A Lost Garden in Jersey - and Samuel Curtis

Image from Samuel Curtis Garden Project

A post on the Garden History Society Forum tells that sadly the garden of Chateau la Chaire (now is Chateau La Chaire hotel and restaurant) is 'destined to remain lost since the failure to kick start the renaissance of this once sublime sub-tropical plants mans paradise at Rozel Bay, on the Sunshine Island of Jersey.'

The garden was designed in from 1841 by the English nurseryman, publisher and botanist Samuel Curtis. Curtis who designed Victoria Park in Bethnal Green from 1845.  The park is being used as part of the 2012 London Olympics to host BT London Live Victoria Park.

1845 Plan for Victoria Park

Curtis eventually moved into the chateau in 1852There is a goodly correspond between Curtis and  Sir William Hooker (who was Director) at Kew, and  Outbooks reveal that Curtis received many new, exotic and slightly tender plants which had arrived at Kew through the endeavours of the plant hunters and which Kew dispatched in order to trial them in Curtis's new garden.  There is more about the garden and hoped-for restoration at the Samuel Curtis Garden Project.

You may also recognise Samuel's surname from Curtis's Botanical Magazine, which was founded by Samuel's first cousin and father-in-law, William Curtis in 1787.  Samuel  succeeded to the editorship of the magazine in 1927 selling his rights in 1846. Curtis's Botanical Magazine (1801-1920) is downloadable for free from our good friends at the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Samuel died at la Chaire in 1860 - and surely there must be a philanthropist or two amongst Jersey's millionaires who would like to help restore Curtis's wonderful creation?

 

Garden History Inspiring the Contemporary - Again

A site called Treehugger reports that ‘Derelict Docks in London Will be Transformed into "Pleasure Gardens" for the 2012 Olympics’.  The Aim of the Pleasure Gardens is, and I quote:

‘This is a two stage project to kick start the regeneration of The Royal Docks. The first stage involves bringing East London Culture to The Olympic Last Mile, the second stage aims to support the cultural legacy of the games through the provision of a multi-functional cultural destination.  We will transform Pontoon Dock from its current state of dereliction into a cultural hub for Londoners seeking a vibrant and exciting cultural experience that is both avant-garde and inclusive. During the Olympics, we will be proud to say, this is our London – an innovative and creative world, acclaimed for its cultural influence, yet previously without a defined hub.  The Pleasure Gardens will provide London with a 60,000 sq.m waterside leisure park featuring both year-round attractions and seasonal spectaculars.’

Interestingly, today's Royal Victoria Gardens which was opened in 1890 and is also in the Borough of Newham, was created on what was then last surviving Pleasure Garden in London - the full story is via the above link.

Vauxhall Gardens c.1751

The concept of the Pleasure Garden can be traced back to 18th century London with Vauxhall and Ranelagh Gardens being perhaps the most famous. These were places which charged a small entrance fee, where members of the opposite sex could meet (who knows what happened in the shrubberies!?) and where tea was served.  Indeed, today’s gem of useless information is the origin of giving TIPS  - a coin for the serving staff was placed on the table when you sat down To Insure Prompt Service.

Ranelagh Gardens 1754

I'll post something on the history of tea soon but in the meantime, here is more fascinating information on Vauxhall and Ranlelagh and their social context, together with information about tea gardens on a delightful blog called Jane Austen’s World.

John Evelyn & Sayes Court

The ‘developer’ is perennial enemy of the garden historian, or more specifically of those gardens and landscapes which developers feel could be put to a better - more profitable -use.  One of the most important roles performed by the the aforementioned Garden History Society (GHS) is lobbying to prevent destructive and unsympathetic development of historic greenspace, as well as offering advice on the conservation thereof.

The battle of the moment is to try and save and restore the remaining part of the garden at Sayes Court in Deptford, east London.  The GHS is ‘on the case’ and the Royal Horticultural Society also highlighted the plight of the site in this months issue of The Garden.  But why, you may ask yourself is this garden so important?
The Grove at Sayes Court from sayescourtgarden.com on Vimeo.

Because it was one of the most famous of all 17th-century gardens, created by John Evelyn (1620-1706) the famous diarist, scientist (he was a founding member of the Royal Society) , gardener - and friend of both Samuel Pepys and king Charles II.  

Evelyn aged 69 by Sir Godfrey Kneller

And enough archive evidence of the garden survives to enable a recreation of that part which today remains public greenspace...just so long as the dreaded developers don’t get their way.

So please help to save this very important part of Britain’s gardening heritage by visiting the excellent website set up by the Campaign for the Restoration of Sayes Court and offering your support.

One last fact.  Evelyn spent over 40 years composing Elysium Britannicum, or The Royal Gardens, the 'first large-scale encyclopedic work on the science and art of gardening'.  However  Evelyn never saw his great work published, indeed it was not published until 2001.  Here are a couple of Google Book links about this fascinating tome: Elysium Britannicum and John Evelyn's "Elysium Britannicum" and European gardening