Approaches to Garden History

Since my last post (ages ago I know, sloppy blogging), I've been having a good think about garden history and how we approach it. Brent Elliott's wonderful article mentioned below highlighted our current approaches and suggested, if not explicitly, that we Must Try Harder. I agree wholeheartedly that we must, but how? And I know many people will be asking, why should we bother?

We impose our own appreciation structures on gardens in the past to make sense of their whats, hows and styles. We try to catalogue them in a way that makes sense to us and have a nasty habit of squeezing them into categorisation boxes like 'William and Mary', 'Baroque' or 'Italianate', which when unpicked, don't really bear scrutiny.  This makes our understanding of gardens confused, dry and one dimensional.  And here's the thing:

The appreciation structure we impose on gardens in the past directly influences how we appreciate gardens in the present. 

All sorts of issues abound surrounding how we should appreciate gardens in the present. You don't have to go far within horticultural journalism to find disagreements on garden evaluation.  How we should decide if they are a success or not, how we should grade creations at flower shows, how do we publicly deal with a contemporary garden style which is loved by some and hated by others? Do we need to do it at all?

Lack of an appreciation structure means a lack of a critical structure. If we're not held to account for our creations we get sloppy. This means a general stagnation within much of our industry and a poor view from the outside in, leading to many of the problems we are seeing within horticulture today.  I'm not suggesting that a more analytical look at Chatsworth will transform the industry, but it would help us to be more self aware, know in which direction we were going and why and represent ourselves to our full potential within society.  Other creative fields like fine art, food and theatre have it off to a tee and are therefore thriving in an increasingly demanding economy.

David Cooper (A Philosophy of Gardens - a must read) suggests that gardens should not be appreciated as either art or nature, that they are, in fact, something else entirely and require an appreciation structure of their own. A 'garden' is the product of all sorts of influences, art and nature yes, but also design, problem solving, science, subsistence, fashion, education, plants and growing skills and finance. We try to squeeze them all under one roof and end up being confused. This applies to the past and the present.

Approaches to the past have changed significantly in the past few decades from a Culture Historical approach (collect stuff and facts and that's about it), to a processual approach (scientific analysis of data will tell you everything eventually) and finally to a post-processual approach (a much more nebulous school of thought which is interpretive but emphasises the problem of subjectivity).  As garden historians we are still a bit stuck in the processual and need to learn to be far more analytical and interpretive, however, still aware of our limitations in such an ephemeral field.

After all this pontificating I'm not going to pretend I have the answer, but I am certain that it's something we Must Do Better at. A look at gardens in the past requires that we are self aware.  That we understand that gardens did not exist in an 'avenues and politics' bubble. Neither were gardens and plants preserves of large country gardens, they were big in towns, as subsistence and social endeavour and were collected like any other curiosities as objects of fascination.  The same persists to this day.  To fully understand gardens we should take a more holistic approach to our leafy spaces and objects and to appreciate that a wide and fluid array of motives were in evidence.

It may well get worse before it gets better, but we can bring garden history up to date.  I would appreciate your thoughts.

The History of Garden History

It's not often that I'm moved to words by an article (or at all, if I'm honest - this blog is short...), but I'm halfway through Brent Elliott's "The Development and Present State of Garden History" (RHS Occasional papers 2012) and felt pressed to say something.

The paper marks the first charting of the history of garden history, as it were.  I get the impression that Brent writes as he thinks, but I quite like that, it's charming, even if it often demands a second (and fourth) reading.  The first section highlights how garden history developed in what we can perhaps think of as the subjective era.  Garden chroniclers had their ideas and weren't afraid to bob it into their works.  The fact that they hadn't visited many of their subjects didn't seem to hamper their opinion.  

I don't mind admitting that I have long been confused by garden history, having occasionally dipped a toe into the shallows out of necessity and extracting whatever snippet was required at the time.  Now it has become necessary to throw myself in at the deep end I'm very glad that Mr Elliott has provided this lifebelt whilst I get my bearings.  

The source of the confusion has now become much clearer.  Our method of classifying and quantifying garden styles has organically developed over the centuries and occasionally switched completely.  Classification by geographical style has been keen, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries.  However, when applied to Britain this develops a life of its own and can evolve out of all recognition to the original state - for example the Italian or Dutch styles as referenced in this country may eventually bear little resemblance to the styles in the country named.  

