VICTORIANA : The Victorian Garden

By ROBERT SCHOELLER

February 25, 2010

For many, thinking of a garden brings back memories of the Victory Garden of World War II. The purpose was not so much to think green, but to provide for the table what might not be readily available at the grocery store due to war efforts and shortages. The basics were fruits and vegetables and had little to do with the ornamentation that was paramount in a Victorian garden.
While the Victorians had gardens for kitchen use, they were not the primary garden. Gardens ranged from terrace gardens with balustrades and stairways, to the formal garden, set off with boxwood borders and frequently with a highly decorative cast iron fence. The rose garden would often be found within.
Elaborate urns, fountains, sundials, garden benches, birdbaths and created fish ponds were also popular ornamentations. Shrubs were used to cover unsightly foundations and to establish property lines and walkways. Gardens in the Victorian era had a number of complexities. In many instances, it was to add to the multiple task of establishing ones station in life and to serve as the center of outdoor activities.
Victorian homes may have had a cutting garden in addition to the other gardens, but it had little to do with the formal garden in which one would display a fine collection of exotic plants and flowerbeds filled with bright bedding plants. The display of new rhododendrons and azaleas from China and new and exotic roses (hundreds were available) became the primary focus.
Susan Orleans book, The Orchid Thief, elaborates on the lengths to which some plant-hunters of the era went, traveling the world in quest of exotic flora. George Forrest (1873-1932), one of the most well-known, traveled mainly to China, Tibet and Burma. Forrest introduced 600 species of plants,
300 of which were rhododendrons.
Ferns were very popular also. Falling more into the houseplant category, they were nevertheless used on the porch or outside in the summer. They were relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain.
Those with elaborate gardens held elaborate garden parties. Engraved invitations were sent, and children were not invited to these adult affairs. Furniture and rugs were often taken from the house to provide the proper setting. However, wicker furniture remained on the porch.
Lawn tennis and croquet might be offered. Dress for the party was not casual. Women wore long dresses, hats and gloves and carried parasols. Tea, sandwiches and cakes were often served, and cold salads were de rigueur. A table offering claret cup, champagne cup, brandy and soda water might be set aside for the gentlemen.
The Victorian garden at Terrace Hill has been the site for many memorable garden parties.

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