This Gardens Trust online series of four lectures considers aspects of play and playfulness within the landscape and garden. For children, play is the life’s work. We all want to discover what’s new and explore what’s out of sight. We should never lose this sense of revelry. Families that play together come away walking tall and feeling better about themselves and each other. In the spirit, let us celebrate the importance and life-affirming joy of play. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk (If you do not receive this link please contact us). A link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week. This ticket link is for the final individual session on Playful Gardens on May 10 and costs £5:www.thegardenstrust.org
The history of the English landscape is ‘beyond contrived’, first we have an untimed wilderness next to the imposition of geometry and order, and then the conceit of exploring a wild but contrived landscape. For centuries, many of the most cherished landscape gardens have abounded in playfulness. We create playful gardens ‘just for the fun of it’. Actually, entirely for the fun of it! No garden is too small for entertaining and party giving; we explore some achievable ideas.
Adrian Fisher MBE is the world’s leading creator of mazes of all kinds, full of challenges, discovery and fun. For 44 years he has been transforming the traditional art of getting lost into state-of-the-art adventures, each with a compelling narrative and storyline. He and his wife Marie live in the village of the Durweston in Dorset. Their garden contains his GEOMITICA art, and a hedge maze with a folly tower, mirrored chamber, spiral staircase and battlements. He is the author of a whole shelf of books about mazes while his website www.mazemaker explains much more about his work.
This year, following on from the Gardens Trust’s successful 2022 series on the rose, in partnership with the Historic Roses Group, the Gardens Trust is happy to announce a new rose-related lecture series, again with the HRG, this time including an international slant.
With speakers hailing from Iceland to Australia, via England, Italy and the USA, these talks are wide-ranging. We begin with a portrait of a popular 19th century rosarian who loved riding as much as roses, knew everyone on the literary scene, was a celebrity preacher and organized the first ever National Rose Show in London. An account of a hillside rose garden in Italy which started as a collection of pots on a terrace in Rome; how to grow roses in the Arctic Circle and ‘down under’ on a working Australia farm; the intriguing stories behind the names of some romantic heritage roses; and where to find a unique UN Food and Agriculture Organization collection of the other – edible – members of the rosaceae family continue the series. We finish with practical advice about training and pruning your climbers, whether roses or wisterias, from a professional horticultural gardener, the latest in three generations of market gardeners and a shows organizer and designer whose sumptuous stands have won medals for the Historic Roses Group at the Hampton Court Flower Show.
This ticket costs £28 for the entire course of 7 sessions or you may purchase a ticket for individual sessions, costing £5. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards. Register through Eventbrite HERE or visit https://thegardenstrust.org/events-archive/page/3/
Week Four is an exploration of roses for cold, wet and windy gardens, with Vilhjálmur Lúðvíksson
his presentation describes the climatic and environmental challenges facing gardening in Iceland and will explain the opportunities provided by recently successful efforts in afforestation in providing shelter that allows the cultivation of ornamental plants like roses. Only a small fraction of roses available today can be successfully grown in Iceland. We represent a marginal market to rose producers and there is no interest in breeding roses that can survive here.
The Rose Club of the Icelandic Horticultural Society (IHS) was established in 2002. Its role will be explained, with an overview of some varieties and classes of roses now grown successfully – or unsuccessfully – in Iceland, plus where they come from. Recent efforts in rose breeding by local amateurs and semi-professionals will be described, plus the main challenges that face us as a result of extreme variability of our climate, during summers more than winters – and the importance of finding the right cultivars.
Dr Vilhjálmur Lúðvíksson is a chemical engineer, educated at the University of Wisconsin, USA. He was CEO of the Icelandic Research Council from 1978-2004, and is a former President of the Icelandic Horticultural Society (IHS) and past Chairman of the IHS Rose Club. His professional life was devoted to industrial development, the shaping and implementation of science and technology policy in Iceland from 1968 – 2010. As a member of the Nature Conservation Council Dr Lúðvíksson has been involved in the Icelandic conservation and afforestation movement seeking and testing biodiverse forestry varieties suitable for Icelandic conditions.
Married with two children, Vilhjálmur has spent over 60 years establishing a 17ha woodland garden on family land severely affected by centuries of overgrazing which destroyed vegetation and caused extensive soil erosion. Recently he has sought new opportunities in gardening provided by the shelter from growing forests. This includes ornamental trees and bushes, fruit trees, rhododendrons and roses.
The Gardens Trust presents a four part online lecture series with Toby Musgrave beginning April 18. Tickets £16 for the series or £5 each through Eventbrite. For thousands of years peoples and civilizations the world over have adopted belief systems that give a key role to the natural world and the trees, fruits and flowers to be found there. Whether living a primitive existence in a desert land or enjoying the fruits of a richly cultivated soil, man endows his spirit world, his gods and his presumed afterlife with fertile, sweet surroundings that reflect an ideal – a garden paradise. Taking a global perspective and with a chronology of over 5,000 years, Gardens of the Gods examines, explores and interprets the purpose, role, use and symbolism of plants and gardens in more than fifteen belief systems, some still practiced and others not.