Following that, we took to referencing periods by reign, eg. Elizabethan, Tudor, Queen Anne etc.  That is not to say that the previous nationalistic labels don't still apply.  So the same gardens and styles were referenced differently through time.  Of course the method of classification also speaks volumes of the period in which is was written.  This might not matter so much if the terms weren't used quite so interchangeably and with little recognition of the fact in modern writings. 

Additionally, from a garden design point of view we have, historically, continually referenced past styles but invariably (and usually accidentally) imbued that with a sense of the contemporary.  I fear that this hasn't happened just once - so what we often have is a garden referencing the style of a garden attempting the revival of the characteristics of a particular period.  Confusing, isn't it.

Happily, according to Elliott, in the 19th century we began to become more historically self aware.  History was increasingly popular in the mainstream and the handling of material became increasingly sophisticated.  We began to realise that the motives of the writer must be understood, that there should be an objectivity in our history and that we must check period sources.  

Frighteningly, Elliott notes that "the development of garden history follows, at usually two generations' distance, the same stages in conceptual and technical progress" (2012: 29).  I don't imagine he could have written that without a little wide-eyed alarm.  Two generations distance to the general progress of history!!  What's more alarming is that we haven't yet caught up, and, I fear, have a similar lag behind other artistic disciplines we should be trotting alongside.

Of course it's terribly improper of me to make any assumptions about a piece before I've finished it, but felt like a comment on the first half might be of interest, and, if I'm honest, might help me cement it in my head.  I'm just about to start the section on 'Changing fashions in the study of history' and am quite optimistic about the whole thing.  Brent Elliott seems to be really on to something here, and it seems that a little self reflection might be what is needed within the horticultural world. The first charting of the history of garden history, perhaps will mark a turning point in the garden historian's view of themselves.  Also, perhaps, in that of the modern gardener.  It is only by recognising how we think about the past, and how we assess our own discipline, that we can really be aware of how we direct ourselves in the present.

And that does need some work.  Let's start clawing back those generations.

The South East have their Finalist!

Monday 4th March saw the south east region's Regional Final of the Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year competition.  Six of the finest young horticultural minds in the region came together to battle it out at Alexandra Palace for a place in the Grand Final.  Our finalists were:

• Oliver Bladen-Hill from Hadlow College
• Aimee Mulcahy from Merrist Wood
• Kristina Vandenberg from Wisley
• Charlotte Berry from Capel Manor College
• Jez Stamp from the Open Heat
• Tom McCarter from Kew

All the finalists were excellent characters and great sports.  Nerves were jangling during the buffet (who gives nervous contestants food?!) and the pre contest briefing.  Those nerves included mine - two years on and I still can't look at Simon Richards, our question-master, without my heart rate quickening.  Not in a Mr D'arcy way, either.  To be honest, then I was pleased to get through the competition without a) making a complete fool of myself or b) being sick, and I sensed that many of our 2013 competitors were feeling the same way.  There really is nothing to be nervous about, our question master is wonderfully skilled and everyone is on the contetants' side, but there's something about unrehearsed questions in front of an audience that's always a little alarming.

The competition was fierce and exciting.  The buzzer rounds were fast and furious and the questions were hard!  Some had most of the veteran horticulturists in the audience furrowing their eyebrows.  Plants, pests, diseases and horticultural equipment were paraded in front of the brains for identification including my favourite - the spark plug cover (you know when it's out of context but you know you've seen it somewhere before...).

While the melee was in progress the audience also had their brains picked with a quiz.  In the end we couldn't even seperate them with a tiebreaker and ended with a three-way tie. 

Back to our Young Horticulturists and during the final buzzer round Kristina Vandenberg from Wisley was holding on to a solid third place while Tom McCarter and Jez Stamp were fighting it out for first place.  Question 19 out of 20 and they were tied.  It came down to the last question.  Jez just snook in there with the buzzer and answered the question correctly.  A very well deserved win for Jez and second place for Tom.  The crowd went wild.

