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\u201cPhilip Miller (1691-1771) was the most distinguished and influential British gardener of the eighteenth century.\u201d\u00a0 This high praise is by Hazel Le Rougetel, the author of \u201cThe Chelsea Gardener,\u201d a biography of Miller.\u00a0 She explains this admiration is \u201cfor his practical skill in horticulture and his wide botanical knowledge of cultivated plants.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller\u2019s father had a market gardening business near London and young Philip developing a liking for this occupation.\u00a0 At his father\u2019s encouragement and financing, he traveled widely throughout England, Holland, and Flanders, learning the science, the literature, and the business of kitchen and ornamental gardening.<\/p>\n
The Chelsea Physic Garden was established in the late 1600s, but it languished through several directors before Miller was hired in the position in 1722, a post he held for 48 years.\u00a0 During his tenure, Miller developed the Physic Garden into one of the most highly regarded botanic gardens in Europe.\u00a0 It is still a must-see for any gardener visiting London.<\/p>\n
Much of that reputation was built on Miller\u2019s publications, the most important being \u201cThe Gardener\u2019s Dictionary,\u201d first published in 1731.\u00a0 Based on methods established at the Physic Garden, it became an authoritative text in both Britain and America for the next one hundred years.\u00a0 Miller published eight editions during his lifetime, and it was translated into Dutch, German, and French.<\/p>\n
This was a large book and could only be afforded by the wealthy, or for academic libraries.\u00a0 Miller recognized that the average gardener, who he came to know very well during his travels, could not afford it.\u00a0 To remedy this need, he published abridgements that still retained the practice and the plant specific information.\u00a0 The Miller Library has a facsimile of the 1771 abridgement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Le Rougetel summarizes Miller\u2019s accomplishments as a \u201ccoordinator of half a century\u2019s discoveries and conclusions, became a counsellor for every cultivator of the day and stands as a prominent figure in the world\u2019s history of gardening.\u201d<\/p>\n Reviewed by: Brian Thompson on February 23, 2024<\/p>\n Excerpted from the Spring 2024 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cPhilip Miller (1691-1771) was the most distinguished and influential British gardener of the eighteenth century.\u201d\u00a0 This high praise is by Hazel Le Rougetel, the author of \u201cThe Chelsea Gardener,\u201d a biography of Miller.\u00a0 She explains this admiration is \u201cfor his practical skill in horticulture and his wide botanical knowledge of cultivated plants.\u201d Miller\u2019s father had a market gardening business near London and young Philip developing a liking for this occupation.\u00a0 At his father\u2019s encouragement and financing, he traveled widely throughout…<\/p>\n