Family reunion

The world famous Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are full of picturesque sections: Woodland Glade, Japanese Gateway, Rhododendrun Dell.  After walking through these, it is a surprise to stumble into the area called the “Plant Family Beds.”  Tall brick walls are punctuated by a few openings.  Inside the garden feels private and isolated, like another world.  It is laid out to maximize cultivated areas with mown grass aisles to provide access to these areas.

A plaque in the garden explains what plant names tell us.

Designers usually put great effort into combining form, texture, and color into create cohesive visual compositions.  But plants in this garden are arranged based on their evolutionary relationship to each other - so that many plants from the same “family” can be experienced together.   Like a family reunion for plants!  For botanists this arrangement provides a living library to further research.  For everyday plant lovers it provides a chance to see plants at their full potential, to notice similarities and differences across members of the same family.  To me it also opens a window into the history of the study of plants; it brings to mind the golden age of botany; and it teaches us about the evolution of our planet.

In the 1700’s scientists realized the need to develop an informative and universal classification system.  Because plant names varied by region, it was critical to ensure consistency so that research could reliably be shared across borders.  In the mid 1700’s, scientist Carolus Linnaeus promoted a system based on the way plants reproduced.  Names were based on the number and location of stamens and pistils.  In the late 1700’s, French botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu made improvements by using additional plant characteristics.  Today, advances in DNA analysis give us even better information regarding a plant’s evolutionary origin.

William Hooker, the first director of the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew and the designer of the Plant Family Beds. Source: Encyclopedia Britannica

William Hooker, first director of Kew, designed the Plant Family Beds in 1846 using the work of Antoine Laurent. In 1869, the layout was updated to reflect further developments.  The gardens have continued to evolve and have been updated using the latest DNA-based learnings.  Today there are over 100 beds and 90 plant families.  It is easy to get lost in this living library: to enjoy each specimen and to experience new variations.

At one end sits a wonderful bronze statue, a tribute to all gardeners.  The spectacular rose arbor that cuts through the middle of the space was installed in 1959 to celebrate the garden’s anniversary.  Because the roses have been selected for the quantity and duration of their bloom, it is hard to describe the sensual overload of being surrounded by their scent and color.  

I am not sure that I will be arranging plants in my garden based on their scientific grouping, but I probably spent most of my time at Kew exploring this garden.  It is both beautiful and informative: a living library that celebrates the diversity that can occur even in the same family; a product of centuries of accumulated knowledge; and a reminder of the longer evolutionary arc on which we all travel.

 

Garden map circa 1870.

Close-up of garden as seen from above.  Source: Kew Garden Map detail.

Grand entrance

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with a great music and restaurant scene set amongst stunning beaches, dramatic rock formations, and lagoons.  Whenever I am asked for advice on what to do in Rio, I direct people to the Jardim Botanico, one of the oldest and most elegant botanical gardens in the world. 

View of Rio de Janeiro from Corcovado.  The Jardim Botanico lies at the base of this mountain.

During one visit to Rio my colleagues and I had a couple of free hours at the end of our conference.  I rushed everyone into a cab and headed to the base of the Corcovado mountain-- where the gardens are.  On the late afternoon of our visit, the traffic was heavy and the Jardim Botanico was closing when we arrived.  Explaining our long journey, and sincere pleading, got us in.  We were the only people in the whole place!

The garden was established in 1808 and opened to the public in 1822 at a time when Brazil was still part of Portugal under the rule of King John VI.  The garden was created so that people could study the practical properties of tropical plants—to extend research going on in Lisbon. 

Initial work focused on spices like cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg, so that these crops could be grown for profit.  In the early years, Chinese experts were brought in to teach the Portuguese how to cultivate, harvest and process black tea. 

Historically the study of plants was closely tied to medicine so it’s no surprise that the first to lead the institution was Friar Leandro, a professor of the Academy of Medicine and Surgery. His passion for teaching botany in a practical manner made him famous.  According to the garden’s official website, “The chroniclers of the time told in detail the scene of the friar teaching lessons … where, along with the students, many curious passers, [would] watch his practical lessons in botany. …Friar Leandro … aimed at passing his knowledge on natural history to all those who showed interest.”

Post card circa 1856.  Likely author P. G. Bertichem. Source: Rio.com

While a majority of the garden is natural, cultivated areas include an orchid house, a lily pond, and a Japanese garden.  Most striking is the formal allee that starts at the main entrance.  While this type of feature in European formal gardens commonly uses  hornbeam or Cyprus, this garden instead uses 100-foot tall imperial palms.  This feature is a show stopper: the repetition and form of the 100-foot tall trees amplify the perspective both outward and upward; the rigid formality contrasts powerfully in the context of a wild garden.  The two axes that form the heart of this section lead to a monumental cast iron fountain called “The Muses,” cast in Derby, UK and installed in 1895.  In the classic technique of ‘borrowing a view,’ the main avenue frames a glimpse of the Christ statue for which Rio is so well known.  This entrance garden serves as an invitation:  it slows us down; it  helps us to make the transition from the busy city; and its key elements orient us, directing us deeper into the landscape.

