Lesson 3: Gardens of the New Worlds, America and Australia

In the 19th Century, American and Australian gardeners and designers were influenced by English gardeners and gardens. The wealthy travelled to Europe and observed the changes that were taking place in the important gardens.

The home gardener, in the early part of the 20th Century, not having the money to travel and import the expensive plants, was only able to read the spate of gardening books and dream.

Cheaper communications enabled home gardeners to travel more.

The internet is the cheapest of all ways to share and communicate with other gardeners world wide and has caused a revolution to take place in the home gardens.

Communications via the Internet has enabled keen gardeners and horticultural students to buy gardening books either second hand or new.

Opening up these avenues has also been instrumental in creating the movement to planting natives in the home garden. This in turn has caused the Nurseries to stock natives, not only "exotics".

Garden History in the New Countries

THE NEW WORLD GARDENERS

Much of the history of countries is conveyed by the stories we tell ourselves, the books that we read, and the images we can see. These mediums attempt to explain who we are, what we have done and what we would like to see in the future. One of the most fruitful and pleasant ways to observe the social history of our countries is to examine the changes in landscaping. The conservation movements in both America and Australia are growing stronger every year and these organizations have, through the study of historic gardens and city landscaping and preservation of important gardens and landscapes, given us an opportunity to observe the changes that have taken place over the past century.

"Certinale", Italy

The settlement of Australia and America by Europeans followed a similar pattern. The early pioneers opened up huge tracts of land, first building their log cabins [or "humpies," in Australia] and making their first plantings. Seeds of vegetables were probably placed in the virgin soil to provide the necessary food for the family's very existence.

By the 19th century the newcomers were making homes and gardens of a more substantial nature, but many of the English-born settlers began to feel homesick for the lush green gardens of their original homeland in the British Isles and we find that in their recreational gardens, both large and small, they created gardens in a similar style to the gardens of England. Garden nurseries sprang up and these catered to their customers' wishes by importing the trees and plants that proliferated the gardens of the "homeland". Some "new Australians" and "new Americans" were beginning to make their fortunes and were wealthy enough to "go home" and export back to their new country the plants that were coming into fashion in the English gardens. Elaborate containers were made to accommodate the plants on the long sea voyage to Australia, and the garden owner would travel with his "treasures" to tend to them and water them over the several months of travel. This passionate gardener also had to take into account the different seasons and the wise would only bring seeds. Seedlings had a better chance to adapt to the weather and soil conditions of the new country

"Chateau de la Garoupe", France

In Australia, the creation of an English garden often led to disappointment and failure, the conditions were so different in this new country. Lack of rainfall, different soil conditions and changed weather patterns should not have been ignored, but the home sickness was so strong that many new gardeners would not give up. If they were wealthy enough, they either moved to or bought land for weekends and holidays in the mountainous areas with a cooler climate and higher rainfall, and there are many beautiful mountain gardens within a few hours driving outside of Melboune and Sydney in Australia. The "cottager" began to ask the nurseries for seed packets of hardy annuals and perennials to make their colourful front gardens. They found these hardies grew abundantly and they also discovered that roses would withstand the sunny positions. In Australia, a typical cottage would be situated on a small block of land surrounded by a fence. Australians still have the desire to enclose their property with a wall or fence. Theories for this include: they wanted to keep out the bushrangers [escaped convicts] or, Australia being such a vast land, they felt the fence would give the owner a sense of security, of "this piece of land is mine".

In America, the wealthy were also growing European plants. Sometimes they even imported the landscape gardener to help them create their English Gardens of Eden. Vast tracts of lawn were planted, labour was cheap with the Negro slave industry to mow, clip, weed and water and, in many areas, the climate and soil was ideal for the health of the imported exotics. There were times when whole gardens were imported from Europe, including garden furnishings such as fountains, garden houses, statues and grottos, or even the castle to go with the landscaped garden. Botanical gardens or "Pleasure Gardens for the People" were established, often with an English Director and Head Gardener.

"Villa Taranto", Italy. Cornus florida

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