Garden Antiques,
Chris Proudlove
delves into the
history of
garden
implements and
gets his hands
dirty.
'It was
not one of my
finest moments.
Out at a weekend
car boot sale, I
spotted a
galvanised
vintage watering
can, not unlike
the ones
illustrated in
my 1926 Army and
Navy mail order
catalogue. A
snip at a quid,
it was mine and
once home, I was
eager to try it
out. Sadly, a
split in its
base, concealed
by the way it
was made, meant
more water
gushed from the
bottom than it
did from the
spout. No
matter, it makes
a lovely
ornament on the
patio...'
Antiquexplorer Guide to the best antique garden
specialist suppliers
and events in the West of England.
Tracing the history of
knot gardens is as complex as the
knots they replicate. Margaret Powling
investigates.
'Those of us
living in the
21st century
must not
underestimate
the importance
of knots to
people living in
earlier times.
They were used
to lash
primitive
buildings
together, to
secure sails on
ships, even to
prevent clothing
from coming
apart......'
Margaret G. Powling strolls
through the grand landscapes of pre Victorian
Britain.
'Georgian
Britain was a
wealthy Britain.
This can not be
attributed to a
single cause but
the steady
building of the
country’s
prosperity
through foreign
trade,
relatively
stable
government, and
improved
conditions in
health and
education, if
not for all,
then for the
middle classes
and the
aristocracy....'
Sandwiched between the end
of Victoria’s long reign and the
shadow which fell on the world in 1914, the
Edwardian era was
a period of unprecedented changes in every
aspect of life and
that included gardening. By Margaret
G Powling.
''Often called
‘the golden age
of gardening’,
the Edwardian
period saw the
English country
garden come into
its own, with
wealthy owners
of large country
gardens
investing in
exquisite
structure and
planting.
Inspired by the
Arts & Crafts
movement and the
work of
architects like
Edwin Lutyens,
the gardens
benefited from
strong
architectural
frameworks,
softened by
exuberant
planting,” says
Anne Jennings,
Head of
Horticulture at
the Museum of
Garden History...'
