Victorians/Edwardians Hmmm… what this garden needs is a bit of Japanese   Knotweed Improvement and Inspiration

The Laurels, Crowborough, Sussex illiam Morris was a Victorian artist, His wallpaper and textile designs usually featured designer and thinker. He believed that birds, plants and animals painted in a medieval people should live simply, and work at style. These are still popular, almost 180 years after 4th May 1885 Dear Henrietta, Wmaking the things they needed for his birth. He designed the furniture, carpets, fabrics We are all nicely settled in our new villa in the High Weald. We have had their own every day lives. In this way their work and wallpaper for Standen, a Victorian house and the house completely redecorated, so now for the garden! would be enjoyable and fulfilling and their lives garden in the High Weald that you can visit today. more meaningful. Nature is all well and good, but it is rather untidy, don’t you think? Nothing grows in the right place. I’m sure we can improve on it. I think we could do He was inspired by medieval craftsmanship – he Broadening the mind with a few shrubs at the edge of the garden, just where it borders the admired how buildings, furniture and decorative The new railway system made travel easier for the woodland. I’ve heard rhododendrons are all the rage, especially the type items like tapestries were made in the Middle Ages. Victorians. The beauty of the High Weald attracted called ponticum. I think if I plant those, I can’t go wrong. The flowers will He was also inspired by nature. You can imagine all types of visitor and many writers and artists look splendid in my new Japanese vases in the drawing room. him wandering around the High Weald appreciating its timber-framed houses and stone churches, or found inspiration here. Victorian Apparently there are other new plants too, like Himalayan Balsam and getting ideas from the variety of wildlife and the Japanese Knotweed. They are supposed to rival the exotic plants they have colours and textures of the area’s natural features. Look good ideas? at HER right at the Mutton at Kew, but don’t need to be grown in a hothouse. You get a lot of plants front. Who does she dressed as What seemed like from a packet of seeds and they spread, so they’ll make a good display. he Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a think she is? lamb! improvements to the Victorian group of artists, were friends Wake Victorians have sometimes Now you can get the train from London it will be easy for you to visit us with William Morris. Some of their me up when he’s become problems for us often. We can go on walking tours all over the High Weald. The rocks members spent time in the High finished. today. Plants such as and gills here are rather like the highland glens so beloved of our dear queen T Weald making paintings. They wanted to show Rhododendron ponticum, and her prince consort. The heathy commons with their clumps of pine the beauty of nature in great detail and used Let’s Japanese Knotweed and remind one of Scotland too. And of course, the pine-scented air is so healthy intense, glowing colour. One of the group, have a Himalayan Balsam have and will cure your consumption. Look forward to seeing you soon. William Holman Hunt, made a painting of sheep butcher’s! escaped from gardens into the on a cliff in Hastings Country Park. It is called wild. They are able to spread Your loving sister, “Our English Coasts” and now hangs in Tate rapidly and smother native Britain, London. vegetation and wildlife. Agatha Another group of High Weald artists was the Cranbrook Colony. They painted scenes of rural ictorians and Edwardians enjoyed the has a scented garden in the everyday life, but made things look rosier and English countryside and nature, but new Italian style, a Victorian kitchen garden and more romantic than they really were. Their things were happening. Plant explorers restored Victorian glasshouse. paintings were popular with wealthy factory were bringing back exciting new owners in the Midlands. V Great Dixter, a garden created in Edwardian times specimens from other continents. Landscape artists were painting romantic far off lands. Gardeners were inspired by this new mood. You can visit many grand gardens begun by Victorians. Find out where at: Many gardens in the High Weald today were www.highweald.org/explore/attractions Cycle, walk or ride along disused railway lines built by the Victorians at: begun in Victorian or Edwardian times and reflect www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/countryside/ these ideas. Some of these can be visited. Tunbridge walks/cuckootrail/default.htm Wells East Grinstead Marle www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/countryside/ Standen Place Cranbrook Tenterden High walks/forestway/default.htm Leonardslee was planted with shrubs like Horsham Beeches Wakehurst Exhibits at: camellias, rhododendrons and magnolias and set Place Cranbrook Museum; Eden Valley Museum; Hastings Old Town Great Haywards Dixter Hall Museum; Tenterden Museum; Tunbridge Wells Museum; out in the style of a landscape painting. The Heath Heathfield Rye Rye Castle Museum; Yesterday’s World, Battle Victorian owner imagined it to be like the More online at: Hastings Himalayas. High Beeches was planted with new Country www.highweald.org/Edward – video of a Victorian garden owner Great Dixter Archive Great Gardens specimens from around the world. Marle Place Hastings Park www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/collections/ browse_collections/art/cranbrook

1841 Balcombe Viaduct built over the River Ouse on the 1851 Sussex trugs became 1866 Railway line opened 1870s William Robinson of 1878 Hop production 1885 Board of Conservators set up 1902 Batemans bought by High Weald London-Brighton Railway Line using 11 million bricks popular after being shown at between East Grinstead Gravetye introduced idea of reached a peak in the area to manage Ashdown Forest Rudyard Kipling the Great Exhibition and Tunbridge Wells wild gardening 1850 EVENTS 1837 1840 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 Queen Victoria 1850 First garden 1851 Great Exhibition 1859 On the Origin of Species 1866 Dr Barnardo opened 1876 telephone invented Bicycles became popular 1901 Queen Victoria came to the throne gnome brought Crystal Palace, Hyde Park by Charles Darwin published home for orphans in London by Alexander Bell for everyday transport died, Edward VII World to England became king