The third in the series on May 2 delves into the very different – from a Western mindset – view of the concept of time and reincarnation we will explore the concepts and garden expressions influenced by Taoism, Buddhism and the Immortals in China, the syncretism with Shinto and garden outcomes in Japan, and the floral symbolisms within Hinduism as well as the celestial worlds of Svarga.
Lecturer Dr Toby Musgrave FSA FLS is a garden and plants historian, horticulturist and author. His books have covered a wide range of subjects from head gardeners to heritage fruit and vegetables, plant hunters to paradise gardens, and a biography of Sir Joseph Banks. He was a major contributor to Radio 4’s series “The British Garden” and he has been a consultant for many gardening and garden history related programs on both the BBC and commercial television. He lives in Denmark and when not gardening, teaching or writing he works as a submersible pilot. Tickets £16 for the series or £5 each. Register for this lecture HERE.
This year, following on from the Gardens Trust’s successful 2022 series on the rose, in partnership with the Historic Roses Group, the Gardens Trust is happy to announce a new rose-related lecture series, again with the HRG, this time including an international slant.
With speakers hailing from Iceland to Australia, via England, Italy and the USA, these talks are wide-ranging. We begin with a portrait of a popular 19th century rosarian who loved riding as much as roses, knew everyone on the literary scene, was a celebrity preacher and organized the first ever National Rose Show in London. An account of a hillside rose garden in Italy which started as a collection of pots on a terrace in Rome; how to grow roses in the Arctic Circle and ‘down under’ on a working Australia farm; the intriguing stories behind the names of some romantic heritage roses; and where to find a unique UN Food and Agriculture Organization collection of the other – edible – members of the rosaceae family continue the series. We finish with practical advice about training and pruning your climbers, whether roses or wisterias, from a professional horticultural gardener, the latest in three generations of market gardeners and a shows organizer and designer whose sumptuous stands have won medals for the Historic Roses Group at the Hampton Court Flower Show.
This ticket costs £28 for the entire course of 7 sessions or you may purchase a ticket for individual sessions, costing £5. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards. Register through Eventbrite HERE or visit https://thegardenstrust.org/events-archive/page/3/
In Week Three, Michelle Endersby will discuss The Role of a Rose Garden on a Working Farm. A formal rose garden in the middle of an Australian farm with a high likelihood of drought and flooding rains may seem like a frivolous extravagance. But at Sages Cottage Farm in Baxter, Victoria, an historic 38-hectare property run by disability service provider, Wallara, the rose garden plays a pivotal role in the experience and programs for clients and visitors alike. Not only a tranquil and calming display garden, the roses are also a source of fodder for the farm animals, a cutting garden for the café, a source of materials for craft projects and food source for the bees for honey production. With a collection of interesting roses, rose garden tours are a potential source of income and education. Michelle will show you the microclimates and the multitude of opportunities provided by this special rose garden.
Michelle Endersby is a writer and visual artist from Melbourne, Australia, and the ‘Rose Lady’ at Sages Cottage Farm where she is responsible for the care of over 150 roses. Inspired by a vision of a light-filled rose garden she experienced on awakening from a coma following emergency brain surgery, Michelle has made roses the focus of her creative and horticultural endeavors. She is also a member of the HRG and has contributed to the Historic Rose Journal. Michelle is the creator of the popular Art, Gardens and Always Roses monthly e-newsletter.
This Gardens Trust online series of four lectures considers aspects of play and playfulness within the landscape and garden. For children, play is the life’s work. We all want to discover what’s new and explore what’s out of sight. We should never lose this sense of revelry. Families that play together come away walking tall and feeling better about themselves and each other. In the spirit, let us celebrate the importance and life-affirming joy of play. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk (If you do not receive this link please contact us). A link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week. This ticket link is for this April 26 individual session and costs £5: www.thegardenstrust.org
Mazes satisfy the urge to explore what is hidden and forbidden. They offer rich symbolism, puzzling adventures and shared bonding experiences. What are the key principles for creating mazes? What extra maze rules or methods of construction are possible? We also consider ways of creating your own maze in your private garden. The act of creation of a maze is often the most formative experience for the owners. Welcome to a word of imagination and delight with lecturer Adrian Fisher!
