Village Gardeners
LAST YEAR when Dr Twiggs Way talked to us, the topic was "Virgins, Weeders
and Queens" - the history and influence of emancipated women in the
garden. This year it was the turn of the men!
Her talk was entitled "Capability" Brown and Humphry Repton - local lads made good. "Local", as Twiggs said, was rather a loose term, but Lancelot "Capability" Brown (1783-1783), born into a humble family in Northumberland, lived at the manor house in Fenstanton (a gift in lieu of payment for garden services rendered, from the Earl of Northampton). Brown had the good fortune to be around during a booming economy in this country, when the very wealthy on their huge estates were very keen to employ such a "genius" (or just someone with an extraordinary formula?).
He was a man of great personal charm; honest and socially at ease in all
settings; had fantastic business acumen and was therefore able to set about
"deformalising" the acres belonging to the great and the good:
Chatsworth and Blenheim being two notable examples along with the gardens at
Audley End and Madingley Hall. He was a trees, turf and water man and drew up
plans, none of which he ever published, to improve and transform land, by
removing villages, submerging landscapes, creating lakes and islands to produce
an entirely "natural" look. To quote from a Blenheim Palace guide
"but what takes the eye and holds it is the great lake and it's
poplared island, like a becalmed frigate, with Sir John Vanbrugh's Grand
Bridge and Capability Brown's hanging-beech woods beyond; all apparently so
effortless and natural; all in reality so thoughtfully and laboriously
contrived."
Humphry Repton (1752-1818), Brown's natural successor, was born and went to school in Bury St Edmunds. By this time there were plenty of nouveau riche about but the economic boom was starting it's decline. He was in many ways , very different to his illustrious predecessor; a terrible snob; sentimental and a consummate Victorian, before she was even born! He liked things fussy, formal and pretty-using lots of landscape tricks-fountains, raised borders, baskets and lots of flowers. A real "garden" man.
Having very little income at the age of thirty six, he decided to try his hand at garden design. He was more rugged and picturesque than Brown and produced, not plans, but paintings of "before and after" for his clients. He was a prolific publisher and sold his "Red Book" on the aggrandisement he could offer to their properties. His gardens were floral, full of ornaments and adornments - very rustic. Ashridge in Hertfordshire is a Repton garden.
So the contrast in these two great men and their work, so eloquently set in the social context of the time was fascinatingly presented to us. A story that goes full circle - from Brown digging up lawns and flower beds, to produce the "natural" look, to Repton returning gardens to their very formal state.
Thanks as usual to our very patient projectionist - Ron Prime. We have many interesting speakers arranged for next year and in the summer will be visiting a Repton garden.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 17th January when Ken Harbutt, who regularly shows at Chelsea, will be giving us a talk on Poppies.