner for this session is from the Ruhleben Horticultural Society photography collection. Find more inspiration with the RHS Digital Collections.

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Monday 25 November 2024: 20th Century Modernism and Media

How did plastic and peat take over the gardening world?

What does it take to know your onions at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Did TV gardening make Britain greener?

Modernist ideals of formality and simplicity come to the fore, as designers and consumers looked forward to new industrialised materials and low maintenance garden management. A visit to the garden centre became a weekend fixture for all the family.

We will explore how horticultural clubs, garden visiting, show gardens, and TV gardening took hold of post war horticultural consumption. Plus, we will relive the weekly dinner dates on the telly with gardening TV icons, Geoffrey Smith, Percy Thrower and Geoff Hamilton.

The image in the banner for this session is from The Vegetable Garden Displayed, 1941. Find more inspiration with the RHS Digital Collections.

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Workshop Leader

Francesca Murray - Francesca studied horticulture and garden design at Berkshire Agriculture College before running her own garden design business. Francesca has an MA in Garden History and is currently in her fourth year of a PhD at Queen Mary’s University of London, researching nineteenth-century gardeners, nurserymen.

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Event Details

Tickets for this event are required, with the ticket cost supporting the RHS Lindley Library. Tickets are £40 for all three sessions in Part 1, or £15 for a single session.

The RHS Lindely Library opens at 10.00am, with the session beginning at 11.00am. This session will take place between the Library and the Council Chamber.

Please note that due to the nature of the Edwardian building, it is necessary for participants of the event to be able to independently manage stairs.

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Contact

For any questions, including accessibility enquiries, please email [email protected]

Discover more about the RHS Lindley Library via our website, social media and our new Digital Collections.

The image in the banner for Part 2 of this course is an 'Illustration of the view from Humphrey Repton's cottage in Essex' from Humphry Repton Fragments on the theory and practice of landscape gardening, 1816. Find more inspiration with the RHS Digital Collections.

Host or Publisher RHS Lindley Library