The Gardens Trust presents a four part online lecture series with Toby Musgrave beginning April 18. Tickets £16 for the series or £5 each through Eventbrite. For thousands of years peoples and civilizations the world over have adopted belief systems that give a key role to the natural world and the trees, fruits and flowers to be found there. Whether living a primitive existence in a desert land or enjoying the fruits of a richly cultivated soil, man endows his spirit world, his gods and his presumed afterlife with fertile, sweet surroundings that reflect an ideal – a garden paradise. Taking a global perspective and with a chronology of over 5,000 years, Gardens of the Gods examines, explores and interprets the purpose, role, use and symbolism of plants and gardens in more than fifteen belief systems, some still practiced and others not.
On April 25, the focus is on the concept of Gan Eden in Judaism, the Garden of Eden in Christianity and earthy paradise of the Islamic chahar bagh garden; and expanding out to discuss mediæval monastic gardens and the hortus conclusus – how did the Virgin Mary become associated with the beloved in the Song of Solomon?
Dr Toby Musgrave FSA FLS is a garden and plants historian, horticulturist and author. His books have covered a wide range of subjects from head gardeners to heritage fruit and vegetables, plant hunters to paradise gardens, and a biography of Sir Joseph Banks. He was a major contributor to Radio 4’s series “The British Garden” and he has been a consultant for many gardening and garden history related programmes on both the BBC and commercial television. He lives in Denmark and when not gardening, teaching or writing he works as a submersible pilot.
Tickets £16 for the series or £5 each. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk (If you do not receive this link please contact us). A link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week . Register HERE.
The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man, Jan Brueghel the Elder
This year, following on from the Gardens Trust’s successful 2022 series on the rose, in partnership with the Historic Roses Group, the Gardens Trust is happy to announce a new rose-related lecture series, again with the HRG, this time including an international slant.
With speakers hailing from Iceland to Australia, via England, Italy and the USA, these talks are wide-ranging. We begin with a portrait of a popular 19th century rosarian who loved riding as much as roses, knew everyone on the literary scene, was a celebrity preacher and organized the first ever National Rose Show in London. An account of a hillside rose garden in Italy which started as a collection of pots on a terrace in Rome; how to grow roses in the Arctic Circle and ‘down under’ on a working Australia farm; the intriguing stories behind the names of some romantic heritage roses; and where to find a unique UN Food and Agriculture Organization collection of the other – edible – members of the rosaceae family continue the series. We finish with practical advice about training and pruning your climbers, whether roses or wisterias, from a professional horticultural gardener, the latest in three generations of market gardeners and a shows organizer and designer whose sumptuous stands have won medals for the Historic Roses Group at the Hampton Court Flower Show.
This ticket costs £28 for the entire course of 7 sessions or you may purchase a ticket for individual sessions, costing £5. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards. Register through Eventbrite HERE or visit https://thegardenstrust.org/events-archive/page/3/
Week Two is The Other Rosaceae – Brogdale and the National Fruit Collection with Tom La Dell. The National Fruit Collection growing at Brogdale is the most comprehensive collection of fruit varieties in the world. It is the contribution of DEFRA (the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s collections of genetic diversity to secure the future of the world’s food crops. It is the only fruiting collection, providing public access to the National Fruit Collection and to a wide range of education programs on the heritage of the varieties held, fruit cultivation, and fruit in a healthy diet, plus guided tours, festivals and events. Tom will talk about the 4,000 apples, pears, cherries, plums and smaller collections, and how Brogdale Collections is working to maximize the public benefits of these wonderful collections. Future plans include a series of fruit gardens from Medieval to Renaissance (Italian Villas) to Baroque (Versailles) and the Victorian kitchen garden, to show around 400 historic varieties in their historic settings.
Tom la Dell is a landscape architect and ecologist, a trustee of the charity Brogdale Collections, a member of the Kent Gardens Trust and the HRG. Originally a plant scientist, Tom became a landscape architect instead of working with breeding food crops. His work has included all aspects of landscape architecture, often combined with his work as an ecologist. He has written extensively for the KGT and the Historic Rose Journal. His long-standing interest in garden history and plant heritage started with excellent lectures in the late 1960s.
This Gardens Trust online series of four lectures considers aspects of play and playfulness within the landscape and garden. For children, play is the life’s work. We all want to discover what’s new and explore what’s out of sight. We should never lose this sense of revelry. Families that play together come away walking tall and feeling better about themselves and each other. In the spirit, let us celebrate the importance and life-affirming joy of play. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk (If you do not receive this link please contact us). A link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week. This ticket link is for this April 19 individual session and costs £5: www.thegardenstrust.org
For four thousand years, Labyrinths have symbolized the Thread of Time and the Path of Life. Across cultures and civilizations, the notion of the Labyrinth has kept appearing and reinventing itself, from Nordic folklore, Roman mosaics and medieval Christian cathedrals to present day examples.
