Winter is a great time to read the classics of horticultural literature.\u00a0 Gardeners from decades or even centuries ago still have many lessons to share with us.\u00a0 One I recommend is \u201cThe Wild Garden\u201d by William Robinson (1838-1935).<\/p>\n
Born in Ireland, Robinson moved to England in his early 20s and stayed, eventually owning Gravetye Manor in Sussex where he practice his craft of gardening for nearly 50 years.\u00a0 He was a prolific writer, publishing several books, and founding an influential journal simply titled \u201cThe Garden.\u201d\u00a0 He established many friendships with noted plants people in both Europe and North America.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Wild Garden\u201d was first published in 1870.\u00a0 The Miller Library has a copy and unlike many other old books, it is not impressive.\u00a0 It is small, without illustrations, but the writing is inspired, taking direct aim opposing the practice of using large expanses of annuals in formal plantings, a practice that began earlier in that century.<\/p>\n
Instead, Robinson extols the virtues of a garden filled with perennial plants, both woody and herbaceous.\u00a0 Planting in grass, or in other informal areas was encouraged.\u00a0 While this is widely accepted today, this book caused considerable controversy when first published.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy object in the Wild Garden<\/em> is now to show how we may have more of the varied beauty of hardy flowers than the most ardent admirer of the old style of garden ever dreams of, by naturalizing many beautiful plants of many regions of the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n Beginning with the second edition, \u201cThe Wild Garden\u201d was illustrated by the noted garden painter and designer Alfred Parsons (1847-1920), who was also a friend of Robinson and may have influenced the garden designs at Gravetye.\u00a0 New editions continued well into the 20th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Wild Garden\u201d (1994) reproduces the sumptuous 1895 fifth edition, includes an insightful introduction by landscape architect and historian Judith Tankard.\u00a0 Peter Herbert, who wrote the foreword, revived the gardens at Gravetye and describes the many plants survived the years of neglect following Robinson\u2019s death.\u00a0 Noted 20th<\/sup> century gardener and author Graham Stuart Thomas updated the plant nomenclature.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reviewed by Brian Thompson for Garden Notes: Northwest Horticultural Society<\/em>, Winter 2023<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Winter is a great time to read the classics of horticultural literature.\u00a0 Gardeners from decades or even centuries ago still have many lessons to share with us.\u00a0 One I recommend is \u201cThe Wild Garden\u201d by William Robinson (1838-1935). Born in Ireland, Robinson moved to England in his early 20s and stayed, eventually owning Gravetye Manor in Sussex where he practice his craft of gardening for nearly 50 years.\u00a0 He was a prolific writer, publishing several books, and founding an influential…<\/p>\n