Exotic plant collections gathered from all corners of the world. Typical Victorian plants for gardens might include the Monkey Puzzle, Douglas fir, Monterey pine or redwood trees; wisteria, jasmine, ferns, lilies, rhododendrons and magnolias which were extremely popular; these all capture the essence of the period and anchor the garden to the era of the house. The Victorian era was the beginning of the modern lawn and garden (partly in thanks to a newly-patented lawnmower). With a flourishing global market, amateur gardeners could get their hands on exotic plants and design plans—their heirloom gardens weren’t your typical native plant variety. Instead, there were geometric garden beds in the middle of the lawn, colorful annuals and perennials, shapely shrubs, and garden statuary and decor. Each garden was either heavily manicured to perfection or left to fill in and be more “natural.” Take a look at these antique garden publications and see which tips you can use in your garden today. Victorian Garden Design Tips 1. Keep your shrubs well-manicured. Ian Kirkland / Unsplash Arguably one of the most famous gardens in the UK if not the world, the crowning jewel of Kew is undoubtedly Temperate House, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, which houses many rare and endangered species of plant. If your tastes are more traditional though, the Rose Garden, designed by renowned English landscape architect William Nesfield in 1848, makes for a fragrant wander. Typical features of a Victorian garden

Although early conservatories existed already in the 16th century it was not until the Victorian era until they realised that not only heat but light was needed for plants to overwinter and to grow. Glasshouses were rare because glass was expensive as well as heating them. Sheet and plate glass was produced first around the middle of the 19th century when glasshouses became more affordable. Knightshayes in Devon is a classic Victorian mansion. You can see the glasshouse at the left end of the building. Heritage fruit trees could include an Egremont Russet apple (1872) or the heavy cropping Newton Wonder.(1887) which can be used to cook or eat. If you fancy a pear tree, the excellently flavoured Triomphe De Vienne has been growing vigorously since 1864. Hardy perennials like aquilegia, cardiocrinum, Alchemilla mollis and thalictrum were streaming onto the market. Be careful though, biting into a sweet and juicy Egremont Russet might give any fit young man ideas of foraging for further forbidden fruit. Climbers such as clematis, wisteria and trumpet vine straddled exterior walls and sheds and were trained to hide fences.

COTTAGE GARDENS

The Royal Horticultural Society was established in 1804 in London to collect plants brought in from expeditions in the British colonies and other countries. High society funded the society’s work to get seeds of the rare plants in return which they planted on their estates. When we think of Victorian gardens, we picture colourful carpet bedding, great glasshouses, elaborate fountains and statues, exotic plants and trees in arboretums. We associate them with the famous landscape designers and plant hunters of the time, but garden historian Toby Musgrave argues that Head Gardeners are the ‘Forgotten Heroes of Horticulture’. [1] It was they who had to cultivate plants on home soil and the great majority of country house gardens were designed by the Head Gardener, not by a travelling professional designer.

Orchids – symbolised royalty, symbolised wealth. Was a famous flower of Queen Elizabeth. Was used in both homes and gardens

EXPERIMENT AND INVENTION

If you’re looking to bring a Victorian touch to your garden and need some inspiration, we’ve identified six amazing Victorian gardens around the UK to visit that will undoubtedly inspire your next steps, as well as the key features you’ll want to incorporate. Image credit: English Heritage 1. BRODSWORTH HALL, YORKSHIRE