Adrian Fisher gives his own particular interpretation of the Christian Path of Life; not ending (as in Jesus Christ Superstar) at the moment of mortal death; but continuing onwards beyond mortal life to eternal life and Salvation. Adrian FisherMBE is the world’s leading creator of mazes of all kinds, full of challenges, discovery and fun. For 44 years he has been transforming the traditional art of getting lost into state-of-the-art adventures, each with a compelling narrative and story line. He and his wife Marie live in the village of the Durweston in Dorset. Their garden contains his GEOMITICA art, and a hedge maze with a folly tower, mirrored chamber, spiral staircase and battlements.
He is the author of a whole shelf of books about mazes while his website www.mazemaker explains much more about his work.
This year, following on from the Gardens Trust’s successful 2022 series on the rose, in partnership with the Historic Roses Group, the Gardens Trust is happy to announce a new rose-related lecture series, again with the HRG, this time including an international slant.
With speakers hailing from Iceland to Australia, via England, Italy and the USA, these talks are wide-ranging. We begin with a portrait of a popular 19th century rosarian who loved riding as much as roses, knew everyone on the literary scene, was a celebrity preacher and organized the first ever National Rose Show in London. An account of a hillside rose garden in Italy which started as a collection of pots on a terrace in Rome; how to grow roses in the Arctic Circle and ‘down under’ on a working Australia farm; the intriguing stories behind the names of some romantic heritage roses; and where to find a unique UN Food and Agriculture Organization collection of the other – edible – members of the rosaceae family continue the series. We finish with practical advice about training and pruning your climbers, whether roses or wisterias, from a professional horticultural gardener, the latest in three generations of market gardeners and a shows organizer and designer whose sumptuous stands have won medals for the Historic Roses Group at the Hampton Court Flower Show.
This ticket costs £28 for the entire course of 7 sessions or you may purchase a ticket for individual sessions, costing £5. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards. Register through Eventbrite HERE or visit https://thegardenstrust.org/events-archive/page/3/
Week One on April 17 is The Humour of Hole with Martin Stott. This presentation is about the Rev. Samuel Reynolds Hole, 1819-1904, celebrated Anglican preacher, rosarian, horticulturalist, prolific letter-writer, author of the immensely popular A Book about Roses (W. Blackwood and Sons, 1869) among other works, and Dean of Rochester Cathedral. He was the first organizer of the National Rose Show in London, one of the inaugural recipients of the Victoria Medal of Honour awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society and the first president of the National Rose Society, 1876-1904.
A former journalist who has written for most of the UK’s national press, Martin Stott has made programs for Radio 4 and the BBC World Service in 21 countries. He is the co-editor of By Any Other Name, the heritage rose journal of the World Federation of Rose Societies and has written for the Historic Rose Journal and Gardens Illustrated. He is a member of the HRG and writes a garden history blog (see below). As well as being a keen rose grower, Martin is currently leading the restoration of a rare Georgian town garden at Bromley House Library in Nottingham – a garden that retains many of its original features from when the Grade 2*-listed house was created in 1752. He also has a growing collection of memorabilia about ‘the Rose King’, the Rev. Dean Hole; and a tolerant wife.
The Gardens Trust presents a four part online lecture series with Toby Musgrave beginning April 18. Tickets £16 for the series or £5 each through Eventbrite. For thousands of years peoples and civilizations the world over have adopted belief systems that give a key role to the natural world and the trees, fruits and flowers to be found there. Whether living a primitive existence in a desert land or enjoying the fruits of a richly cultivated soil, man endows his spirit world, his gods and his presumed afterlife with fertile, sweet surroundings that reflect an ideal – a garden paradise. Taking a global perspective and with a chronology of over 5,000 years, Gardens of the Gods examines, explores and interprets the purpose, role, use and symbolism of plants and gardens in more than fifteen belief systems, some still practiced and others not.
Week one is entitled The Old World, beginning with a exploration and contrast of sacro-religious plants and gardens within three overlapping ancient civilizations/regions. Those of Ancient Egypt with its afterlife concept of Aaru (or the Field of Reeds), the Minoan civilization on Crete – did they make gardens?, and the Mesopotamian ‘Gardens of the Gods’. We will conclude with a look at the divine nature of the Ancient Greeks and religion in the Roman garden.
Dr Toby Musgrave FSA FLS is a garden and plants historian, horticulturist and author. His books have covered a wide range of subjects from head gardeners to heritage fruit and vegetables, plant hunters to paradise gardens, and a biography of Sir Joseph Banks. He was a major contributor to Radio 4’s series “The British Garden” and he has been a consultant for many gardening and garden history related programmes on both the BBC and commercial television. He lives in Denmark and when not gardening, teaching or writing he works as a submersible pilot. To reserve this ticket link HERE.Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk (If you do not receive this link please contact The Gardens Trust). A link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 1 week .
