01 Viburnum tinus ‘Variegatum’ The Mill Hill Peter Collinson 02 Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ 03 Ce phalanthus occidentalis Heritage Garden List underplanted with Iris tuberosa 04 Pyracantha (pre-existing) 05 Yucca filamentosa 06 Phlo x subulata ‘Scarlet Flame’ 07 Cotinus coggygria 08 Salvia officinalis ‘Icterina’ 09 Robinia hispida Ilex aquifolium 10 Santolina chamaecyparissus The Mill Hill Peter Collinson 11 Cornus amomum 12 Ilex cassine

A feature made from 13 Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ a Cedrus libani planted by Heritage Garden Peter Collinson in 1756 14 48 15 Ferula communis A Visitors' Guide 40 16 Eurybia divaricata 46 33 17 Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ 18 Phlox subulata ‘McDaniel’s Cushion’ 16 3 19 Rosmarinus officinalis Cedrus libani 45 31 2 20 Acanthus spinosus 49 21 Eryngium alpinum 47 41 43 44 22 Phlox subulata ‘White Delight’

39 40 42 23 Stokesia laevis 37 38 11 24 Cistus creticus 29 16 35 25 Phlox maculata ‘Alpha’ 18 34 33 26 Hib iscus syriacus ‘Oiseau Bleu’ 36 32 31 27 Quercus laevis 22 16 10 30 10 16 28 Ch elone obliqua underplanted with 50 8 24 2 Narcissus ‘Minnow’ 22 23 44 16 29 Kalmia latifolia ‘Zebulon’ 25 26 15 30 Chi onanthus virginicus underplanted 29 with Cyclamen ‘Silver Alba’ 20 15 52 21 10 53 31 Cham aenerion angustifolium ‘Album’ 11 18 16 51 28 32 Asclepias incarnata ‘Ice Ballet’ 16 15 27 19 33 Matteuccia struthiopteris 14 18 17 34 Vinca minor ‘Atropurpurea’ 12 3 8 35 Asplenium trichomanes 36 Thymus ‘Silver Posie’ 16 10 11 37 Vinca minor ‘La Grave’ 13 7 38 Polemonium caeruleum 9 39 Thymus ‘Russettings’ 8 7 40 Viburnum tinus 5 6 4 41 Vinca minor ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ 5 3 42 Phlox maculata ‘Omega’

2 43 Senna marilandica 44 Phlox paniculata ‘Rijnstroom’

1 45 Cor nus canadensis underplanted with blue Hyacinthus orientalis 46 Vinca minor ‘Argenteovariegata’ 47 Hamamelis virginiana underplanted with Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Silver Leaf’ 48 Rhododendron viscosum 49 Dodecatheon meadia 50 Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliant’ 51 Lilium candidum 52 Fritillaria imperialis 53 Phlox paniculata This garden commemorates the collection of trees, shrubs and perennials planted on this site by Peter Collinson FRS (1694-1768) whose house and grounds were purchased for the foundation of Mill Hill School in 1807.

Peter Collinson Mill Hill School 1825

Peter Collinson was a successful Quaker merchant A very important North American contact garden with areas that were both shaded and who combined his international textile business emerged in Pennsylvania through the intermediary boggy while others were sunny and dry. Many of with a passion for plant introduction and scientific off ices of Benjamin Franklin who knew how anxious John Bartram’s American were represented study. He became one of the major botanists in the Collinson was to establish a plant exchange along with many curiosities from elsewhere, such world of his time, conversing with in mechanism on a more botanically sound basis. He as China and Russia. John Bartram’s specialities Sweden, John Bartram and Benjamin Franklin in was put in touch with John Bartram, a farmer from included magnolias, kalmias, rhododendrons, the USA and with Lancelot Brown, Lord Petre and Philadelphia, who was willing to send to Collinson azaleas and a vast array of colourful annuals. It is Sir Hans Sloane in England. It was largely due to boxes of materials, comprising roots, seeds, dried said that his favourite shrub at that time was the patronage of Sloane that Peter Collinson was insects and stuff ed birds for which Collinson Rhododendron maximum which came from the elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. agreed to pay five guineas a box. In return Appalachian and Allegheny mountains in the Collinson sent books, plant material and even United States. Many of the were listed by At the tender age of two Collinson was sent by clothes to Bartram. Though they never met, their Daniel Solander, a favourite student of Linnaeus. his father to live with his grandmother in Peckham friendship was lifelong and profound. The Bartram Introduced by Collinson to members of the Royal where the young boy developed his gardening Botanical Garden in South Philadelphia celebrates Society, Solander joined Joseph Banks on Cook’s skills and the plant collecting “bug” which was to Bartram’s contribution and importance. expedition to the Southern Ocean on HMS be a life-long obsession. Collinson’s interest in Endeavour and became the first curator of the Mark Catesby (1682-1749) Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahamas Isles plant introductions became an expensive pastime; In 1749, on the death of his wife’s father, the British Museum. Linnaeus named a of plants for example, he financed the production of Mark Collinsons inherited Ridge Way House in Mill Hill Collinsonia, thus ensuring that Collinson’s name Catesby’s Natural History of Carolina, Florida and together with eight acres, a perfect site for his would be remembered for “as long as men and been backed by the Court of Governors, the Head of The Bahama Islands, a seminal work consisting of garden. He spent the next two years transplanting books endure”. The Mill Hill School Foundation, the Old Millhillians etchings and notes from Catesby’s collection of the entire collection from his Peckham garden to Club and The Linnean Society of London. plants gathered on his trip to the Americas, a trip his new home, the garden of which lay to the south In September 1761 Peter Collinson asked Bartram Additionally, the Mill Hill Preservation Society has made possible by sponsors found by Collinson. of the house on ground which sloped down to send no more seeds or plants, unless anything been associated with this project, seeing it as part He developed a lasting friendship with Philip Miller towards the west and from which could be seen on new or rare turned up and in August 1768 Peter of the wider Mill Hill Village environment. Whilst it is who took charge of the Chelsea Physic Garden in a clear day, just visible in the distance, the palace Collinson died. In 1807 Mill Hill School was founded not possible to recreate the original collection, the 1722 with the specific brief to develop rare exotic of Windsor Castle. for the sons of nonconformist dissenters and aim has been to include as many as possible of his introductions. Miller’s botanical dictionary became initially occupied Ridge Way House later to be plants or their modern cultivars together in one the bible for gardeners on both sides of the He took great care with the transplanting from replaced by the present building designed by place that coincides with the footprint of Atlantic. It was published and financed through Peckham garden. Most of trees, shrubs and flowers Sir William Tite, architect of the Royal Exchange. Collinson’s home at Mill Hill. Thank you for visiting the good off ices of Peter Collinson and his were so precious, he planted them himself. The the garden; we hope you have enjoyed the influential lifelong friend, Benjamin Franklin. In July Mill Hill garden comprised the “Best Garden” The Mill Hill School Foundation is proud of its experience. 1736 Linnaeus visited Collinson in his Peckham and the “Field”, by which he meant trees. The association with Peter Collinson and, more garden where he was said to be have been very importance of Collinson’s garden at Mill Hill lay importantly, his contribution to and The Mill Hill School Foundation is grateful to all impressed with Collinson’s collection, not least by in its remarkable collection of rare species, many horticulture. Over the past ten years, this those whose donations to our Annual Funds have the Magnolia virginiana which had been painted of which he had introduced and raised himself. representative garden has been brought to contributed signi�icantly to making the creation by Catesby. Growing conditions varied in diff erent parts of the life by a small group of Millhillians. They have of this Garden possible.