Speaking to all the contestants post-competition I'm very glad to hear that they all had a great time despite the nerves and are looking forward to having another go in 2014.  It really is fabulous to show off the wealth of talent in horticulture and to stick a finger in the eye of all those who rank us with the unskilled.  Many thanks to our Regional sponsors, John O'Conner Grounds Maintenance, Capital Gardens and Haringey Council for making the event possible.

Jez now proceeds to the Grand Final to wrestle* with the winners of the seven other regional heats which are taking place across the country in the next couple of weeks.  Check out the IoH website for their dates and times and get dow to one hear you.  Or even better, join us for the Grand Final on the 13th April at Ness Botanics in Liverpool where the YHoY 2013 will be crowned.

*intellectually

IoH Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition 2013

Tomorrow sees an exciting event; the South Eastern Regional Final of the Institute of Horticulture's Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition.  That's quite a lot of capitalisation, so YHoY to its friends.

For the past month colleges and other horticultural institutions in the south east of England have been holding local heats to find the brainiest of the brainy in horticulture.  The top eight of these will fight it out tomorrow evening at Alexandra Palace for the Regional Title.  It's a bit like University Challenge but with less classical music and a more polite quizmaster.  Questions will range from 'on the buzzer' speed rounds, to directed questions and through to plant, p&d and equipment idents.

Similar excitement is simultaneously taking place around the UK, in eight different regions.  On April 13th, the winners of these Regional Finals will once again flex their buzzer fingers and fight it out to the death at Ness Botanics in Liverpool for the Grand Final.  Ok not death, but it might be a little tense.

With Glory comes a £2000 travel bursary; a wonderful opportunity to head off and check out how they do horticulture elsewhere in the world.  Last year's winner, Douglas Mackay went to look at fruit production in Europe.  I was lucky enough to win the prize the year before (goodness knows how - I looked like a frightened bunny and felt more terrified the whole way through) and headed to the US to see how they interpret their gardens to the public.  In 2010 Faye Steer went on a thrilling jaunt to China - it really is a great opportunity.

The competition also opens many doors for its entrants.  As well as keeping in touch with one another the IoH are great at involving past winners in its activities.  Faye was part of their pilot mentoring scheme, Douglas is getting involved in their focus groups and I am now organising the YHoY competition for the south east region.  I have to say the sight of the buzzers did bring back a little of the terror, but past that it's a great experience and involves some wonderful people - both the Young horticulturists and the IoH Committees.

It would be great to see as many people as possible at the Regional Final tomorrow - no need to book, just turn up to Alexandra Palace at 7pm for a buffet and some thrilling entertainment.  Get ready to witness the future of horticulture.  Probably looking slightly alarmed.

More info here: http://www.horticulture.org.uk/page.php?pageid=562

#1

Well, this is my first ever blog post.  I'm pretty sure that what the world is missing right now is a gardening blog - you'd have thought someone might want to write about what's going on outside.

Maybe not.  But I will try and make this one a little different.

I decided to start a blog for a number of reasons:

1. Purely selfishly, to organise myself and get horticulturally related goings on straight in my head.
2. Because I have recently upgraded to Windows 8 and can no longer use a computer, therefore I would like to make myself feel better by getting 'down with the technology'.
3. To continue to have the ability to express myself in over 140 characters.

I'm now going to do that 'about me' thing - so you can decide if you'd like to keep reading or not.

A couple of years ago I slipped out of the side door of actual gardening and into education with the RHS.  This is now what I spend most of my time doing (75% officially...); running courses and workshops at RHS Wisley.  I love my job, enthusing and de-panicking people about plants and their garden.

The other official 25% is now spent on a PhD at the University of York, on Colonialism and Horticulture in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  When I have stopped being alarmed by the scale of the thing I will be looking at plants and gardens in Britain and the colonies, how each contributed to the other and how much gardens were a social glue that stuck the empire together, or not.

Other than that I give some of the remaining time to the Institute of Horticulture organising their very fabulous Young Horticulturist of the Year competition in the south west.  So if you'd like to enter and live in the south east - get in touch!

I am particularly interested in interpretation in public gardens and how we currently do ourselves a disservice with the quantity and quality of it.  Horticulture as a career interests me greatly, mainly in how we improve ourselves and become an aspirational career.

Well, that's about it as tea's ready.  I'm sure the next post with be both structured and informative.

Oh, I am neither cool or trendy, you may as well know from the outset.