The Hidden Horticulturists The Untold Story of the Men Who Shaped Britain’s Gardens

by Davison, Fiona

• ISBN13: 9781786495082
• ISBN10: 1786495082
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2022-07-01
• Publisher: Atlantic Books

Summary

The untold story of the remarkable young men who played a central role in the history of British horticulture 

In 2012, while working at the Royal Horticultural Society's library, Fiona Davison unearthed a book of handwritten notes that dated back to 1822. The notes, each carefully set out in neat copperplate writing, had been written by young gardeners in support of their application to be received into the Society's Garden.

Among them was an entry from the young Joseph Paxton, who would go on to become one of Britain's best-known gardeners and architects. But he was far from alone, and now, for the first time, the stories of the young, working-class men who also played a central role in the history of British horticulture can be told.

Using their notes, Fiona Davison traces the stories of a selection of these forgotten gardeners whose lives would take divergent paths to create a unique history of gardening. The trail took her from Chiswick to Bolivia and uncovered tales of fraud, scandal and madness—and, of course, a large number of fabulous plants and gardens.

This is a celebration of the unsung heroes of horticulture whose achievements reflect a golden moment in British gardening, and continue to influence gardeners today..

Author Biography

Fiona Davison studied history at the University of Oxford and joined the RHS in 2012 as its Head of Libraries and Exhibitions. 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Prologue - ‘The Handwriting of Under-Gardeners and Labourers’
Introduction - A Garden to Grow Gardeners
chapter one - ‘The beau ideal’: The Horticultural Elite
chapter two - ‘Much judgement and good taste’: The Gardeners Who Set Standards
chapter three - ‘A great number of deserving men’: Life Lower Down the Horticultural Ladder
chapter four - ‘The most splendid plant I ever beheld’: The Collector
chapter five - ‘Much attached to Egypt’: Travelling Gardeners
chapter six - ‘Young foreigners of respectability’: Trainees from Abroad
chapter seven - ‘A little order into chaos’: The Fruit Experts
chapter eight - ‘For sale at moderate prices’: The Nurserymen
chapter nine - ‘A solitary wanderer’: The Australian Adventurer
chapter ten - ‘Habits of order and good conduct’: The Rise and Fall of a Head Gardener
chapter eleven - ‘A very respectable-looking young man’: Criminals in the Garden
Epilogue - ‘Glory has departed’: What Happened Next?
Select Bibliography
Notes
Index