John Evelyn (1620-1706) is best known as a diarist; his memoir dated from when he was student until his death over 65 years later. It gives insights to tumultuous 17th century England, especially the civil war, during which he traveled abroad to avoid being involved.
Upon his return, Evelyn wrote extensively about forestry in Britain, in a part as an encouragement to landowners to plant trees for
reforestation. In “A Passion for Trees,” Maggie Campbell-Culver provides a biography of Evelyn and descriptions of 30 selected trees, liberally incorporating Evelyn’s observations of these species.
Gardening became a passion of Evelyn. He had his own copy of John Parkinson’s book, which he studied frequently, adding his own notes. He developed a 100-acre garden just south of London, planted with 247 fruit trees including cherries, apples, and pears. He was also fond of gooseberries, currants, and roses.
He had hoped to complete an extensive and comprehensive book on gardening, but only small portions were published during his life. Two of these can be found in “Directions for the Gardiner and other Horticultural Advice,” edited by Maggie Campbell-Culver.
“Kalendarium Hortense” is a monthly list of tasks in the orchard, the olitory (or kitchen garden), and in the parterre and flower garden. Advice for January includes “In over-wet, or hard weather, cleanse, mend, sharpen and prepare garden tools.” Each month highlights the fruits and flowers in their prime, and those “yet lasting” from previous months.
“Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets” systematically lists all the appropriate vegetables (Evelyn was a vegetarian) to include in a salad, starting with lettuce – “the principal foundation of the universal tribe of salads; which is to cool and refresh.” It is important that all “your herby ingredients be exquisitely culled and cleansed of all worm-eaten, slimy, cankered, dry, spotted or any ways vitiated leaves.” Good advice indeed!
Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on February 23, 2024
Excerpted from the Spring 2024 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin