The 17th Century Gardens of John Tradescant
English Garden History of 17th Botanist and Plant Hunter
Aug 25, 2009
The Tradescants were an early 17th century father and son duo of plant hunters, botanists and gardeners. Both were adventurous and well-traveled men. In a time when England was greedy for anything new and unusual, these men brought back hundreds of curiosities along with plants from across the seas.
The Tradescant's Plant Introductions
Their plant introductions in England were numerous and are still propagated and seen in gardens today. Some of their introductions include scarlet runner beans, horse chestnuts, virginia creeper, apricots and many more plants not native to the England.
John Tradescant the Elder
John the Elder had several appointments in his varied career. In 1630, he became Keeper of His Majesty's Gardens, Vines and Silkworms at Oatlands Palace, near Weybridge in Surrey. He was also the gardener at New Hall, Essex, the home of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham and the gardener for the Villiers family estate at Burley-on-the-Hill.
Hatfield House
In 1609, John Tradescant came under the employ of Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury to collect plants for his home, Hatfield House. Tradescant traveled throughout Europe in search of unusual specimens to nurture and propagate, including trees, flowers and fruits which were new to England. The garden evolved with fruit orchards, scented plants and herb gardens. The garden was designed in the style of the early renaissance, typical of the tastes of the period.
It was said John was born with no sense of smell but managed to collect some of the most scented plants.
A London Garden
Following the death of Robert Cecil, John became gardener to the 2nd Earl of Salisbury, William Cecil, and worked on the garden for William's house in the Strand in London. He worked for the Cecils from 1609 to 1615, quickly making a name for himself as an expert plantsman and gardener.
Tastes changed over the next hundred years and so did the garden. It suffered from neglect for a very long time. In the 19th century, the garden was rejuvenated and rejuvenated again as the present Dowager Lady Salisbury has spent the past 30 years of her life improving and restoring it further.
St. Augustine's Palace, Canterbury, Kent
John next came under the employ of Edward Wotten of St. Augustine Palace. It was his job to lay out the gardens around the palace. The palace, already in near ruins since the dissolution of the monasteries saw even more damage during the Great Storm of 1703. Little remains of John's original work there.
Cranborne Manor Garden, Wimborne Minster, Dorset
John Tradescant supplied the plants for the garden here which inspired the original layout of the garden. The gardens include yew hedges, walled gardens and herb gardens. John's design planned for lawns, roses and yews and the Yew Allee and hedges seen today are original to his work and creativity.The house is not open for viewing, but the garden is open from March 1st to September 20th, 9am to 5pm.
The Museum of Garden History
The Tradescants' work inspired the founding of the Museum of Garden History in Lambeth, London. Both men are buried here, in what was once St. Mary-at-Lambeth Church.
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