In 1992, UNESCO named the Rio Botanical Garden a biosphere reserve.

The garden is officially open every day until 5pm except for Christmas and New Year’s day.

 

Map of the garden shows the formal axes in the center.

John VI ruled Portugal when the Jardim Botanico in Rio was created.   It was established as part of a program to discover and commercialize tropical plants. Photo Source: Britannica

A mother-daughter affair

A few years ago Catherine Davis decided to take on the task of restoring her historic Neenah garden.  Her work has resulted in a series of outdoor rooms inspired by New Jersey childhood memories that are lush with rhododendrons and dogwoods.   Catherine’s work combines formality and historic techniques with elements that are uniquely her own, like the Arts and Crafts philosophy of the early 1900’s.  This garden has become a shared passion for Catherine and her 94 year old mom, Connie Young.

Before Catherine started on her garden, time had taken its toll.  Trees had matured to create heavy shade that kept both light and moisture out; a dog run took up a portion of the back yard.  On the positive side she inherited a series of metal-edged beds.   

“I was committed to making these rectangular beds work because they were part of the property’s past and I liked how they lined up with the original stone terrace and porch,” Catherine tells me.  “They set up my theme of geometry and symmetry.”  Today a beautiful wooden fence that Catherine designed herself frames this area.  Matching beds of vintage peonies add texture and height.  I was most struck by the long rows of boxwood trimmed into a diamond pattern.  “I tried everything along these narrow beds.  Between the lack of sun and the rabbits I couldn’t get anything to work, so I turned to this idea of a boxwood hedge in an interesting pattern.”   The hedge is of Catherine’s own imagination, but this technique dates back to formal gardens from the 1700’s.

Catherine loves to work in her garden, and her digging led her to discover what had been a sunken rose garden.  With the goal of embracing what was original, she excavated the area and restored it.   Now a circle of begonias surrounds a stone urn that reinforces an axis going from the house to the rear gate.

One of my favorite spots is the Belgian block garden.  A curved teak bench backed by spruce and ninebark provides a welcome spot from which to catch glimpses of different sections of the garden.  “The granite paving would have originally been used by ships as ballast and repurposed this way.  In addition to providing a transition between spaces, it adds history to the garden and brings back fond childhood memories. 

The moss tablecloth, a highlight of this summer’s garden tour, was a collaboration between Catherine and her mom.

Hydrangea of all types play a key role in the garden.

This understated sign is a typical detail in Catherine’s garden.  It is both useful and attractive.

A bench in the woodland garden reinforces the rustic feel of this part of the property.

The newest part of Catherine’s garden, the picturesque woodland, is laid out along a meandering flagstone path that she put in herself.  A grove of dogwoods is underplanted with hostas.  This section is designed around a drift of Virginia blue bells original to the house.  The contrast between this naturalistic area and the formal garden adds energy to the design.

Catherine lights up when describing her mom’s involvement: “she’s my second set of eyes.”  Catherine shared a funny story, “when I got the garden all ready the way I liked it,  my mom flies herself out here, takes a look and says ‘almost there but you need to do this and this.’  As soon as I made the changes I could tell that she was right!  I appreciate her experience as a master gardener and floral designer; she is very good visually and artistically.” 

When Catherine opened her garden this summer to raise money for Homeless Connections, her mom came back to do all of the flower arranging.   Catherine explains,  “I had a vision of creating a living table cloth of moss.  I collected sheets of moss, used chicken wire as a base, was so proud. Then my mom comes and takes the whole thing apart, shaved the top to one length, and used a pencil to poke holes into the sides to integrate flowers. It was magnificent and one of my favorite elements.” 

Among her other favorite sources for inspiration are the Paine and Green Bay Botanical gardens, East Coast house tours, and European castles and manor houses.  Catherine isn’t afraid to adjust ideas.   “I fell in love with these cast iron peony stands in England but couldn’t find them anywhere, so I designed my own version and had them made right here in Wisconsin.”

When asked about what she’s learned from gardening her advice covered soil, mulch, and rabbits.  On soil, “Understand your soil and improve as needed. I got semi loads of composted cow manure, tons at a time.” On mulch, “Even though I don’t like the look of mulch, it’s great in the newer parts of the garden to keep weeds down and moisture in.”  And on rabbits, “nothing works, so install plants that rabbits don't like and enjoy their company.”

Being in Catherine’s garden is a real treat.   She has created distinct garden areas –each one is a pleasure to be in.  Focal points create places to rest the eye and benches provide spots to relax.  Garden gates and pathways offer invitations to explore; and old-world garden design techniques reinforce key elements original to her property.  Catherine has added layers that reflect her personality, but done so with restraint so that each element has its own space to look its best and be appreciated.   Most of all it is wonderful to see how Catherine and her mom have worked together to enhance this special garden.

Happy gardening!

Catherine's house, built in 1904, is on the State Register for Historic Places.

Click here to see full article as seen in The Post-Crescent