17th Century Garden

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 71, 25 March 1933, Page 21

17th Century Garden

John Evelyn is well known as a diarist, but not so well known aa one of the most enthusiastic gardeners of his time (states the "Manchester Guardian"). He was born in 1620 and lived to the age of 85. Not merely did he find delight in gardens, but in his early twenties was practising the art and craft of gardening, and how deep and thorough his interest Was may be .■judged from a little volume; which has just been published for the first time, entitled "Directions for the Gardiner.'•" He was largely responsible for the making of two gardens famous in their day —one at his birthplace of Wotton, in Surrey, and the other at. Saves Court, Deptford. It is with the latter that we are at present concerned.

When ho obtained possession of Sayes Court, the earlier home of his father-in-law, it apparently had "an ovall garden" and "a rude orchard.". The rest of the land, consisting of a field of 100 acres, he described as "the beginning pf all the succeeding gardens, walks, groves* "enclosures, and' plantations there." As ho plan is reproduced we have to imagine what it was like when his work was done, but it included fruit-planted walls, a great court, a fountaine-garden, a greenhouse-garden, an "iland,". a bowling-greene planted with fruit trees, a "circle" containing, a dozen, .varieties of cherries, an east-quarter, a. west quarter, "foure ortyard quarters"—one for each of the four seasons of the year—a kitchingarden, a physic garden in which about 180 herbs were grown, a "coronary" garden of tulips, carnations, and a wide variety of herbaceous plants and annuals. ■ ' . ■ '..•.-•

' It is hardly necessary to say that a large proportion of the varieties of plants enumerated in these lists would be difficult to find in. our modern gardens. The. astonishing thing is to see so great a range in a private garden of that period. But it is chiefly to .tho actual directions to his gardener that most of Evelyn's readers will bo attracted. They are essentially., practical, and could only have been given.by one skilled in the work of gardening and conversant with the. experience of others in f the craft; ■• ■■■'•■ :■ ■■ •>■ < i JOHN EVELYN'S INSTRUCTIONS^ Here are a few 'examples'-in his'OTJii style:— ' ' ■■" \ ■' :; The Japon Lille will not thrive without some seasand be mixed with the mould.,: ■: ■■-..-■■'. ■Sou cannot keepe the Narcissus tuberosiis too dry in' winter and after you take the rootcs out of the earth. Bosemary thrives better by . cutt plants than by ragged slips:. not for the gro\ving*of the slip, but for that tho old plant, once you slip it, never recovers the scarr; wherefore cut it somo distance from the stem wltcn it flowers and not "in Aprill as is,usual. Where rosemary, will not thrive'by reason of the soile,- clay, or bogg, mingle it with ibrick dust exceedingly. Keep the soil moist in hot weather by laying fearn or like stuff on the earth, but so as often to stirr it, least it contract mustinesse; '•:'

Choose all seedes from the lustiest plants and best bearers.

Plant not ever-greenes till'; the beginning of April .. . for the scorching sun of x March is worse than winter frost . . . and by reason also of the piercing easter and northern continual blasts. '. ,

Even greate grownd trees may almost at any time and season of the ycare be removed with, success by plunging the rootcs in the mould made papp, like wcll-wrougnt mortar. '. ..

: Cut always, above' a bud, slanting, ;that the water may pass off, and lot the jknife be sharp that j-oh leave no raggs. p- If you take off'an whole branch cut't' jit close to the stemm,- that the wound ftiay healo the sooner and a new bark Jsiicceede,

':;; Clense-your fruite trees of all suckers carefully, for they rob the trees. .■ • The oftner. you cut and clip "sweeteherbs the morethey will thrive. ; • ■ . Bo careful not to suffer weedes to run to seede.

' In the matter of watering he' was most explicit".' He emphasises the: advantage of allowing cold spring, water to stand in the sun for some, time before being used, and informs us that four gallons of heated water will '' qualify twenty gallons" to '' miikwarm.'» 'In spring-time we should water in the morning, and in summer in, the evening; and at al! times we should water gently, by imitating the natural showers, so making it penetrate the ground and not harden it. He has remedies, too, for all manner .of garden pests, from-the smallest inserts to poultrie'and catts whose scraping. ana,,basking.lie- would discourage "by- laying, brambles and holy-bushes on1 the beds." •